Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- broad
- sentimental
- earnest
- comfort viewing
- family drama night
What critics said
Critics found Tyler Perry's mixture of broad humor and sincere sentiment effective at times, while broadly agreeing that the film is formulaic, predictable, and tonally uneven.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Madea's broad interventions and comic set pieces coexist with April's serious emotional crisis and redemptive arc.
April must move beyond alcohol, an exploitative affair, and emotional distance to care for her niece and nephews.
Church life, faith, and the influence of spiritually grounded characters shape April's movement toward family and love.
Musical performances by Mary J. Blige and Gladys Knight intensify the film's romantic and emotional conflicts.
Films like I Can Do Bad All By Myself, and why
Madea Goes to Jail
shared blend of broad comedy, family melodrama, faith, and redemption
Diary of a Mad Black Woman
shared tyler perry domestic melodrama, comic relief, and emotionally direct moral themes
The Fighting Temptations
shared musical melodrama, troubled women, romantic conflict, and gospel-inflected sentiment
The Preacher's Wife
shared romantic comedy structure centered on emotional transformation, family responsibility, and sincere sentimentality
Movie Details
- Director
- Tyler Perry
- Release Date
- 2009-09-11
- Runtime
- 113 min
- Rating
- 6.3 / 10 (148)
Cast
- Tyler Perry
- Taraji P. Henson
- Adam Rodriguez
- Mary J. Blige
- Gladys Knight
- Brian J. White
- Hope Olaidé Wilson
- Kwesi Boakye
- Frederick Siglar
- Renee Horton
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- MovieSphere+ Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is I Can Do Bad All By Myself about?
- A hard-drinking nightclub singer is forced to care for three abandoned children while deciding whether to remain trapped in dependency or embrace family, faith, and love.
- What is I Can Do Bad All By Myself like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of I Can Do Bad All By Myself as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is I Can Do Bad All By Myself violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in I Can Do Bad All By Myself as mild.
- What did critics think of I Can Do Bad All By Myself?
- Critics found Tyler Perry's mixture of broad humor and sincere sentiment effective at times, while broadly agreeing that the film is formulaic, predictable, and tonally uneven.
- Which films are like I Can Do Bad All By Myself?
- Films with a similar feel include Madea Goes to Jail, Diary of a Mad Black Woman, The Fighting Temptations, and The Preacher's Wife.
- How long is I Can Do Bad All By Myself?
- I Can Do Bad All By Myself runs 113 minutes.
- Where can I watch I Can Do Bad All By Myself?
- In United States, I Can Do Bad All By Myself streams on MovieSphere+ Amazon Channel.
