Entertainment mogul Tyler Perry has cropped up from time to time in the likes of Star Trek and Gone Girl, and even played DC detective Alex Cross between Morgan Freeman and Aldis Hodge. But he built an empire on the back of Madea, the sassy black matriarch he’s played in seemingly dozens of productions on screen and stage. Now he’s made a war movie. Sadly, Madea’s not in it.
How to watch The Six Triple Eight in the UK
The Six Triple Eight is Streaming in the UK exclusively on Netflix from December 20, 2024.
What is The Six Triple Eight about?
The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, that’s what—a World War II Women’s Army Corps Batallion comprised mostly by Black women. Adapted from the history magazine article “Fighting a Two-Front War” by Kevin M. Hymel, Perry’s film focuses on the monumental task of sorting and delivering some 17 million pieces of backlogged mail to and from serving military personnel. This might not sound like much compared to, say, Operation Overlord, but was vital to the morale of the fighting forces.
The cast of The Six Triple Eight
Kerry Washington is commanding officer Major Charity Adams; Ebony Obsidian is grieving Lena Derriecott King, whose boyfriend was killed in action; Shanice Shantay is wisecracking and raucous Johnnie Mae; Dean Norris is standard issue authority figure General Halt; Sam Waterston is Franklin Roosevelt; Susan Sarandon is Eleanor Roosevelt; and Oprah Winfrey is Mary McLeod Bethune.
The Six Triple Eight trailer
Why we’re excited about The Six Triple Eight
Well, on the one had, some critics are calling it Tyler Perry’s best film in years. Others are noting that it’s still a Tyler Perry film, peppered with maukish moments and unabashed sentimentality. Still, it’s always rewarding to get a window on a forgotten corner of history, and The Six Triple Eight certainly qualifies in that department.
