TYLER PERRY’S THE FAMILY THAT PREYS
A polished family drama with faith, laughter, and mature entanglements.
Should You Watch It?
Tyler Perry’s dramatic comedy gives you a well-made, engaging story about two lifelong friends trying to bring their families back together. Kathy Bates and Alfre Woodard are exceptional, and the movie balances humor with moving family conflict and a Gospel music score.
The story also offers positive Christian elements. Alice is a strong Christian role model, forgiveness is discussed in church, and faith matters throughout the film. But the movie’s mature content includes adultery, foul language, drinking, smoking, violence, and unethical behavior. Its treatment of baptism is also troubling because Charlotte is reluctant.
This is an enjoyable choice for older teenagers and adults who can exercise discernment. It is not a good fit for younger children.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESCharlotte Cartwright and Alice Pratt are two best friends from very different worlds. Charlotte is a wealthy socialite, while Alice is a working-class woman with Christian ideals.
The two matriarchs begin a road trip to help bring their families back together. But their adult children’s affairs, business practices, and hidden family tensions threaten both the families’ relationships and their livelihoods.
Is It Any Good?
Four stars means this is a highly enjoyable, well-made film despite some limitations. The acting is exceptional, especially from Kathy Bates and Alfre Woodard, who bring their characters vividly to life.
The story is engaging, humorous, and moving. A Gospel music score supports the drama. Still, the movie feels more like a television movie or soap opera than a theatrical film. It is not subtle, and the plot unfolds in a workmanlike manner.
The Worldview
The film presents a strong Christian, moral perspective through Alice, whose faith shapes how she responds to family trouble. She carries her Bible into a male strip club, and a church conversation affirms that God can forgive. The movie also includes secular humanist statements and depicts adultery, lying, cheating, and disreputable business practices.
The Christian material is positive but incomplete. Charlotte’s possible prayer for forgiveness is implied rather than shown, weakening the scene. Later, Alice invites and then forces Charlotte to be baptized, which is disturbing because Charlotte is reluctant. The film values family restoration, forgiveness, and moral direction, but it mixes those ideals with behavior that Scripture condemns.
The movie’s longing for forgiveness points toward the biblical truth that God forgives those who confess and turn to Him: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins” (1 John 1:9).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Strong Christian, moral worldview expressed by some characters mixed with secular humanist statements by other characters; 23 obscenities and five light profanities; man slaps woman and two men in fist fight; one scene of implied sexual relations that’s interrupted and adultery; upper male nudity at male strip club; much drinking of alcohol; smoking; and, lying, cheating, disreputable business practices.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
Alice’s faith influences how she responds to family trouble. What does it look like to live by Christian ideals when people close to you are making wrong choices?
Galatians 6:1–2 · James 1:22Charlotte asks whether God can forgive her. What does the Bible say about confession, forgiveness, and turning away from sin?
1 John 1:9 · Acts 3:19The film connects family conflict with adultery and unethical business practices. How can dishonesty damage more than one relationship at a time?
Proverbs 12:22 · Ephesians 4:25Alice forces Charlotte to be baptized even though Charlotte is reluctant. Why must faith and obedience be genuine rather than coerced?
Romans 10:9–10 · 2 Corinthians 9:7The Final Word
Tyler Perry’s film is well acted, engaging, humorous, and moving, with meaningful Christian elements. Its mature content and troubling treatment of baptism call for discernment. For older teenagers and adults, WORTH THE TRIP — OLDER TEENS AND ADULTS. For younger viewers, choose something else.
