‘Divorce In The Black’ Increases Prime Video Viewership

When Tyler Perry’s Divorce In The Black premiered on Prime Video, it didn’t exactly win over film critics. Andrew Lawrence of The Guardian dubbed it “easily [Tyler Perry’s] worst film to date.”

Nicholas Bell from Fish Jelly Film Reviews echoed this sentiment, stating it was “another narrative metastasized beneath the ineptitude of Tyler Perry’s quill,” and called it an exploitative journey through the Black community and soap opera clichés.

However, while critics were harsh, the general audience appeared to have a different opinion. According to Rotten Tomatoes, 74% of the audience approved of Perry’s work, although it received a 0% rating from critics. This discrepancy highlights that critic reviews do not always predict a movie’s success among viewers.

The numbers tell a compelling story. Nielsen reported that the film accumulated over 498 million minutes watched within its first four days of availability on Prime Video. Additionally, Angelique Jackson of Variety reports that the drama not only attracted viewers in droves but also drove more new sign-ups to Prime Video in the U.S. than any other Amazon MGM Studios-produced movie to date.

Divorce In The Black stars Megan Good as Ava, a woman left heartbroken by her departing spouse, Dallas, played by Cory Hardrict. As Ava attempts to move on with her life and find true love, Dallas’s disruptive influence persists, making her journey difficult.

This movie is one of four films that Perry agreed to create for Prime Video under a deal established in 2022. Apart from his Prime Video agreement, Perry has arrangements with Viacom’s BET and Netflix. Looking forward, Perry is tied to six new projects: Six Triple Eight, Straw, Route 187, Beauty In Black, Joy Ridge, and Black, White and Blue. Recently, he also collaborated with BET to launch comedy and drama FAST channels, featuring his extensive catalog of shows.

Despite the dichotomy between critical reception and audience approval, Perry’s ability to attract and engage a vast viewer base demonstrates his unique influence and the loyalty of his fanbase. His diverse projects across multiple platforms underline his significant impact on the entertainment landscape.

Source: Variety, The Guardian, Fish Jelly Film Reviews, Rotten Tomatoes