Common Sense Media Review
By Monique Jones , based on child development research. How do we rate?
age 16+
Stale marriage melodrama has domestic abuse, language.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
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Language
a lot
Extremely strong language includes "hell," "damn," "damned," "ass," "f--k," "f---ing," "bulls--t," "s--t," "s---ty," "bitch," "p---y," "motherf---ing," "motherf---er." Frequent use of the "N" word in a colloquial way. Use of "Lord" and "Lord Jesus."
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Violence & Scariness
a lot
Emotional, disturbing imagery at a funeral, including a body being removed from its casket and taken out of the church. Scenes with fighting and intense domestic abuse, including someone slapping a woman and throwing her across a kitchen island. Scenes with gun violence, including death. Verbal abuse. Descriptions of physical, verbal, and emotional domestic abuse. Descriptions of a character killing their father.
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Sex, Romance & Nudity
some
Mildly graphic sex scene with male torso nudity and simulated sex. Descriptions of being "turned on." Shirtless male exotic dancers at a party.
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See AlsoDivorce in the BlackDivorce In The Black Soundtrack Guide: Every Song & When They Play In Tyler Perry's MovieLet's Try and Figure Out The Ending Of 'Tyler Perry's Divorce in the Black''Tyler Perry's Divorce in the Black' Ending Explained: Who killed Dallas? Gripping finale leaves us wanting moreGet started
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Drinking, Drugs & Smoking
a little
Characters drink alcohol, sometimes to excess. A character takes a CBD gummy.
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Diverse Representations
some
Like all of Tyler Perry's projects, the film has an all-Black main and supporting cast, with two White actors in tertiary roles. There isn't as much colorism in this film as there has been in past Perry films, but there also isn't much diversity among the skin tones of the main and supporting cast. Writer/director Perry is a Black creator, but the movie's portrayals of Blackness fall in line with his typical cliches, such as a cartoonishly evil, abusive Black man, righteous Black preachers, lighter-skinned "good Christian" women; loud, darker-skinned women; and Black male saviors (who are usually lighter-skinned as well). Although the film is meant to be one that highlights the strength of Black women, it ultimately does the opposite.
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Positive Role Models
a little
Ava does remember who she was before she was physically and emotionally abused by Dallas, but her strength is visually signaled by shooting Dallas and killing him. Her parents do give her consistent love and support, and her best friend also provides tough love and is part of Ava's strong support system.
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Positive Messages
very little
Intends to have positive messages about the strength of women, particularly Black women. But ultimately it's more interested in salaciousness than properly supporting its female characters.
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Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Tyler Perry's Divorce in the Black is a drama about a woman (Meagan Good) who's fighting for her marriage until she realizes everything that her husband (Cory Hardrict) has done to sabotage it. Violence includes fighting, intense domestic abuse (verbal, physical, emotional), gun violence, and death. There are descriptions of a character killing their father. Expect tons of swearing ("f--k," "s--t," and more) and use of the "N" word. A mildly graphic sex scene has male torso nudity and simulated sex. Characters drink alcohol, sometimes to excess, and a character takes a CBD gummy. While the film has an all-Black main and secondary cast (and was written and directed by Black filmmaker Tyler Perry), the characters reinforce cliches and subtly fall in line with Perry's past penchant for colorism. And although the film is meant to be one that highlights the strength of Black women, it ultimately does the opposite. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Tyler Perry's Divorce in the Black
Parent and Kid Reviews
- Parents say (4)
- Kids say
age 17+
Based on 4 parent reviews
Jv3lyn Adult
July 19, 2024
age 17+
Good Movie!
This is a good movie! I couldn't look away. From the very beginning my mouth was either gapped in shock or I was yelling at the screen. Megan Goode and Corey Hardrick were dynamic. When Ava took her power back, I felt that thing. And, Corey played Dallas so well that I forgot that he's a good guy in real life.
Dana_Vasquez Adult
August 8, 2024
age 18+
gratuitous sex scene
tyler perry's movies used to inspire. now it's just ghetto soap operas. horrible stereotypes and predictable characters that have no depth. he's trying so hard to impress Hollywood that he's left what made him noticed in the 1st place
See all 4 parent reviews
What's the Story?
TYLER PERRY'S DIVORCE IN THE BLACK follows Ava (Meagan Good), a woman who wants to be the epitome of a "good Christian wife" for her no-good husband, Dallas (Cory Hardrict), who's mentally, physically, and emotionally abusive. After he says he wants a divorce, Ava goes through a transformation and relearns her worth and power. She then fights back against Dallas to regain her freedom and pursue a new relationship with old flame Benji (Joseph Lee Anderson).
Is It Any Good?
This nearly unwatchable melodrama is simultaneously one of Perry's most disturbing and stalest movies to date. The opening scene—a funeral with drama that escalates into a body being taken from its casket and carried out of the church—will turn many viewers off after the first few minutes of the two-hour runtime. (There's a spoiler alert to warn anyone who doesn't want to see this kind of thing on screen.) From that upsetting scene to the movie's high level of cursing to more on-screen violence between stars Hardrict and Good, Tyler Perry's Divorce in the Black isn't as much about the redemption and strength of a "good woman" as it is a soulless spectacle designed to get a salacious rise out of viewers.
The best thing that can be said about this film is that it's an extremely watered-down, vapid version of one of Perry's best films from early in his career, Diary of a Mad Black Woman. At worst, it's a mockery of that film, complete with Perry's tired cliches, poor lighting, nonexistent world-building, and lackluster directing. It also throws a bit of classism in the mix for good measure: The villains can be evil, but why do they also have to be living in a trailer and at the mercy of Ava's family's generosity? The saving graces of this film are Ava's friend Rona (Taylor Polidore Williams) and Dallas' evil mother, Linda (Ursula O. Robinson). Somehow, they spin gold out of straw with their roles, providing more nuance and heart than we normally see in Perry's later works. But, sadly, they can't save this film from Perry's own (lack of) imagination.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about whether the characters in Tyler Perry's Divorce in the Black are examples of positive diverse representation. How are Black people characterized?
Why does Ava want to save her marriage? What does Dallas do to sabotage their relationship? Do you think their behavior is realistic?
How would you describe the message/moral of the film?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: July 11, 2024
- Cast: Meagan Good, Cory Hardrict, Debbi Morgan, Richard Lawson
- Director: Tyler Perry
- Inclusion Information: Black directors, Female actors, Black actors, Latino actors, Multiracial actors, Black writers
- Studio: Amazon Prime Video
- Genre: Drama
- Run time: 143 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- MPAA explanation: language, some sexual content and violence
- Last updated: July 15, 2024
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Tyler Perry's Divorce in the Black
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