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Netflix's new #1 movie with divisive Rotten Tomatoes score has everyone losing their minds over a shocking final twist

News
By Emily Garbutt published 28 February 2024

New thriller Mea Culpa is a hit on Netflix

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Kelly Rowland in Mea Culpa
(Image credit: Netflix)
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Netflix's new number one movie is a legal thriller – with a bonkers final twist. Mea Culpa, directed by Tyler Perry, stars singer and actor Kelly Rowland as Mea, a lawyer hired to represent Zyair (Moonlight's Trevante Rhodes) an artist accused of killing his girlfriend. 

Things get more complicated when Zyair attempts to seduce Mea. She's unhappy in her marriage and allows herself to become entangled with her client – until she realizes she may have bitten off more than she can chew. The movie ends with a shocking twist that we won't spoil here, but it's one that left viewers reeling (although not necessarily in a positive way…). 

"This crazy ass plot twist can only be written by Tyler Perry himself," one viewer wrote on Twitter. "Ok, that was spectacularly bad, even for Tyler Perry. Mans was so desperate for a plot twist, that shit ain't make [no] sense," tweeted another. 

"Please, what did I just watch?" said another viewer. "So many twists and turns, loose ends, gaps. Its like a crash you can’t turn away from."

The movie hasn't been a hit with critics either and currently has a score of 21% on Rotten Tomatoes. "While it might start out as an erotic thriller, it slows down to a damp relationship drama before meandering its way to a climax hinged on head-scratching twists that make little to zero sense," The Guardian's Benjamin Lee writes in a 2-star review. 

Meanwhile, Screen Rant's Brittany Witherspoon, who only rated the movie 1.5 stars, says,"With poor directional choices, cringe-worthy dialogue and unnecessary plot twists, it’s best to look at Perry’s latest as an unserious guilty pleasure." 

Mea Culpa is streaming now on Netflix. For more, check out our guide to the best Netflix movies to add to your watch list. 

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Emily Garbutt
Emily Garbutt
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Entertainment Writer

I’m an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering everything film and TV-related. I help bring you all the latest news, features, and reviews, as well as helming our Big Screen Spotlight column. I’ve previously written for publications like HuffPost and i-D after getting my NCTJ Diploma in Multimedia Journalism.

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