Film
Two Can Play That Game
- Romantic comedy
- Comedy
- Light-hearted
A sharp romantic comedy about a woman engineering an elaborate scheme to win back her wandering boyfriend. Vivica A. Fox commands the screen with style and wit, delivering a film that's equal parts revenge fantasy and genuine heart. It's a love letter to Black romance cinema—sexy, funny, and unapologetically fun. Perfect if you want to watch someone be absolutely fabulous while dismantling their ex.
Should you watch it?
Watch it if you enjoy a brassy, sharp-tongued comedy where the scheming is loud, glossy and played for laughs, and the office-rivalry bickering crackles with sass.
Skip it if you tire of broad, cartoonish exaggeration and loud set pieces, since the jokes lean hard on caricature and the glossy look dates in a very specific way.
What it asks of you: It runs about ninety minutes and stays brisk, moving quickly from one escalating set-up to the next, so you need to keep up with its snappy, talky energy rather than settle into slow mood.
Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.
If you liked this
Waiting to Exhale1995
Four women navigate love, betrayal, and friendship with humor and honesty. Whitney Houston, Angela Bassett, and Loretta Devine shine in a film that balances comedy with real emotional weight. Essential Black romance cinema.
But The pacing slows considerably in the second half, and some plot threads feel underdeveloped beside the core friendships.

Set It Off1996
Vivica A. Fox dominates this heist thriller with the same magnetic energy she brings here, alongside Jada Pinkett Smith and Queen Latifah. Stylish, clever, and surprisingly moving about loyalty and desperation.
But Tonally it shifts between comedy and genuine crime drama in ways that don't always land smoothly. It's also far darker than its marketing suggested.

How Stella Got Her Groove Back1998
Angela Bassett reclaiming her life and desire after heartbreak, with humor, romance, and genuine self-discovery. Joyful and sensual without ever feeling cheap. A counterpart that asks what comes after the scheme.
But Some of the romantic beats feel a touch too neat, and the Jamaica sequences occasionally veer into tourist-board territory.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Two Can Play That Game
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
Claudine1974
Both center the charisma and intelligence of a Black woman as the driving force of the entire narrative. Both insist that romance is as much about wordplay and mental connection as chemistry. Both are genuinely sexy without needing to undress anyone.
Diahann Carroll and James Earl Jones in a film that invents the modern romantic comedy template—two people who know exactly who they are, trading wit and vulnerability. Stunning in every frame. The spiritual ancestor of what Two Can Play That Game became.
But It's a 1974 film with all the earnestness and softness that implies—modern audiences sometimes find the pacing meditative rather than snappy. The romance unfolds at its own pace.

More like this (7)
Boomerang1992
Eddie Murphy and Robin Givens in a battle of romantic wits and workplace games. Funny, charming, and utterly of its era. The gender dynamics feel fresher than you'd expect from 1992.
But The tonal shifts between comedy and pathos can feel jarring, and some jokes land harder on rewatches than others.

Brown Sugar2002
Taye Diggs and Sanaa Lathan navigate friendship, love, and hip-hop culture with genuine warmth. Stylish soundtrack, great banter, and it actually respects the intelligence of its characters.
But The central conceit hinges on a pretty familiar will-they-won't-they dynamic that takes its time to resolve. Some supporting characters feel underbaked.

Think Like a Man2012
An ensemble cast (Michael Ealy, Taraji P. Henson, Romany Malco) uses a dating advice book as the hook for an actual, functioning comedy about relationships. Sharp dialogue and genuine chemistry across the board.
But The film relies heavily on the book's framework, which means some characters' arcs feel predetermined rather than earned. It's also quite long for what it's doing.

The Best Man1999
Taye Diggs, Nia Long, and an ensemble of charm navigate friendship, betrayal, and love in New York. Witty, textured, and surprisingly moving about what loyalty actually costs.
But Some of the dramatic turns feel sudden, and the gender dynamics in how characters are judged can be frustratingly uneven.

Jumping the Broom2011
Paula Patton and Laz Alonso's wedding weekend rom-com has genuine laughs and family warmth. Angela Bassett and Loretta Devine are delightful, and it finds joy in specificity rather than broad strokes.
But The plot meanders between too many subplots, and some of the drama feels obligatory rather than organic. It's also quite gentle—not everyone wants soft.

The Wood1999
Sean Nelson and Omar Epps in a comedy about three childhood friends on the eve of a wedding. Genuinely funny, anchored by real affection for the characters and their world. Underrated and quotable as hell.
But The framing device makes the pacing choppy, and some younger scenes feel less developed than the present-day storyline. Also very much of its specific moment in 1999 comedy.

Yellow Rose2020
Both use romance as a vehicle for exploring what it means to belong—where you fit, who gets to decide that, and whether love can survive the gaps between who we are and who we're pretending to be. Both argue that romance is meaningful because of stakes, not despite them.
Eva Noblezada in a country-music romance that fuses heartbreak with immigration politics. Quietly beautiful, genuinely moving, and the musical numbers actually deepen the story rather than interrupt it. A gem that fell through the cracks.
But The film moves with deliberate slowness and relies on mood over plot momentum. If you need constant forward propulsion and incident, this will feel static. It's also weighted by real-world heaviness beneath its romance.

People
Cast
Vivica A. FoxShanté Smith
Morris ChestnutKeith Fenton
Anthony AndersonTony
Gabrielle UnionConny Spalding
Tamala JonesTracey Johnson
Mo'NiqueDiedre
Bobby BrownMichael
Dondré WhitfieldDwain
Ray WiseBill Parker
David KrumholtzJason
Amy HunterNita
Directing
- Mark BrownDirector
Writing
- Mark BrownWriter
Production
- Robi ReedCasting
- Larry KennarExecutive Producer
- Robert N. FriedExecutive Producer
- Doug McHenryProducer
- Mark BrownProducer
- Paddy CullenProducer
Recommended by
Deliver Us from Eva, Guess Who, The Break-Up, This Christmas, Love Jones, The Cookout, Think Like a Man, Just Wright