It’s most likely because they’re all written, directed, and produced by him, but all Tyler Perry movies have the same vibe. To be clear, I’m not referring to his comedies starring his signature character, Madea. I’m talking about his dramas, like the upcoming one titled “Mea Culpa”, starring Kelly Rowland and Trevante Rhodes.
The lead character is always a likeable black actress.
Kelly Rowland in Mea Culpa, Taraji P Henson in Acrimony, and Jurnee Smollett-Bell in Confessions of a Marriage Counselor. My theory is that Tyler Perry casts these women to draw in black audiences and also to distract from the shitty storylines.
There’s always a black supporting actor whose character ain’t shit.
Trevantes Rhodes in this, Mechad Brooks in A Fall From Grace, and Robbie Jones in Confessions of a Marriage Counselor. This character always seems sweet at first but then ends up being a steaming hot piece of shit. His MO is sweet-talking and manipulation. This brings me to my next point.
The black lead female character always gets romantically or sexually entangled with the black supporting male character.
There’s always a strong reason she shouldn’t — Jurnee Smollett-Bell and Robbie Jones in Confessions of a Marriage Counselor, Crystal Fox and Mechad Brooks in A Fall From Grace — but she does it anyway, causing problems for herself. As you can see, Kelly Rowland’s character continues the tradition in Mea Culpa.
The black female lead character must suffer.
Usually because of her romantic association with the black supporting male character. It was the same with Acrimony when he turned Taraji’s character into a mad person so he could deliver the worst final act in all of film history. He does the same thing in Confessions of a Marriage Counselor when Jurnee’s character suffers domestic abuse and AIDS — the movie disgustingly frames it that way, I shit you not — at the hands of the man she’s left her husband for. Mea Culpa isn’t out yet, but you can already tell from the trailer that Kelly’s character will GO THROUGH IT for the same reason.
A poster with the most dramatic lighting you’ve ever seen.
Tyler Perry movie posters are always lit, like the characters are intensely serving face while hiding from a slasher movie villain in a closet, and the killer took the picture from outside the closet. I’m not even kidding. Check out the posters for A Fall From Grace and Acrimony.
There’s always a cunty ass tagline.
The tagline for Acrimony is “Hell hath no fury”, while the one for A Fall From Grace is “Every woman has a breaking point.” I love these because they sound like the kind of lines Mary Alice Young would use for the closing narration of every Desperate Housewives episode.
Wigs that look like they cost N750.
I’m sure that when the movie premieres, we’ll be gagged by the assortment of hair pieces in it. Tyler Perry never disappoints when it comes to this.
