Lila & Eve 2015

Lila, portrayed by Viola Davis, is a single mother in Atlanta grappling with the overwhelming grief after her son Stephon falls victim to a tragic drive-by shooting. The police show little interest in her case, leaving Lila struggling to care for her younger son, Justin, played by Ron Caldwell. In her despair, she joins a support group for mothers who’ve lost their children to violence. Here, she encounters Eve, portrayed by Jennifer Lopez, a woman mourning her own daughter’s death who remains silently detached from the rest of the group. While Lila seeks healing, Eve appears consumed by a desire for revenge rather than recovery.

Choosing Eve as her sponsor, Lila’s life takes a dark turn one night when a session of home redecorating leads to an alarming discovery – a gun hidden in Justin’s backpack. This shocking find fuels Eve’s suggestion that they take justice into their own hands and investigate Stephon’s murder. The two women embark on a perilous journey, inadvertently crossing paths with dangerous players in the criminal underworld. When they confront a person with vital information, things spiral out of control, and Eve’s actions lead to a fatal encounter, marking the beginning of their descent into violence.

As they dig deeper into the conspiracy surrounding Stephon’s death, they inadvertently attract the attention of Ojeda, the ruthless enforcer for a powerful drug kingpin. While Lila grows increasingly anxious about the morality of their vigilantism, Eve becomes reckless, leading to a significant rift in their relationship that culminates in Eve’s sudden disappearance. Meanwhile, Detective Holliston, played by Shea Wingham, begins to connect the dots between the vigilante murders and Lila’s plight.

In a harrowing twist, Lila and Justin find themselves targeted when armed assailants confront them one morning. Just in the nick of time, Lila’s quick thinking averts disaster, and they are saved from their attackers by an unexpected car accident. After a reconciliation with Eve, they decide to set a trap for the elusive criminal kingpin, Miguel Alejandro, who they believe is behind their suffering. Lila’s life takes a surreal turn when she realizes that Eve may not be real; she grapples with the revelation that she has been responsible for the violent actions committed in their quest for justice.

In a frightening climax, Lila faces Ojeda and Alejandro in a deadly showdown. As the tensions escalate and the trap is set, she makes a fateful decision, leading to an explosion that devastates her home and alters her life forever. In the aftermath, Detective Holliston, despite his suspicions, cannot crack the bond of support that Lila shares with the other grieving mothers, who rally around her to offer alibis amidst the chaos.

Ultimately, Lila and Justin decide to leave Atlanta behind, embarking on a journey towards healing and renewal. In a poignant moment, as they drive away towards their new life, Justin checks in on his mother, and Lila reassures him, saying she will be okay, echoing a glimmer of hope against the backdrop of their painful past.