When Love Kills: The Falicia Blakely Story | |
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Directed by | Tasha Smith |
Written by | Cas Sigers-Beedles |
Produced by |
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Starring | |
Cinematography | Bruce Francis Cole |
Edited by | Dante Wyatt |
Production company | |
Distributed by | TV One |
Release dates | June 15, 2017 (American Black Film Festival) August 28, 2017 |
Running time | 95 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
When Love Kills: The Falicia Blakely Story is a 2017 American biographical crime drama film directed by Tasha Smith in her directorial debut, and written by Cas Sigers-Beedles. The film stars Lil Mama as Falicia Blakely, a 19-year-old teen mom who becomes stripper, and pimp and predator, Dino (played by Lance Gross). [1] On August. 15, 2002, Blakely and Dino robbed and killed two men — Claudell Christmas and Raymond Goodwin, and the next day, killed Lemetrius Twitty, after picking him up in a club. The duo were arrested after a week-long run and eventually pleaded guilty to multiple charges. Blakely serving three life sentences without parole in a Georgia prison. [2]
It premiered at the 2017 American Black Film Festival on June 15, 2017. [3] It later premiered on TV One on August 28, 2017. [4] [5] The film received positive reviews from critics and two nominations at the 49th NAACP Image Awards.
The film received positive reviews for performances of Lil Mama, Gross, and Roman and Smith' directing. [6] [7] The film became the highest-rated original movie in the history of the TV One, according to the network. [7] At the 49th NAACP Image Awards, When Love Kills: The Falicia Blakely Story was nominated for a Outstanding Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special, and Outstanding Writing in a Television Movie or Special (Cas Sigers-Beedles). [8]