Tyler Perry has been a juggernaut of the film industry for over 30 years. Starting out with live stage shows and then ascending to full-length feature movies, Tyler Perry reached substantial success by creating the national sensation, Madea, a comedic, nefarious yet Christian saint of a character known for her mouth and mettle.
Madea has crossed many thresholds having quite the movie portfolio taking the character who is also played by Tyler Perry, from church to jail in a hop and a skip. Each movie is more hilarious than the last, sure to have something that everyone can enjoy with an entire library of films to choose from. Here are some of the best Madea movies, ranked.
Updated on February 3, 2023, by C.M Edwards: Tyler Perry continues to be a juggernaut in the realm of comedy as the Madea franchise continues to grow having reached over ten movies that have all gone on to receive monumental success. The lovable helion, Madea, is a beloved character that fans all over the world enjoy tuning in to follow the chaotic antics that take her from prison to weddings and even haunted houses.
It's clear that Madea and her family are here to stay as long as the creative mind of Tyler Perry keeps ticking. In addition to his Madea universe, Tyler Perry has also ventured outside of the work he's known for and produced and directed several other successful films and television shows; most recently he is set to direct a new film dubbed Six Triple Eight starring Kerry Washington and Oprah Winfrey. Here are more of the best Madea movies, ranked.
13 A Madea Christmas
A Madea Christmas is the eighth installment into Tyler Perry’s Madea franchise. The movie follows several characters with bearing issues which is much the blueprint of Tyler Perry’s films. Madea finds herself helping a family friend after benign fired from her Mall job on the first day; meanwhile, her friends' daughter, Lacey, a teacher at the local high school, is also in a dilemma of her own.
Lacey's personal life is at constant odds with many peers, including her own family, because she is in an interracial marriage. In addition, The high school has no funds for their annual dance, and the principal must find a way to make it happen for the kids. The plots intertwine with some problems being fixed and others not.
12 A Madea Family Funeral
A Madea Family Funeral follows the character as she and her family become enthralled in a conspiracy of lies, and betrayal. Originally invited to an anniversary between distant relatives and an impromptu wedding, everything goes haywire when infidelity is discovered through multiple families resulting in one dropping dead from a heart attack during coitus.
Family and friends alike are pitted against each other, and Madea is caught right in the middle of all the drama. It takes courage, dedication, and a little strong-arming from Madea for things even to begin to move back in the right direction, but Rome wasn't built in a day, and bridges burned are hard to reform.
11 I Can Do Bad All By Myself
Tyler Perry explores the sensitive and volatile nature of abuse inside supposedly happy homes; viewers should be aware of possible triggers in the film. The fifth installment in the Madea universe follows a narcissistic struggling soul singer, April (Played by Taraji P. Henson), who drinks to cope with being a single mother to her sister’s children.
With a revolving door of men in and out of her life, things seem to pick up when she begins dating Randy. Unfortunately, behind closed doors, he is abusive and manipulating. As the story unfolds, it's revealed that Randy has his eyes on April’s underage Niece, Jennifer (played by Olaidé Wilson). When Jennifer confronts Randy and tells her aunt about what happened, she is blamed instead of helped. The story winds up and ends in a way no one will see coming.
10 Madea’s Big Happy Family
Madea’s Big Happy Family serves as the franchise's sixth installment and brings a laundry list of comedic talent to the movie. The film revolves around Madea’s niece, Shirley, her children, and her children's children. Shirley discovers she doesn't have long to live, her sons are struggling in their marriage, and her grandchildren are drowning in misfortune.
Madea is charged with bringing the family together and using her special touch to fix everyone’s problems, or at least provide them some family wisdom. Bow Wow, Lauren London, Teyanna Taylor, and even Maury Povich appear in the film and contribute to the wacky antics that follow.
9 Meet The Browns
Meet The Browns is a step into more profound issues that plague everyday people, everywhere. A single mother, Brenda Brown, played by Angela Basset, is down on her luck and her back is against the wall.
Brenda has three kids, no job, and must scratch and claw to make ends meet. She discovers that the father she never knew has passed; this introduces her to a sea of a family she didn't know existed, along with a new love interest. The film tackles the challenges of having faith when things never seem to go right and not being afraid to seek help when it is needed.
8 Madea’s Tough Love
The first and only animated iteration of Madea in Tyler Perry’s franchise, Madea’s Tough Love, is a cheerful and wacky family cartoon. The story starts just like any other day for Madea, as she enjoys her breakfast watching television. The cartoon being shown has a set of delinquent children that irritate Madea, making her wish she could straighten them all out herself.
In the blink of an eye, Madea is teleported inside the cartoon, and the healing begins. After some high jinks that land Madea having to do community service, she ends up working at a group home for troubled teens where her plate has never been fuller.
7 Boo 2!: A Madea Holloween
In the direct sequel to Tyler Perry's Halloween special, Madea finds herself facing down a serial killer maniac as she tries to save Tiffany after she and her friend become trapped near a lake while attending a college party. In hilarious comical events, Madea goes toe to toe with a masked killer and, in true Madea fashion, has no time for his foolishness.
Boo 2! is a well-received sequel to the first film and adds on to the creepy comedy that hits all the right spots at all the right moments.
6 Boo!: A Madea Holloween
Madea has seen it all in her long life, but she may have met her match when she encounters what could be a paranormal event. Being asked to keep an eye on Brian's rebellious daughter, Madea becomes the thorn in a frat party's side and ultimately gets their party shut down.
Unbeknownst to Madea, the frat boys plan a mission of revenge and begin terrorizing her home along with her and her family. However, it takes more than just a few blinking lights to shake Madea's conviction in this comedic haunted house special.
5 A Madea Homecoming
In the twelfth installment in the Madea franchise, Tyler Perry returns to the gray wig and flowered dress to once again tackle family drama. During the graduation of a great-grandchild, Madea must navigate through three generations of trauma as unexpected guests crash the party and cause a mass of chaos, opening up old wounds.
Madea is no stranger to tough times and never runs from a fight; once again she must pull up her bootstraps and fight so that her family can stay together. Tyler Perry of course stars as the iconic Madea, along with a slew of other characters; Cassi Patton returns as Aunt Bam and David Mann reprises his role as Leroy Brown.
4 Madea's Witness Protection
Eugene Levy stars alongside Tyler Perry in this hilariously raunchy comedy where Madea becomes a host for a family of high-class suburban aristocrats who find themselves in the crosshairs of the criminal element. Eugene Levy plays George Needleman, the CFO of a large company in New York, who becomes the controversial face of an FBI investigation when he learns that the company he’s been working for all these years has been run by the mob.
Needleman makes a deal, and he and his entire family are moved into witness protection, whom Madea volunteers to take care of. Madea and the Needleman family hit a rough patch at the start, to say the least, but as time passes, they meet on common ground and figure things out about each other and themselves.
3 Madea Goes To Jail
Madea Goes To Jail is the fifth installment of the franchise and rides on the coattails of Meet The Browns. Madea finds herself in hot water as she has racked up a laundry list of violent and non-violent charges that can no longer be overlooked.
The last straw has landed her with a lengthy sentence in prison; alongside Madea’s antics, Joshua Hardaway, a distinguished district attorney, becomes enthralled with a childhood friend, Candy, who’s seen better days. The obligation to do the right thing puts his job and marriage in jeopardy. The story congeals when both Madea and Candy end up in the same prison, and Madea helps her change for the better.
2 Madea’s Family Reunion
Madea’s Family Reunion delves into the darker side of family drama as Madea must weed through the hateful history between two daughters and their mother. Rochelle Aytes plays Lisa Breaux and the fiancé of an abusive husband, Carlos played by Blair Underwood; Lisa Anderson plays the sister of Lisa, Vanessa, a distrustful woman with a past of familial abuse with a deep-seated hatred for her mother.
The story follows both sisters as they try to heal and reconcile with each other as their mother attempts to manipulate them both for her own benefit.
1 Diary Of A Mad Black Woman
Number one on the list is Diary Of A Mad Black Woman, Tyler Perry’s first and arguably his best live-action film. Kimberly Elise plays Hellen McCarter; a woman scorned when her husband, played by Steeve Harris, puts her out on the street, replacing her instantly with his mistress.
Alone and out of options, Hellen goes back home to her grandmother, Madea. Hellen starts out on a path of bitterness and revenge but soon progresses into a life of healing and finding the person she used to be. The story explores just deserts and how easy the line of cruelty is to cross when one lets their emotions get the better of them.