Based on Zane's 2001 hit sexual-thriller novel, Bille Woodruff's Addicted centers on a sex-addict art publicist who throws away her impossibly perfect life for dalliances with tawdry, one-dimensional men. A handful of excellent performances aren't enough to distract from some flat characters who are almost comically lacking in motivation.
We find Zoe Reynard (Sharon Leal) visiting psychiatrist Dr. Marcella Spencer (Tasha Smith), with whom she reluctantly shares her hanky-panky epic. We begin with the ideal family living in a sumptuous house. Zoe's doting husband Jason (Boris Kodjoe) is beyond reproach inside and outside the bedroom, yet she tells the good doctor that she's missing something. Enter typically suave artist Quinton Canosa (William Levy), who sweeps her off her feet in a long string of absurdly erotic "accidents." When things sour on that front, she turns to sex-club regular Corey (Tyson Beckford) to fill the void. Pushed against the wall by her floundering business and the insistent Dr. Spencer, Zoe is urged to end her affairs with both men and attempt to salvage her marriage.
Talented performances by Kodjoe, model-turned-actor Beckford, Emayatzy Corinealdi (as Zoe's best friend Brina), and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire's Maria Howell are the highlights of the film. William Levy serves his purpose as a dreamboat well enough in his first English-language appearance, although he's often difficult to understand. Otherwise, Addicted delivers some light kink and a slightly engaging plot, but ultimately falls flat in its distracting lack of believability. This is unfortunate, due to the serious nature of real-life sexual addiction. Main character Zoe's motivations are rarely more than an afterthought, and the stereotypes one might expect from a bodice ripper are woefully present in this offering. In the end, it's unclear whom Addicted is intended for: It glorifies erotica too much to be a cautionary tale, but the serious treatment of addiction toward the end hampers any chance at casual, discreet enjoyment.