Critics have never been especially reliable supporters ofTyler Perry. The creator of thecomedicMadeafranchise, Perry began his career as a relatively unknown playwright. After adapting one of his plays,Diary of a Mad Black Woman, he rocketed into mainstream success and quickly became a prominent figure within Hollywood. He has since contributed to dozens of movies and TV shows as an actor, creator, director, writer, or producer. Perry’s work has proven divisive, as many of his lowest-rated movies on the Rotten TomatoesTomatometer have impressed audiences:
16%
86%
19%
66%
11%
47%
58%
52%
13%
67%
5%
41%
65%
31%
15%
50%
Divorce in the Black(2024)
0%
73%
18%
37%
While audiences were still disappointed in some of those lower-rated movies, they wereconsiderably happier than the criticswere. EvenA Madea Family Funeralsaw a 20% difference in rating, while the universally bashedDivorce in the Blackearned a 73% response from audiences. Perry has certainly seen disappointments in his career, but he has found an audience that supports him even through his most disdained projects.
The Six Triple Eight Is Struggling On Rotten Tomatoes
Audiences Are Satisfied, But Critics Are Not
After disappointing withMea CulpaandDivorce in the Black, Perry’s only hope of success in 2024 was his latest movie,The Six Triple EightThe movie tells thetrue story of an all-Black and all-female battalionin World War II, which distinguished itself by solving an ongoing postal crisis in Europe. Led by Kerry Washington (Charity Adams), Ebony Obsidian (Lena King), Oprah Winfrey (Mary Jane McLeod Bethune), and more, the movie should have thrilled critics. Instead,Rotten Tomatoesrevealed another critical disappointment.
Both scores are still higher than anything else he released this year.
The movie has already earned a50% rating on the Tomatometer, which marks a Rotten result. That is offset slightly by the 78% Popcornmeter, which itself earned a Hot designation. These totals represent reliable figures for Perry, who has again earned a far higher audience score. Though a standard result, both scores are still higher than anything else he released this year, asMea CulpaandDivorce in the Blackeach earned 18% and 0% on the Tomatometer, respectively, while bringing in 37% and 73% on the Popcornmeter.Six Triple Eightdefeated both, which is a fresh accomplishment for Perry.
What Critics Are Saying About The Six Triple Eight
The Story Is Better Than The Storytelling
While the Tomatometer forThe Six Triple Eightmight be comparatively higher than Tyler’s recent work, critics have still jabbed atSix Triple Eight.ScreenRant’s own Patrice Witherspoon mentioned that “the storytelling is jumbled"and that the movie’s lackluster dialogue often reflects poorly on the acting performances. Others felt that the movie did not do enough to distinguish itself from other works within the genre, withIndieWire’s Vikram Murthi commenting that the filmmaker’s “passion for the generic knows no bounds.” Murthi went on at some length about the impressiveness of the story itself in their reviews.
Despite the subject of a movie being important, the execution did not land for some critics. Recognizing the failed attempt,RogerEbert.comwrote that “The Six Triple Eight has its heart in the right place; it’s just not a particularly good film.“The Wall Street Journalechoed a similarly dismayed statement, saying that"the subject of The Six Triple Eightis certainly a worthy one” but one that “utterly defeats writer-director Tyler Perry.”
Our Take On Six Triple Eight’s Divisive Scores
Perry Does Not Need To Prove Himself
The 50% score is fairly effective, aseven critics who disliked the movie still appreciated the story. Audiences praised the performances, the narrative, and the writing, which raises one simple question: IfSix Triple Eight’s reviewseven matter. As a Netflix movie, audiences will not need to consider Rotten Tomatoes reviews before binging Perry’s latest release. After all, few people are spending money on this movie alone. Considering that critics often lack the general audience’s infatuation with Perry, it would be more prudent to look at audience responses to see how effective any given Perry release is.
It is a shame thatThe Six Triple Eightis not considered a better film, because the subject itself is so important. While other 21st-century films such asHidden Figureshave been trying to cover important elements of Black history, this area of American history is still largely underrepresented in the media. Given this trend, one would hope that a director as successful as Perry would be able to make a better film on the subject. With a better audience perception, hopefully this will not stop viewers from checking outSix Triple Eight, so they can still witness this story.
Still, Perry is an extremely successful director, who has carved a niche for himself within Hollywood. He found his audience, which continues to be thrilled by nearly every release. After having written and directedThe Six Triple Eight, it was inevitable that Perry would see some divisiveness. Before stopping to agree with critics, it is worth watching the movie to see just how effective Perry is without looking at reviewers' opinions first.
The Six Triple Eight
Cast
The Six Triple Eight is a World War II drama about the US Army’s all-Black, all-women battalion tasked with sorting a massive backlog of 17 million undelivered letters to American soldiers. They must complete the mission within six months, showcasing their resilience and crucial contributions during the war.
