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Why Tyler Perry's New Movie Is So Popular Despite Such Bad Rotten Tomatoes Critics & Audience Scores

Story by Charles Papadopoulos

Mea Culpa 2024 Movie Poster

- Tyler Perry's Mea Culpa is a hit on Netflix despite abysmal reviews, proving his draw to audiences.
- Mea Culpa falls into the popular thriller genre on Netflix, attracting viewers with fast-paced entertainment.
- Critic scores for Mea Culpa reflect harsh judgments on script issues, yet it still entertains.

Tyler Perry's latest film, Mea Culpa, is a massive hit on Netflix despite its abysmal reviews on various sites like Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb. Tyler Perry is one of the most unique 21st-century filmmakers, primarily running his own operation as the director, writer, producer, and star of various movies, TV shows, and plays, generally centered around his character, "Madea." Perry has established his brand for over thirty years, with films and shows grossing over $660 million, even though many have been critically shunned.

Perry's Mea Culpa was released on Netflix on February 23, 2024, and has since received a 4.1/10 on IMDb and a 21% Rotten Tomatoes score. It's not doing much better with the Audience Score either, which sits at 37%. Still, there's an audience for the film, and there are reasons why Netflix subscribers are drawn to it, as well as Tyler Perry's Madea movies, which have consistently received less than stellar reviews from critics. Tyler Perry has accumulated a $1 billion net worth, and there's a strategic method to his productions that's allowed him to be so successful.

Tyler Perry Is A Draw For Audiences On Netflix

Edited image of Tyler Perry during Mea Culpa interview© Provided by ScreenRant

Tyler Perry's name alone has become a draw for Netflix subscribers, with many of his recent works being distributed on the site. In 2020, he released the film A Fall from Grace, which was watched by 26 million viewers during its first week (via Deadline), despite underwhelming critical reception with a 15% on Rotten Tomatoes. In 2022, two Tyler Perry films were released on Netflix, A Jazzman's Blues, and A Madea Homecoming, both of which were poorly reviewed by critics on IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes.

Aside from just his recent Netflix releases, Tyler Perry is a well-recognized name and face who, aside from his own work, has appeared in famous movies like Gone Girl, Don't Look Up, and Vice. Netflix knows how to steer audiences toward specific titles, and critical reception may not have as big of an effect on viewers deciding what to watch on streaming services as opposed to going out to the theater. With that being said, Tyler Perry's films also have a sense of familiarity, given that he often uses repeat actors and narrative ideas.

Title	Critic Score	Audience Score
Mea Culpa (2024)	21%	37%
A Madea Christmas (2013)	21%	70%
Madea's Witness Protection (2012)	19%	66%
Boo! A Madea Halloween (2016)	19%	53%
Acrimony (2018)	18%	61%
The Single Moms Club (2014)	18%	58%
A Fall From Grace (2020)	15%	50%
A Madea Family Funeral (2019)	11%	31%
Boo 2! A Madea Halloween (2017)	4%	41%

Mea Culpa Is The Kind Of Thriller Netflix Subscribers Love Watching

The thriller genre is enormously popular on the streaming platform, with many of the most-watched Netflix movies falling in some sort of action or thriller category. With movies like Red Notice and The Gray Man near the top of the list, while having similarly negative critical reception, it's not too shocking that a film like Mea Culpa would be able to attract attention. Streaming service movies come in all types, but movie releases that offer easy-to-consume entertainment are generally quick to rise to the top of the charts.

With recognizable names and a plot that's filled with fast-paced, engaging plot twists, a movie like Mea Culpa can be thrown on the site and quickly dominate the global charts.

Just because it's the type of movie Netflix watchers find themselves watching doesn't mean it deserves better reviews or that Netflix subscribers will ultimately enjoy the experience. What matters on the site is that it's appealing enough to click and easy enough to consume to where audiences can watch through it without much thought. With recognizable names and a plot that's filled with fast-paced, engaging plot twists, a movie like Mea Culpa can be thrown on the site and quickly dominate the global charts.

Why Mea Culpa's Rotten Tomatoes Scores Are So Bad

Rowland from Mea Culpaand a Rotten tomatoes logo© Provided by ScreenRant

Screen Rant's Patrice Witherspoon has pointed out the film's "poor directional choices, cringe-worthy dialogue, and unnecessary plot twists," ultimately referring to Mea Culpa as "an unserious guilty pleasure." Other reviewers, 14 of whom contributed to the movie's 21% score, declared the film as "completely ridiculous" and as a "soulless film." The reviews are harsh, judging the movie for its lack of thematic nuance, confusing twists, and lack of overall logic in Mea Culpa's ending.

While the Mea Culpa cast does a fine job, much of the film's issues come from its script, which is a significant reason for its brutal critic feedback. Some critics even praised Tyler Perry for notably improving as a director but denounced the script as being guilty pleasure nonsense. Ultimately, there's nothing wrong with a guilty pleasure movie that can provide mild entertainment, even in the form of unintentional comedy, to a widespread audience on Netflix. Mea Culpa may not be winning any Oscars this year, but it seems to have accomplished precisely what Tyler Perry intended.

Sources: Deadline

Mea Culpa 2024 Movie Poster© Provided by ScreenRant

Mea Culpa (2024)

3/10

Mea Culpa is a 2024 dramatic crime thriller written and directed by Tyler Perry. A criminal defense attorney takes up a domestic murder case when an artist is believed to have murdered his girlfriend - all hoping for the level of the case to propel them to the position of partner at their firm.

DirectorTyler Perry

Release DateFebruary 23, 2024

Studio(s)Tyler Perry Studios

Distributor(s)Netflix

WritersTyler Perry