Dating in present-day America can be summed up in a single word: Toxic. Tubi’s rising film series Echoes captures this reality with unflinching honesty, showing how unresolved trauma can seep into new relationships and cause lasting damage. Across three gripping installments, viewers are prompted to look inward and confront their own reflections, flaws, and emotional scars.
Created by Dontavious Shuler Studios, Echoes follows Sydney, played by Shardae Pearson of Right Plan Wrong Man and Four Birds, and Demetri, played by Gem Marc Collins of Till and BMF. The couple enters their relationship full of hope, but everything shifts when Sydney’s ex resurfaces. Insecurities ignite, communication falters, and infidelity pushes them toward collapse. As the story moves into part two, Echoes 2: Curses of the Past, more of Sydney’s history is revealed, reminding viewers that untreated wounds often reappear as deeper patterns of conflict, pain, and dysfunction. The series is executive produced by Christia Clarkson and Khalif Breaux, with cinematography by Mikenzie Lewis.
“The message we are trying to show is that people do not just end up a certain way. They are shaped by their perspectives and experiences,” said writer and director Dontavious Shuler. “Some people succumb to negative experiences, and others use them as fuel to overcome.”
Sydney’s character reflects that struggle. “She has seen her mom endure domestic violence. She has lived through street violence and survived molestation,” Shuler added. “She is still carrying those wounds, yet she does not know how to fix what she cannot identify.”
Pearson relates deeply to the role. She admits that familiarity once clouded her own decisions, and witnessing her mother’s abuse gave her insight into how trauma shapes self-esteem. Through Echoes, she hopes to encourage viewers to face their past with intention.
“Seek therapy. Keep growing and finding a resolution behind the reasons you do things,” she said. “Find closure to the pain, forgiveness and self-love. When you truly love yourself, you recognize what is good for you and avoid choices rooted in a lack of self-worth.”
She added that the film forces viewers to examine their role in their own patterns. “This film makes you look in the mirror and face your insecurities and traumas. It asks, what am I doing to contribute to this outcome? It is about accountability and dealing with the ramifications of our decisions.”
Collins, who portrays Demetri, shares a similar sentiment. In one of the most emotional scenes of part one, Demetri breaks down during a therapy session, a moment Collins says he values deeply.
“I love the final scenes at the therapy session. Just grieving, getting it out without abusing drugs, alcohol or another person. As a black people we often frown on that, but it is necessary,” he said.
He revealed that the project inspired him personally. “I had never been to therapy until this film. Now I have done both couples and individual therapy. If we do not find an outlet, when love fails, we can fall dangerously. Hurt people hurt people. Black love may not always work out, but we must love ourselves enough to heal instead of destroying one another.”
With part one already generating buzz, Echoes 2: Curses of the Past promises to take these themes even deeper.
For more information on the Echoes series, visit dontaviousshulerstudios.com. Watch it now on Tubi and Amazon Prime Video.
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