After a limited theatrical run early this month, "The Six Triple Eight" is now streaming on Netflix (as of Friday, Dec. 20).
This World War Two drama is the latest project from Tyler Perry and shines a light on a specific chapter of wartime history that many may not be all that familiar with: the work of the 688th Central Postal Directory Battalion.
The streaming service is no stranger to impactful war dramas — Edward Berger's "All Quiet on the Western Front" is the obvious example — and even if "The Six Triple Eight" doesn't reach the same heights, I still think it's worth giving a chance. Here's why.
What is 'The Six Triple Eight' about?
Tyler Perry's "The Six Triple Eight" is based upon the true story of the 6888th Central Postal Directory, the first and only Women's Army Corps unit of color to serve in Europe during World War Two.
Despite facing the racism and sexism of the era, along with poorly maintained facilities and grueling working conditions, this group of 855 women was handed a backlog of 17 million pieces of mail and tasked with clearing it and shipping it out in six months. Despite everything they faced, the women banded together and accomplished their mission in half their allotted time.
Perry's script for the movie was based on a 2019 article by Kevin M. Hymel and published in WWII History Magazine. You can learn more about how producer Nicole Avant brought the project to life on Tudum.
"The Six Triple Eight" ensemble cast includes Kerry Washington, Ebony Obsidian, Milauna Jackson, Kylie Jefferson, Shanice Shantay, Susan Sarandon, Dean Norris, Sam Waterston, and Oprah Winfrey, among others.
Should you stream 'The Six Triple Eight'?
As I mentioned, I'd argue that the true story behind "The Six Triple Eight" is what makes it a worthwhile watch, rather than the quality of the project itself.
I can't say that I was familiar with the 6888th's important work before streaming Perry's new movie and I'm glad that their work can be shared widely on Netflix. That said, "The Six Triple Eight" persistently has a kind of low-budget, heavy-handed, and at times cliché feel, one which threatens at times to undercut the feature's impact.
Critically, "The Six Triple Eight" has proven a divisive watch. At the time of writing, the movie holds a 50% critics' rating on Rotten Tomatoes, from a total of 20 accredited reviews.
Variety's Peter Debruge was impressed by the new release, saying it "marks a significant step forward for Perry" and feels "ambitious", though he admitted "there remains a slightly amateurish quality to the project" highlighting particular issues with "on-the-nose dialogue" and how "Perry tends to hit the depictions of prejudice rather hard, which can have a reductive impact on all these women accomplished".
Despite saying that Perry's new movie "isn't particularly subtle" and criticizing its "awkward historical scenes" between Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt (Waterston and Sarandon, respectively), and Mary McLeod Bethune (Winfrey), The Hollywood Reporter critic Frank Scheck praised the cast's performances, and argued the underlying story is powerful enough that "you can't help but get choked up," writing: " Perry pulls the heartstrings shamelessly but expertly in a way that would make Frank Capra proud."
Vulture's Alison Willmore was far more critical. They blasted "The Six Triple Eight" as a "cosplay of a war movie," claiming Perry's movie seems less interested in highlighting the important work the 6888th Battalion achieved, and more in the repeated injustices they faced, writing: ""The Six Triple Eight" is about people who received no public recognition for their achievements at the time, but in trying to give them their belated due onscreen, this clunky excuse for a war movie ends up being more about what they endured than about what they accomplished."
If that's put you off streaming "The Six Triple Eight," I'd at the very least implore you to read up on the 6888th Battalion, and if you're still in the mood for historical drama, check out our guide to the best Netflix war movies you can stream right now. Or, for even broader recommendations, be sure to read through our overall round-up of the best movies on Netflix.
