Summary
- Divorce in the Black is Tyler Perry’s lowest-rated movie at 0%, but audiences gave it a 62% score.
- Critics found the film rushed and poorly executed, with inconsistent pacing and tonal shifts.
- With only 11 reviews so far, the Rotten Tomatoes score may change as more reviews come in over time.
Tyler Perry’s Divorce in the Black has marked a new low in Tyler Perry’s directorial career. Based on its Rotten Tomatoes score of 0%, Tyler Perry’s Divorce in the Black is the lowest-rated movie the celebrated filmmaker has ever created, even though it has a moderately positive audience score of 62%. The cast of Divorce in the Black is led by Meagan Good’s Ava and Cory Hardrict’s Dallas and also features performances by Taylor Polidore Williams, Shannon Wallace, Debbi Morgan, Richard Lawson, and Joseph Lee Anderson. The film was released on July 11, 2024, on Amazon Prime Video.
Divorce in the Black was written and directed by Perry, marking his 25th feature film as a director in his illustrious career. Perry’s films in particular have been criticized by critics for years while he typically has generated positive consensus from audiences in contrast. For example, his well-known 2009 hit Madea Goes To Jail earned overwhelming praise from viewers, earning a 95% Rotten Tomatoes audience score against its poor 29% critic score. While this disparity between audience and critical reception is nothing new for Perry’s movies, Divorce in the Black has unfortunately set a new low in his filmography.
Divorce In The Black’s Negative Reviews Explained
Critics felt the film was rushed and poorly executed
Tyler Perry’s Divorce in the Black has received negative reviews from critics across the board. Many of the common criticisms have to do with the fact that critics were simply not as entertained throughout the film as they had hoped and expected to be. Mary Kassel of Screen Rant writes, “With inconsistent pacing and tonal shifts that make the audience question the story’s purpose, Divorce in the Black doesn’t stand out.” John Serba of Decider writes, “Divorce in the Black isn’t the hoot you want it to be. It doesn’t derail like a memorable trainwreck; rather, it poots out on the track.”
Andrew Lawrence of The Guardian, who is considered a top critic on Rotten Tomatoes, said plainly, “It’s easily [Tyler Perry’s] worst film to date” in his one-star review of Divorce in the Black. He also suggests that the film feels mostly rushed and unfinished, resulting in a sloppy and poorly executed product. “Divorce, though, was more paint-by-numbers schlock from a guy who may well have been rushing to get this project finished in between his umpteen other film and TV projects.” Brandon Avery of Just My Opinion Reviews shares a similar sentiment, writing, “Tyler Perry wrote the rough draft, did not proofread, then went for it with no editing.”
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Divorce In The Black Only Has 11 Reviews
Additional reviews may change its 0% score
The fact that Tyler Perry’s Divorce in the Black only has 11 total reviews written about it is important context to note. While it doesn’t change the opinions or consensus of the reviewers or affect the Rotten Tomatoes score any differently than if it had 100 reviews, the smaller sample size is something to point out when considering its 0% score. Had there been one positive review for Divorce in the Black, it would have shot its Rotten Tomatoes score up to 8%. If two positive reviews were to be added, its Rotten Tomatoes score would be 15%, given that there would be no additional bad reviews.
The smaller pool of reviewers doesn’t discredit Divorce in the Black’s 0% Rotten Tomatoes score. The fact that it was recently released on Amazon Prime Video also indicates that more reviews could come in and affect both the critic and audience scores. Still, some of the language that critics use to describe the film is quite strong. Jonathan Wilson of Ready Set Cut writes, “One of the most enduring mysteries in the entertainment industry is Tyler Perry, whose adamancy in proudly putting his name in the title of execrable garbage like Divorce in the Black is utterly mystifying.”
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Why Divorce In The Black’s RT Audience Score Is So Much Higher
Viewers enjoyed the performances by Good & Hardrict
The audience score of Divorce in the Black tells a much different picture of the film’s overall impression. Many viewers have given the Tyler Perry film ratings of 4 and 5 stars, with several of them questioning its very low Rotten Tomatoes critic score. Audiences who gave positive reviews tended to applaud the leading performances of Meagan Good and Cory Hardrict, which may objectively be the best aspect of the entire production. The abysmal Rotten Tomatoes score of Tyler Perry’s Divorce in the Black may improve over time but as it stands, it remains the celebrated filmmaker’s worst-ever movie.
Tyler Perry’s Divorce in the Black
Ava, a young bank professional, is heartbroken when her husband Dallas leaves her. Despite her determination to save the marriage, fate reveals Dallas’ deceitful actions, which not only ruined their relationship but also prevented Ava from being with her true soulmate.
- Director
- Tyler Perry
- Release Date
- July 11, 2024
- Writers
- Tyler Perry
- Cast
- Meagan Good , Cory Hardrict , Joseph Lee Anderson , Shannon Wallace , Taylor Polidore , Richard Lawson , Debbi Morgan
- Runtime
- 143 Minutes