Netflix’s #1 Trending Comedy Proves Critics Are Wrong About This $523 Million Franchise

Although the Madea franchise is still anathema to critics, this has not stopped its latest movie, Joe’s College Road Trip, from dominating Netflix’s most-watched chart in America this weekend. Tyler Perry’s movies are some of the most dramatically divisive in the history of American cinema. On the one hand, the actor, writer, and director is a multimillion-dollar superstar.

Perry has consistently been one of the most financially successful writer-directors working for the last two decades, thanks to the success of his TBS show Tyler Perry’s House of Payne, his partnership with the Oprah Winfrey Network, and his many, many Madea movies. However, this rundown doesn’t tell the entire story.

Simultaneously, Perry is also one of the least critically successful filmmakers of the last two decades, with his movies consistently failing to find favor with critics. Fascinatingly, Perry’s critical reception seems to have grown markedly worse the more his movies have succeeded financailly, and reviews for his earlier, smaller movies were better than those of his recent major hits.

Joe’s College Road Trip Proves Tyler Perry’s Madea Movies Are Widely Beloved

When Perry’s latest movie, Joe’s College Road Trip, arrived on Netflix, the comedy immediately hit number one on the streaming service and has stayed there since. While the movie features comedian Ms. Pat, Ozark’s Bethany Anne Lind, and R&B singer Millie Jackson, the raucous road comedy is notably bereft of major A-list stars.

Despite this, Joe’s College Road Trip managed to outdo KPop Demon Hunters, the live-action remake of How to Train Your Dragon, and the hit horror movie The Black Phone to claim Netflix’s top spot. This astounding achievement is commonplace in Perry’s lengthy screen career, as the Madea movies have often dethroned major blockbusters at the box office.

Joe’s College Road Trip is a cross-generational comedy movie that stars Jermaine Harris as the long-suffering BJ, a sheltered high school graduate who prepares to begin his college career with a road trip to his new accommodation. However, the movie’s real appeal comes from Joe, the eponymous grandfather who accompanies his grandson.

Like Madea, Joe’s sister, Joe is one of Perry’s unique comedic creations. An outrageous elderly person, he is notable for his sassy attitude and constant chaotic antics. Both Madea and Joe have appeared in hits like Madea’s Destination Wedding, A Madea Homecoming, Madea’s Tough Love, A Madea Christmas, and many, many more.

Tyler Perry’s Madea Franchise Has Always Struggled With Critics

All told, Madea has appeared in 14 films since her debut in 2005’s Diary of a Mad Black Woman, and these movies have made a total of over $520 million at the box office. Despite this undeniable resonance with audiences, the Madea movies have comprehensibly failed to make the leap to critical appreciation.

With Rotten Tomatoes scores ranging from 40% to 10%, the Madea franchise may have one of the biggest gaps between critical reception and audience impact in cinema history. Bizarrely, although the box office performance of the series has remained relatively consistent, the critical reception of Perry’s Madea movies has declined over the years.

2005’s Diary of a Mad Black Woman earned only 15% on Rotten Tomatoes, although its audience rating of 86% proves that critics and audiences are profoundly divided on Perry’s most famous creation. The next year’s Madea’s Family Reunion admittedly fared better with a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 26%, but what is truly notable is the movie’s 93% audience rating.

While the critical ratings of Perry’s Madea movies rarely make it as high as 30%, in contrast, the franchise’s worst audience ratings barely dip below 60%. The movies are beloved by a massive audience, as evidenced by the success of Joe’s College Road Trip on Netflix, and this ensures that Perry’s franchise can stay afloat in the absence of critical approval.

Joe’s College Road Trip Fits The Madea Franchise’s Critical Decline

On the topic of Joe’s College Road Trip, the movie seems to follow a pattern that is outlined by earlier Madea movies, despite her smaller role in this outing. An absurd road movie comedy in the vein of 2000’s Road Trip or 2005’s Are We There Yet, Joe’s College Road Trip doesn’t attempt to impress viewers with dramatic depth.

Some of Perry’s earlier movies, particularly those based on stage plays such as 2009’s I Can Do Bad All by Myself and 2005’s Diary of a Mad Black Woman, attempted to ground Madea’s antics with a more somber main storyline. Even the likes of A Madea Christmas and Madea’s Big Happy Family were less outright goofy and outlandish than Boo! A Madea Halloween.

However, as Perry’s franchise made the move to Netflix, Madea’s movies have gotten progressively more comedic and less dramatic, making their already poor critical reception steadily worse in the process. On the streaming service, Perry’s projects aren’t subject to the same level of criticism from mainstream reviewers, meaning movies like Joe’s College Road Trip can reach number one with no professional Rotten Tomatoes reviews.