Tyler Perry‘s latest film Mea Culpa made its Netflix debut Friday (Feb. 23), immediately causing a stir thanks to a gorgeous cast lead by Kelly Rowland and Trevante Rhodes. Its eroticism, as the thriller was made to stand beside genre films like Eyes Wide Shut, Unfaithful and the classic Basic Instinct, was also a big selling point, with fans curious to see exactly what kind of chemistry the two leads would have on camera.
Unfortunately, the flick was immediately panned by critics and viewers. This is nothing new for Perry, who has received harsh criticism of his work for most of his career, though it’s usually reserved for his Madea-led projects. While the pistol-toting grandma is nowhere in sight here, Mea Culpa was still deemed by most who watched a subpar project.
That isn’t to say everyone who’s seen the film has complaints, as Perry found support in fans who deem bashing the director as performative and expected, due to his reputation.
“Just got done watching this film. Great setup. Fabulous outfits. Crazy story. Ending was on some Get Out type ish. I liked it. Not bad Tyler. Not bad Kelly. Trevante fine and brilliant as always. Wanna see Ms. Rowland in more roles,” wrote one fan of the picture, with another supporter adding, “y’all gonna jump me if I say I liked mea culpa and y’all just mad because it’s tyler perry?”
Yes, despite social media reactions, it wasn’t all bad. Here, VIBE dives into the good, bad, and confusing aspects of Mea Culpa, spoiler free, of course.
The Good: Kelly Rowland
While the flick has definitely come under fire on social media, one bright spot for most was star Kelly Rowland herself. As Mea Culpa isn’t her first time in front of the camera, the star brought her acting chops to the gig, with her performance largely considered the best thing about the film.
“That’s how you know Kelly Rowland is a good actress, because even with a sh*t script with terrible writing she was still believable,” wrote one fan via X/Twitter, with another adding, “Kelly Rowland is a good actress, I hope she gets more roles with great writers /script.”
The Styling
Another bright spot in the film were the looks Rowland as Mea Harper donned throughout, including chic, asymmetrical dresses, power suits, cozy sweaters, a plethora of gorgeous coats, and more styles coordinated by head of wardrobe, Raiyonda Vereen. Harper’s hair was also laid for the gods throughout the movie, which is a noticeable change from many of Perry’s previous projects.
“Stayed up late just to watch #MeaCulpa @KELLYROWLAND, you did a FABULOUS JOB and the FASHION was LITTY,” shared one fan of the Netflix film, with another adding, “Kelly Rowland definitely said I’m bringing my own wigs for this Tyler Perry production.”
The Bad: The Writing
Tyler Perry has been very transparent about the fact that he writes all of his own films and television shows solo, as it saves him time and money on any given production. He’s also been called out for the practice, with many insisting a team of writers would better serve Perry’s ideas, which are undoubtedly interesting and evocative, but often lack a consistent, narrative thread.
Unfortunately, Mea Culpa also falls into this trap, with bits of dialogue that feel soap opera-esque and plot pivots that would’ve required a more nuanced and detailed pen to truly execute.
“Tyler Perry don’t give af about proper writing and story development,” wrote one observer, with another adding, “Mea Culpa storyline was incoherent. The writing was so Tyler Perry and that’s not a good things. Does he do this on purpose? He being Tyler Perry.”
The Confusing: The Ending
Speaking of the writing, this directly led to the film’s conclusion being a true head-scratcher, with viewers calling out several loose threads the film failed to wrap up, or even acknowledge. Even for folks who took a liking to the film, its ending left them hitting Perry with the metaphorical side-eye. Without spoilers, here are some of social media’s reactions.