The Family That Preys
Lionsgate | Release Date: September 12, 2008 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
49
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 14 Critic Reviews
Positive:
5
Mixed:
7
Negative:
2
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
75
TV Guide MagazineKen Fox
Thanks to some first-rate acting from its stars, it ranks among Perry's best. Read full review
75
Philadelphia InquirerCarrie Rickey
Was it just three years ago that Perry made his feature debut with "Diary of a Mad Black Woman?" Then his filmmaking was strictly amateur; now his sweeping pans and portentous closeups approach those of Pedro Almódovar. Read full review
70
VarietyPeter Debruge
Bates and Woodard strike up a real dynamic, and picture gives the duo room to improvise, leading to one raucous scene after another as they Thelma-and-Louise it in a top-down convertible. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterStephen Farber
Woodard conveys the rock-solid values of a true Christian without ever falling into sappiness. Bates is enjoyably larger-than-life, as the role requires. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesBob Baker
Dude, what made you refuse to screen your film for critics before it opened Friday? I'm betting you would have received an earful of praise for your writing and directing. Read full review
60
New York Daily NewsStaff (Not credited)
Perry's notoriously overstuffed plots have sometimes been top-heavy, but this movie, like Woody Allen's "Hannah and Her Sisters," hangs on an elegant structure that doesn't feel forced. Read full review
58
Entertainment WeeklyGregory Kirschling
All over the place:It's a boardroom/family/couples/road-trip story. Read full review
58
The A.V. ClubSam Adams
Perry deserves due respect for exploiting an untapped niche. Read full review
50
L.A. WeeklyChuck Wilson
What's memorable here is the sparkling chemistry between Bates and Woodard, whose scenes together are a pleasure to watch, even as one thinks that their next outing should be to co-teach a master class entitled, "How To Rise Above Cliché." Read full review
50
USA TodayClaudia Puig
Though better than most of Perry's broad comedies, The Family That Preys still suffers from excessive predictability and mawkish sentiment, which detracts from the story's believability. Read full review
40
Austin ChronicleSteve Davis
Contradictions abound in this messy and unfocused drama that purports to believe that family is everything, when all else fails. Read full review
40
Chicago ReaderReece Pendleton
The usual mawkishness is made slightly more palatable by the two leads and by Perry himself. Read full review
38
Boston GlobeTy Burr
Family, sadly, is a plate of leftovers: a bland, baldly written melodrama about two longtime best friends and their messed-up families. Read full review
30
The New York TimesStephen Holden
The suds that cascade through Tyler Perry’s The Family That Preys more than equal the cubic footage from nighttime soaps like "Dallas," "Dynasty" and their offspring. Read full review
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