Tyler Perry is a comedian, writer, director, producer, and actor most known for his performance as Madea in the Madea franchise. Most of the films in the Madea franchise are based on stage plays written by Perry himself, which were produced throughout the 1990s and the early 2000s. Perry has made such a name for himself that he was included in Time’s list of the 100 most influential people of 2020 and also earned a Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award from the Academy Awards. Much of his success can attributed to the Madea franchise.
The Madea franchise follows the eponymous Madea, or Mabel Earlene Simmons, and her antics. The character of Madea was loosely based on Perry’s mother and aunt. While every Madea movie is a comedy, each film contains a series of timely themes and topics that Perry manages to cover uniquely. While Perry has come close to retiring the character after the release of A Madea Family Funeral, but decided to make A Madea Homecoming, which released on Netflix earlier this year, out of need to make the world laugh. Now, Perry says he’s 100% ready to let someone new play Madea. As such, here’s a look at every Tyler Perry Madea movie, ranked.
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11 Madea’s Witness Protection (2012)
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At the bottom of the list, we have Madea’s Witness Protection. When Wall Street stockbroker George finds himself wrapped up in a Ponzi scheme, he and his family are forced to enter the witness protection program and are shipped down south to stay with their host Madea. While the film was the second-highest grossing of the franchise, Madea’s Witness Protection fell short in its humor. The film has a great comedic cast including Eugene Levy and Tom Arnold, but it unfortunately did not live up to the expectations set by Perry’s previous films. The film was also one of the first of Perry’s films to not be based on a play and was even nominated for five Golden Raspberry Awards, including Worst Actress for Tyler Perry and Worst Director.
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10 Boo 2! A Madea Halloween (2017)
When young Tiffany travels to Derrick Lake for a Halloween frat party, Madea, Aunt Bam, and Hatti rush to save her from the same fate as a group of teens three years prior. Chaos ensues when the lead characters must fight off a wide array of spooky creatures. Boo 2! A Madea Halloween is the sequel to the first Halloween installation in the franchise Boo! A Madea Halloween. There’s not much appeal to this movie as it’s simply a rehash of the original Halloween Madea movie — and not a very good one at that. The film won Tyler Perry another Raspberry Award for Worst Actress.
9 A Madea Family Funeral (2019)
Madea, Aunt Bam, and many other family members gather for an anniversary party in Georgia, which turns out to be an elaborate funeral. A Madea Family Funeral was originally intended to be the final film in the Madea franchise until A Madea Homecoming’s release in 2022. The film was one of the highest-grossing of Perry’s career and while many people liked it, critics said that it was a poor way to finish the series. This was the last of Perry’s films to be released by Lionsgate, with Paramount Pictures and Netflix picking up the franchise.
8 Boo! A Madea Halloween (2016)
This film sparked from a fictitious film mentioned in Chris Rock’s Top Five. Boo! A Madea Halloween, another Madea film not to be adapted from a play, follows the story of Tiffany who goes to a Halloween party at a fraternity and who, after getting busted by Madea and the police, decides to get revenge on Madea through a series of pranks. Tiffany soon finds herself under attack from something supernatural, making for a very interesting Halloween. The film was the third highest-grossing Madea film and while it’s not his best, it’s a nice addition to the franchise.
7 Madea’s Family Reunion (2006)
While planning her family reunion, Madea is ordered by the court to be the guardian of rebellious teenager Nikki. Madea’s Family Reunion was adapted from the stage production of the same name and is a sequel to Diary of a Mad Black Woman. The film was praised for its portrayal of family and the complexities that family brings in a comedic light. The cast featured Blair Underwood, Lynn Whitfield, and even Maya Angelou. Madea’s Family Reunion was a box-office smash, opening at number one in its opening weekend, outperforming Diary of a Mad Black Woman.
6 Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2005)
Diary of a Mad Black Woman, based on the play of the same name, was Tyler Perry’s debut feature film. Released in 2005, Diary of a Mad Black Woman follows Charles and Helen through their process of getting a divorce. While Charles moves in with his new woman Brenda, Helen returns to her grandmother Madea’s house who helps her destroy Charles’ property, landing Helen on house arrest. While Perry did script the film, he was not responsible for direction, which instead fell upon Darren Grant. Some argued that while the stage play was good, it did not hold up well on-screen.
5 A Madea Christmas (2013)
Yet another Madea film to cater to the holidays is A Madea Christmas. When Madea and her niece travel to Buck Tussel to visit Eileen’s daughter Lacey, who has refused to come home for Christmas, they discover that Lacey has avoided her mother because she secretly married Connor, a white classmate. When Madea and Eileen arrive, Lacey tells a lie about Connor, which quickly turns into a web she can’t control. A Madea Christmas has become a staple in many homes during the holidays. That said, many felt Perry was exploiting the holiday appeal of the film in the hopes of turning a profit rather than providing the audience with substantial entertainment.
4 Madea Goes to Jail (2009)
Madea finds herself in jail after her short temper lands her in a high-speed car chase. While Madea bides her time awaiting trial, District Attorney Josh Hardaway is handed the case of young former addict / sex worker Candace, a lady he knows Madea looks after while behind bars. Madea Goes to Jail, based on the play of the same name, was a bit of a dramatic departure from Perry’s usual antics. The film was praised for paying attention to real hardships that the Black community faces when it comes to the heavily skewed legal system. Madea Goes to Jail was also the first of the Madea films to give Madea a more central role.
3 A Madea Homecoming (2022)
The most recent of the films on this list is A Madea Homecoming. While Perry claimed that A Madea Family Funeral would be the last in his franchise, Madea makes her return to attend her great-grandson’s college graduation party. Loosely based on the play Madea’s Farewell Party, the film is the first adaptation since A Madea Christmas in 2013. The film is also a crossover between the Madea Franchise and the sitcom Mrs. Brown’s Boys featuring the star Brandan O’Carroll. The film is the second of Perry’s films released by Netflix and has received a plethora of positive reviews so far, praising the cast, the writing and the ease with which Madea and Mrs. Brown’s antics fit together.
2 Madea’s Big Happy Family (2011)
Madea’s Big Happy Family follows Madea’s niece Shirley when she receives bad news about her health and her only wish is to be surrounded by her family in a celebration of life. While her adult children are too busy with their own lives to be bothered, it’s up to Madea to bring the family together to support Shirley in her health crisis. Featuring performances from Loretta Devine and Shad “Bow Wow” Moss, Madea’s Big Happy Family was one of the first stepping stones to put the Madea franchise on the map.
1 I Can Do Bad All By Myself (2009)
When Madea catches three siblings thieving from her house, she delivers the children to their only relative: their Aunt April, a boozed-up singer who mooches off her married boyfriend. April shows no interest in the children until a Mexican immigrant moves into her basement, giving her a new outlook on life. I Can Do Bad All by Myself is not a Madea-heavy film, but Tyler Perry, who acts as director, producer and writer of the play and film, certainly puts his best foot forward. The film was praised for making Madea more human and less of a “caricature.”
