Tyler Perry’s Netflix film Mea Culpa was stampeded over and trampled on by a herd of disgusted fans and media members alike for its “absurdity” and “ludicrous” storyline.
Perry wrote, directed and produced Mea Culpa, the steamy erotic thriller starring singer Kelly Rowland. The former Destiny’s Child member plays a defense attorney who is mired in a miserable marriage with a dispirited, drug-addicted deadbeat of a husband. Due to the fact he is also unemployed — a result of getting “high on his own supply” — Rowland’s character is compelled to take on a case involving a defendant accused of murdering his girlfriend. Problems arise when she becomes amorously infatuated with the man and is easily lured into a sordid sexual relationship that soon goes haywire.
Movie critics savaged Tyler Perry’s film
Movie critics were not fond of Perry’s venture into this subgenre, with renowned movie critic Rotten Tomatoes giving it a score of just 17 percent:
- Screen Rant calls it “an unhinged, predictable story that isn’t as sexy or smart as Perry thinks it is.
- The Guardian wrote that “As one might have guessed from the plot description, it’s hopelessly overstacked, Perry’s poor actors stumbling over absurdly soapy dialogue.”
- Variety characterized the movie as “preposterously delightful.”
- Spotlight Central says the writing in Mea Culpa gets “absurd”
- Bloody Disgusting said Tyler Perry embraced the silliness that makes the ending “ludicrous, but enjoyable” more throughout the whole movie.
- Times Now gives the movie 1.5 out of 5 stars, calling the plot “outlandish” and the ending “even more ludicrous.”
- And Yahoo said viewers stated it’s “one of the worst movies ever made.”
Fans were not gentle with Tyler Perry’s erotic thriller, either
Movie watchers were even more merciless in manhandling Perry’s latest offering.
“Mea Culpa (2024) … from start to finish, this is quite simply the worst Tyler Perry film to date,” one person wrote on X.
A second person wrote: “I’d go as far to say it’s probably one of the worst films i’ve [sic] ever had the displeasure to sit through. Not one shred of emotion, not one tear or laugh. Nothing for 120 minutes.”
“Mea Culpa was one of the worst movies made this 21st century,” wrote a third person.
A fourth person penned that the project “may be the worst movie I’ve ever seen in my entire life.”
A fifth person wrote: “This movie [is] terrible. Tubi originals are better. If you are thinking about watching this movie, keep it moving to another one. Tyler Perry has all the resources to [sic] his disposal and puts together trash.”
Tyler Perry does have his supporters
Not everyone detested the film. In fact, on his eight-million-strong Instagram page, Perry received high praise rather than the pummeling he incurred from movie critics and X users. And Perry thanked his fans for helping the film rise to No. 1 on Netflix.
