Parents' Guide to

Boo! A Madea Halloween

By S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Madea franchise is getting so tired it's scary.

Movie PG-13 2016 103 minutes
Boo! A Madea Halloween Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 15+

Based on 18 parent reviews

truth-hurts4583
truth-hurts4583 Adult
April 18, 2020
age 12+

Give it a chance

Even though some of the movie is a bit inappropriate it’s still a great movie. People aren’t really giving it a chance and making a big deal off of some parts. The movie talks about the importance of kids listening and acting like children which is very important.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
1 person found this helpful.
Cooldog42
Cooldog42 Adult
May 16, 2022
age 14+

It just wasn't funny

My boyfriend and I watched Madea Halloween thinking it was going to be funny, but it was just not funny. I especially didn't find the joking about child abuse funny, as disciplining children was one of the main messages of this movie. I just couldn't even watch it to the end. At the end of the movie, jokes about sexual assault in prison are even made to 2 minors. This is coming from a fan of Madea movies. I normally love Madea movies, but this one just wasn't it. The teenage child had issues from a divorce that apparently were never talked about, resulting in her bad behavior. Instead of taking her to therapy or having a heart to heart about it, the father decides to prank her by faking a murder of one of her friends and faking an arrest for sneaking out to a party. What I saw was a teenager with a legitimate reason to be upset (the divorce) being put through more emotional damage. Parents please talk to your children. The whole plot of the movie was preventable by an open line of communication.

This title has:

Too much violence
See all 18 parent reviews

What's the Story?

It's Halloween, and 17-year-old Tiffany (Diamond White) is determined to go to a raucous frat party with her friends. Her dad, Brian (Tyler Perry), is just as determined that she not go anywhere near the place. So he calls in Madea (also Perry) to stay the night and help keep an eye on Tiffany. But when she disappears, and the house is invaded by ghosts and ghouls, it's up to Madea to save the day in BOO! A MADEA HALLOWEEN -- if she can manage not to get too spooked herself.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (18):
Kids say (13):

This inert installment in the Madea franchise is proof that Perry may have just hit a wall -- or is phoning it in. Though past Madea films have garnered decidedly mixed reviews, they were often still laced with enough can't-help-but-laugh jokes to keep fans returning for yet another dose of Madea's tough-love "wisdom."

But Boo! A Madea Halloween has very few zingers that actually land and enough cliches -- "bro" frat boys, insolent teenagers, college kids with no clue -- to fill a whole series of movies. And the supposedly "scary funny" parts are neither scary nor funny. Which isn't to say that Boo! doesn't have a few small charms: The main character herself is still as spunky and winning as ever. Too bad she doesn't have much to work with here.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why Madea movies are so popular. What's the character's appeal? How does Boo! A Madea Halloween compare to previous movies?

  • One of the characters really likes to smoke pot. Do you think the film glamorizes her habit?

  • How does the film deal with parenting and communication? What do you think about Brian's relationship with Tiffany? Does she respect him? What kind of parenting advice does Madea give Brian, and how does it differ from his own ideas of raising children?

Movie Details

  • In theaters: October 21, 2016
  • On DVD or streaming: January 31, 2017
  • Cast: Tyler Perry, Bella Thorne
  • Director: Tyler Perry
  • Inclusion Information: Black directors, Black actors, Pansexual actors, Latinx actors
  • Studio: Lionsgate
  • Genre: Comedy
  • Topics: Holidays, Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
  • Run time: 103 minutes
  • MPAA rating: PG-13
  • MPAA explanation: drug use and references, suggestive content, language, some horror images and thematic material
  • Last updated: January 4, 2023

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