Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

For Colored Girls

Play trailer Poster for For Colored Girls R 2010 2h 14m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
31% Tomatometer 106 Reviews 73% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
In New York, a group of black women, most of whom live in the same Harlem apartment building, faces personal crises, heartbreak and other challenges. Crystal (Kimberly Elise) faces an unhappy existence as an abused lover. Jo (Janet Jackson) is a successful magazine editor, but her husband has a secret double life. Juanita (Loretta Devine) is a relationship counselor but cannot seem to get her love life in order. These three and others become bound together by their experiences.
Watch on Fandango at Home Stream Now

Where to Watch

For Colored Girls

For Colored Girls

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Tyler Perry has assembled a fine cast for this adaptation of the 1975 play, and his heart is obviously in the right place, but his fondness for melodrama cheapens a meaningful story.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View More
Candice Frederick Reel Talk Online 09/11/2017
B+
Writer/director Tyler Perry is probably used to taking heat from the critics for his films, but he can rest knowing that his latest movie For Colored Girls... is his best film yet. Even though that might not be attributed to his direction or writing. Go to Full Review
Tim Robey Daily Mail (UK) 12/09/2010
2/5
Excruciating when it's bad, which is far too often, but a brave failure in lots of ways. Go to Full Review
Phelim O'Neill Guardian 12/09/2010
2/5
Perry crafts poorly paced soap opera, playing out in the most obvious and crass manner possible the situations that the poems subtly dance around. Shange's original text... Go to Full Review
Richard Propes TheIndependentCritic.com 09/08/2020
3.0/4.0
Where Perry soars is in his longstanding willingness to jump fully into issues. Go to Full Review
Mattie Lucas The Dispatch (Lexington, NC) 06/07/2019
3/4
A lovely and moving film, at once Perry's most dynamic and his most subtle work. Go to Full Review
Sean Burns Philadelphia Weekly 05/03/2015
And yet the film remains strangely watchable, even when it's gone bonkers. Especially when it's gone bonkers. Go to Full Review
Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More
TheMovieSearch R @TheMovieSearch Nov 30 Tyler Perry’s For Colored Girls remains one of his most emotionally powerful and artistically ambitious works, a film that brings Ntozake Shange’s landmark choreopoem to the screen with unflinching honesty. From its opening moments, Perry sets a tone of unapologetic intensity, guiding viewers through the pain, resilience, and quiet strength of nine women whose lives intersect in unexpected and heartbreaking ways. This is not a film designed for comfort—it is designed for truth—and that truth is what gives the story its immense emotional weight. The performances are the driving force behind For Colored Girls, with an ensemble cast that includes Kimberly Elise, Phylicia Rashad, Janet Jackson, Thandiwe Newton, Anika Noni Rose, Loretta Devine, Kerry Washington, and Whoopi Goldberg. Each actress embodies her role with raw vulnerability, grounding the film in a reality that is at times difficult to sit through but impossible to ignore. Perry gives each woman the space to unravel, rebuild, and reveal the kinds of lived experiences many viewers rarely witness, making their stories all the more impactful. Perry’s strength as a storyteller is evident in the way he unites these individual narratives into a cohesive and emotionally absorbing whole. His direction leans into the poetic roots of the source material, blending spoken-word passages with traditional dramatic scenes in a way that preserves the rhythm and soul of Shange’s original work. While Perry has always had a gift for character-driven storytelling, For Colored Girls showcases a deeper, more refined artistic voice—one that is willing to push boundaries, challenge audiences, and confront difficult truths head-on. The screenplay strikes a delicate balance between its theatrical origins and its cinematic adaptation. Some moments land with crushing emotional force, particularly scenes involving Anika Noni Rose and Michael Ealy, whose performances highlight the devastating reality of domestic violence and trauma. Other sequences are quieter but equally resonant, such as Kimberly Elise’s portrayal of grief, endurance, and the fragile process of rebuilding one’s identity after emotional devastation. The film is relentless at times, but that relentlessness reflects the weight of the subject matter. Despite its intensity, For Colored Girls is undeniably compelling. It’s the kind of film that lingers with you long after the credits roll—not because it is comfortable, but because it is honest. Perry’s direction ensures that each character’s struggle is treated with respect and depth, giving audiences a window into experiences that are too often overlooked or dismissed. It’s a film that demands emotional engagement and rewards it with profound insight. Ultimately, For Colored Girls is a beautifully crafted, deeply affecting piece of cinema that showcases some of the finest performances of the actors’ careers. It is not a movie most viewers will return to frequently, simply because of how emotionally heavy it is, but it is a film that remains essential. Its impact comes from its willingness to tell the stories that matter—stories that are painful, powerful, transformative, and unforgettable. See more Andrea S Feb 5 This movie shed light on so many issues women deal with but keep it to themselves. It also helped open a dialogue between us and be there for each other. Sad movie but truthful. See more Lauren B 01/22/2025 Watching this movie as an adult makes me view it in a different light. I see so many reviews about the long monologues and the sad stories but that’s the point. It’s FOR COLORED GIRLS so if that’s not you, the film probably won’t resonate with you. It’s a sad movie yes, because sad tragic things happen in real life. This is a film you watch once every 10 years. It reminds you of the shared experiences of women & why community is so important. See more Jan M 03/25/2024 I didn't like it too much, but I couldn't look away. I'm older and a lot of it was hard to hear and the scenes were violent and exhausting. Some of the poetry was odd, but I guess since the film was made from this poetry, I guess it had it's place. The film just wore me out. Would not recommend. See more Rifat A 02/03/2024 Unfortunately, Tyler Perry's 'For Colored Girls' left me disappointed. The film's heavy-handed approach felt like an emotional sledgehammer, with moments of melodrama that bordered on excessive. The oversimplified portrayal of complex issues came off as superficial, and the adaptation from Ntozake Shange's play seemed to miss the mark, leaving me yearning for the depth and nuance that the source material promised but failed to deliver on the screen. See more 12/27/2021 Wow! Janet Jackson is the highlight. See more Read all reviews
For Colored Girls

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW
Fierce People 24% 57% Fierce People Watchlist Mother and Child 78% 76% Mother and Child Watchlist The Lucky Ones 38% 54% The Lucky Ones Watchlist Answers to Nothing 9% 36% Answers to Nothing Watchlist The Burning Plain 38% 56% The Burning Plain Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis In New York, a group of black women, most of whom live in the same Harlem apartment building, faces personal crises, heartbreak and other challenges. Crystal (Kimberly Elise) faces an unhappy existence as an abused lover. Jo (Janet Jackson) is a successful magazine editor, but her husband has a secret double life. Juanita (Loretta Devine) is a relationship counselor but cannot seem to get her love life in order. These three and others become bound together by their experiences.
Director
Tyler Perry
Producer
Ozzie Areu, Roger M. Bobb, Paul Hall, Tyler Perry
Screenwriter
Tyler Perry
Distributor
Lionsgate Films
Production Co
Lionsgate Films, Tyler Perry Studios
Rating
R (Language|A Rape|Sexual Content|Some Disturbing Violence)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 5, 2010, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
May 6, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA)
$37.7M
Runtime
2h 14m
Sound Mix
SDDS, Dolby Digital, DTS
Most Popular at Home Now