I have watched a dozen Tyler Perry films in my life as both consumer and connoisseur of things film, and I can boldly make the conclusion that The Six Triple Eight, Tyler Perry’s latest movie with Netflix, is his most important creative work to date.

Known for his dramedy style of films, which often explores the themes of romance, family dynamics, redemption and racial struggles amongst others, Perry had to step outside the comfort box to explore and infuse themes and elements which are not ordinarily synonymous with him.

A True Story of Struggle
The Six Triple Eight is based on actual historical events.
An all Black battalion of the Women’s Army Corps (W.A.C) waiting to be deployed to the warfront to help American soldiers fighting overseas is tasked with the challenging task to clear a three -year mail backlog within a limited time-frame. They become known as the 6888th Central Postal Directorate Battalion , whose job description on paper sounds quite simple and mundane: deliver mail from the home front to US soldiers fighting the Nazis in the trenches.

Yet, in reality, theirs is a herculean task which no one, even their White commanders, believe can be accomplished. Led by it’s no nonsense -taking Marshall Charity Adams, failure is not an option for the batallion. Using unorthodox methods and a commando-style work regime, the underdogs of the most looked down upon battalion in WWII break the bulwark of barriers set against them and pushes the envelope to deliver hope to the people of America at a time they need it most.

The story is a real-life account of Lena Derriecot King( played by Ebony Obsidian), a young woman from Philadelphia who joins the army hoping to serve as a nurse after her boyfriend is killed at the front overseas.

Interestingly, despite Obsidian’s impressive performance in the film, her character gets overshadowed by Major Charity Adams (played by Kerry Washington), her company commander.
So powerful is Washington’s character that from the time we are introduced to her in the Second Act, she instantly owns and takes command of the story right to the end.

Since the film’s release in late December 2024, it has been getting positive reviews from fans and critics, including a generous rating from Rotten Tomatoes.
Apart from Obsidian and Washington, the film also has some luminous talents like Milauna Jackson, Shanice Shantay and Opprah Winfrey.

Tyler Perry wrote the screenplay and directed the picture, whose production started in 2023 across different locations. His fans will not miss his handiwork in the film, despite it being an unusual venture. The dialogue still has some “Tyler Perry” in it, and the leads are still powerful, untethered , unapologetic black women.

There are also some impressive battlefront action sequences which I’m sure war-movie fanatics will not judge too harshly. The cinematography is superb; the coffee colour palette of the picture complimenting the brown tones to represent a nostalgic aura with a hue of hope. I also loved the music choice punctuating the message, particularly Air Mail Special by celebrated jazz vocalist and scat maestro, Ella Fitzgerald.

I won’t be surprised if the production gets multiple nominations at the next Academy Awards. This is not just a motion picture; it’s a milestone achievement not only in Perry’s career, but in the Black Pride community where stories of black accomplishments long buried under the rubble of history are being brought to the surface to be celebrated.

The Six Triple Eight is currently streaming on Netflix. If you are looking for something that can uplift your soul after a rigorous workday this January, this film will certainly do that and much more ( I found myself “cutting some onions” in one of the scenes).
And yes, it’s a family movie. Perfectly clean!

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