Tyler Perry has been making movies, directing films and creating plays over the past twenty years, and it seems like he won’t be stopping any time soon. 

Some of his greatest hits to date have been “Diary of a Mad Black Woman” (2005), “Madea’s Big Happy Family” (2011), and “Meet the Browns” (2008). 

The Register spoke to Jayzelle Davis, a freshman business management student, about her favorite Perry films and what she expects to see from the creative in the future. 

“My favorite Tyler Perry movie is Madea’s Family Reunion. I love how it brings back memories of my own childhood, especially the family reunions we used to have. It perfectly captures the culture while mixing in comedy, which I really enjoy.”

With the release of “A Madea Family Funeral” (2019) Perry announced that Madea would be taking a break from starring in his movies, for the foreseeable future. 

Davis said, “I think filmmakers should always be willing to improvise, but with the platform they have, addressing real-world problems in a movie can shine a light on what’s happening today and ways we can improve as a community.”

Madea made her grand return to the silver screen with the Netflix original, “A Madea Homecoming” (2022). 

In 2023, he struck a deal with Netflix for them to distribute some of his next Madea films and original productions until 2027. 

Perry is most well known for his titular character, Madea, an exaggerated personification of a southern, gun-carrying grandmother with wild solutions to everyday problems, who isn’t afraid to use blunt and at times vulgar language to get her point across. 

He isn’t the first Black creative to pull inspiration from his aunts or grandma to create a popular character.  

“I’d like to see more empowering films, especially within the Black community. Tyler Perry’s movies celebrate Black culture and show what it looks like in many ways, but I also think some portrayals can reinforce negative stereotypes that already exist,” she shared.

Martin Lawrence does a similar act within the “Big Mama” franchise. 

Although these personas have received laughs from most audiences, not everyone likes the idea of a filmmaker making money by poking fun at the plight of Black women. 

Rachel Rorie, a sophomore secondary education student, notes that Perry’s films can be an acquired taste for some– occasionally you have to let his movies grow on you. 

“I have a love/hate relationship with Tyler Perry movies. Sometimes the acting isn’t the best so it tends to throw me off but overall, I enjoy Tyler Perry movies. I grew up watching a lot of his movies even though some of them I definitely probably shouldn’t have,” she said.

Audiences were excited at the prospect of our favorite chaotic Black family being brought back to our screens for the time being, but Perry’s most recent project, “Joe’s College Road Trip” (2026) has only isolated and perplexed viewers. 

“My top two Tyler Perry movies are “Straw” and “Diary of a Mad black woman”. Tyler Perry does an amazing job at depicting the struggles of being a Black woman while also teaching us lessons about our Black womanhood and the importance of us loving ourselves and treating ourselves before we treat others,” says Rorie.

She later said, “A lot of my self love is learned from the lessons Madea and other characters taught the black women I grew up watching.”

The film follows Joe and his grandson, B.J., as they travel across the country, with the goal of exposing B.J. to African American cultural landmarks before he goes off to college. 

At the heart of the story, there is a strong message about historical preservation and the importance of educating the youth on why HBCUs matter… but the jury is still out on if the final product of the movie we see demonstrates this. 

Has Perry lost touch with his audience? Aggies like Rorie had their own opinions about filmmakers with decade-long careers, like Perry’s.

“When filmmakers run out of ideas I think looking around their community and remembering what they grew up around and the lessons they learned is a great start! Writing relatable stories is something Tyler Perry does beautifully! I wish filmmakers did more of that,” she shared.

Perry has come a long way in his career and it’s only natural that once you’ve told just about every complex African American story known to man that you would need to go back to the drawing board. 

Esther Ogunniyan, a freshman pre-law student says, “I would love to see a movie about one of his characters experiencing going to an HBCU, I feel like that will be interesting. I don’t think he lost his touch.”

Fans want to see him diversify his storytelling abilities and produce something fresh and compelling– not just give us the same plotline but with a different setting and a new cast of characters. 

She continued to say, “I think a lot of people just want him to focus on Madea and being funny but I feel like a lot of his newer shows and movies have been showing a deeper meaning and people aren’t reading in between the lines, so they don’t get it.”

What do you hope to see from Tyler Perry next?