A Madea Homecoming Parent Guide

I’m going to confess my biases up front. The only other Tyler Perry film I’ve watched, A Madea Family Funeral, is one of the worst movies I’ve ever seen and I was relieved by the fact that it was supposed to be the last in the series. When I learned that Netflix was airing A Madea Homecoming, I was appalled, fearing that it would be worse than the previous production. The good news is that it’s better; the bad news is that the improvement is marginal.

Like other Tyler Perry offerings, A Madea Homecoming is a cringe-fest, full of sexual innuendo and incestuous jokes, amplified in this film by references to bestiality and an obsession with testicles. It’s also replete with profanity (over 120 swear words) and drug abuse. There’s so much casual marijuana use in the film that characters are frequently high – which might explain their often bizarre behavior. In a new low, this film also provides generous product placement for the Red Lobster restaurant chain. Characters frequently mention that they’re going to the restaurant, while there the “surf and turf” entrée is displayed, and once they get home, they praise the restaurant by name. I’m starting to wonder if the screenwriters got a bonus for each time they managed to put the words “Red Lobster” in the script.

The plot, like those of other Madea movies, doesn’t rise above the level of a TV movie-of-the week. In this instalment, Madea’s great-grandson, Tim (Brandon Black), is graduating from a historically black college as the valedictorian and the whole family is assembling to celebrate his achievement. Tim brings his roommate, Davi (Isha Blaaker), with him for moral support as he prepares to make a startling disclosure to his relatives. But Tim’s not the only one with surprises: Davi’s Irish relatives show up unexpectedly and Tim’s parents both have shocking announcements. Through all the drama, Madea (Tyler Perry) provides her usual tactless commentary, blunt advice, and occasionally sensible insight.

Madea’s forthright and often crude conversation is bad enough, but Uncle Joe (also Tyler Perry) is infinitely worse. He is the source of much of the script’s sexual innuendo, which he directs at his family members in conversations that qualify as #MeToo material. He also makes comments that, coming from a white person, would be undeniably racist. (“Why are all these negroes in the house? Is it a homicide?”) In addition, Uncle Joe repeatedly drags politics into the dialogue, hitting one hot button issue after another. If you’re looking for reasons not to watch this movie, Uncle Joe is the top of the list.

Frankly, I can’t think of any reason why you would want to watch this festering dumpster fire of a film. It’s crass, tasteless, and rarely funny. The plot is overblown and the conclusion is trite. There are better films about race and far, far better comedies out there. A Madea Homecoming may be streaming for free on Netflix, but it still costs too much to be worth the watch.