User reviews

This is not a great movie, but it's certainly watchable. And the fact that so many of the previous 141 reviewers say that they had never heard of the 6888 and what they accomplished shows that a movie needed to be made on the subject. So bravo Tyler Perry for doing this.

My one objection is that the movie never spends time telling us how these women managed to get through all that mail in only three months. That was their signal accomplishment, what made them famous, and the movie never tells us.

It does tell us that several other units had been assigned the task previously and failed, so the 6888's achievement certainly merits recognition.

The obvious parallel contrast here is *Hidden Figures*, a downright remarkable movie that does not sell its audience short, but rather takes the time to let us see how those "human calculators" accomplished what they did. It makes us admire their ingenuity and intelligence, as well as their courage and perseverance.

I suspect the women of the 6888 had these qualities as well, but we really never get to see it.

There are books on the subject. I guess I'll have to go out and read one.

The actual story is absolutely amazing, definitely one of triumph over adversity. What ruined it for me was how all the actors looked so polished and preened. If you watch the real footage at the end, there is not one scrap of makeup on the female soldiers. This made it feel unauthentic. I also found the script and some of the acting a bit woolly.

Saying that, what the actual battalion did in real life was and is incredible. It's worth a watch just to learn what they actually achieved. I just wish the film did real justice to those soldiers. I feel like they would have been a lot tougher in reality and certainly wouldn't have looked like they'd just stepped out of a beauty salon.

It did seem a bit like a hallmark movie (which I can't stand), but I did enjoy it, and I added 1 more point because I learned something.

I understand the technical complaints some veterans had, and I don't undertand why they didn't seem to get advice for that aspect of the film. But it seemed to me that many of the negative comments were because the reviewers thought that the film had some kind of agenda, or a slant, and that it was "too busy pushing political ideology". The truth hurts for some people. It is abhorrent how blacks were treated by whites, and it's sad there are people who are triggered by that fact. That's the bottom line with criticism like that.

First of all, shame on you the USA for treating these soldiers / women in such a disgusting way. Made worse by the time it took to 'try' and rectify the disrespect shown. Right, I have that off my chest.

The film was average at best. When compared to Wiki, it looks like the Director did very little to stray away from the obvious. The delivery of the story was very by the numbers and I couldn't help but feel it was more of a Sunday TV movie. The story being very clunky and very simplistic.

The way the movie wrapped up was a huge disappointment. One blink of the eye and it seemed to be in overdrive to squeeze in as much as it could so it could finish. The time allocated towards bring all the loose ends together was a little disrespectful in itself. The salute scene in the train station was major cringe fest, meant to make up for all the disgusting acts. Then a major fast forwards to cover a little history before fade to black. Very disappointing.

Tyler Perry did a poor job here. He tracked the wrong story and delivered a very unbalanced story.

But I am more aware of their story so it did achieve something. But it could have been so much better...

As a veteran and historian, the story of the 6888 Postal Service Battalion is a moving one. This movie is good, but the multitude of mistakes in the movie as well as the overprocessed look of the video grated on me for the entire film.

The overprocessing look is a matter of taste, but the mistakes in military protocol and the battle scene were avoidable. First, the initial battle scene looked like a video game and was blatantly absurd. Second, "attention" and "fall in" are not interchangeable and the proper follow up command after "dress right dress" and "cover" is "ready front", not "ready two". In addition, the use of "eyes right" and "present arms" during the review are incorrect.

Please ignore all the nay sayers. Just finished watching this and really enjoyed this movie. Def worth a watch. Had no idea of this piece of history and I'm really glad to be made aware of the story of these wonderful women. Well acted and I've been googling all the main characters to catch their back story. It's almost a crime that it's taken so long to bring this story to the masses. I sincerely hope this film is watched by many folk around the world so they can acknowledge the fantastic contribution these ladies made to the war effort. Perfect film on a cold dark night with good glass of wine.

Tyler Perry is widely known for his knack for crafting stories that move audiences, but in "The Six Triple Eight," that emotionally charged approach ends up smothering a story that deserved a more refined treatment. The film tackles a powerful and largely untold historical event-the journey of the all-Black female 6888 battalion during World War II-but it stumbles while trying to balance epic grandeur with an over-the-top melodrama that weakens the story's impact. The intention to honor these women is clear, but the final result feels inconsistent, as if Perry is trying to tell too much at once without giving the story room to breathe and truly resonate.

The screenplay, written by Perry himself, tries to cover too many narrative fronts, but the excessive fragmentation hurts the film's cohesion. The introduction is a prime example: jumping from a battle sequence in 1943 to a forbidden romance in 1942, and then to intense military training in 1944, the structure feels more focused on creating isolated dramatic moments than on building an engaging narrative flow. As a result, the film's uneven pacing keeps the audience from organically connecting with the protagonists' journey. Instead of gradually drawing us into the struggles these women faced, we're thrown from one event to another without enough time to absorb the emotional weight of each situation.

Lena Derriecott King (Ebony Obsidian) is the emotional core of the story, but her romantic arc with soldier Hugh Bell (Jay Reeves), and the lingering shadow of her lost love Abram David (Gregg Sulkin), end up feeling overly melodramatic and predictable. Lena's grief and loss are crucial aspects of her journey, but Perry's approach makes everything feel too didactic, with explanatory dialogue and scenes that seem more focused on reinforcing her pain than exploring it in a genuine way. Kerry Washington, as Major Charity Adams, delivers a strong and commanding performance, but the script gives her little room for nuance. Her character is portrayed so rigidly and one-dimensionally that she ends up feeling more like a symbol than a real person, which weakens the impact of her fight against systemic racism within the military.

Visually, "The Six Triple Eight" doesn't impress either. The battle scenes suffer from visual effects that look like they belong in a low-budget production, with artificial explosions and a color palette that fails to capture the gravity of the wartime setting. The overly polished production design strips away the realism the story demands, with sets that look more like theater stages than the lived-in, war-torn environments these women endured. The costumes and makeup follow the same pattern, with an unrealistic perfection that clashes with the gritty, harsh reality these women faced.

However, the film does find its strength in the moments when it focuses on the camaraderie among the women in the battalion. When Perry allows himself to explore the bond and solidarity between the characters, there's an authenticity that's missing from other parts of the film. Small, lighthearted moments-like the scenes where the soldiers dance or share their fears-bring a sense of genuine humanity that elevates the narrative. Shanice Shantay, as Johnnie Mae, adds some much-needed levity, but her character dangerously flirts with stereotypes that, while common in this type of story, could have been avoided to bring a fresher perspective to the film.

Another recurring issue is the film's overly speech-heavy tone. Perry tends to favor big emotional monologues, and while that might work in other contexts, here it makes the film feel heavy-handed and predictable. The dialogue often feels like it's written for instant impact, with characters constantly verbalizing their emotions in an exaggerated way instead of letting the performances speak for themselves. This is especially noticeable in the scenes that tackle racial discrimination. Instead of subtly and powerfully showing the pain and resilience of these women, the film opts to hammer the message home in a way that feels like it's reminding the audience at every turn that racism is cruel and oppressive. This lack of subtlety ends up diminishing the natural emotional impact the story carries.

Despite its flaws, the film delivers an important and necessary message. It's a reminder of the crucial role these women played during the war and the ongoing struggle for recognition that continues across generations. Perry deserves credit for bringing this story to light, but it feels like the execution doesn't quite live up to the significance of the subject matter. A more restrained approach could have allowed the emotions to emerge more naturally and less theatrically.

"The Six Triple Eight" is a film with good intentions, but it gets lost in the need to drive its messages home too forcefully, resulting in a drama that, while touching at times, lacks the depth and authenticity needed to make it truly memorable.

First I want to state very clearly, although this movie already has a small (about 35 or 40) number of positive reviews, a full 18% of the votes here on IMDb are "1". What does that say? Bigotry is still pervasive, and I doubt that many who voted it "1" even took the time to watch the movie.

(Edit: JAN 11th - Now with 210 reviews and about 16K votes, only 10% are "1" and the most common votes cluster around "7" and "8" which is a much better representation of the movie itself.)

Yes, it is by a black writer-director. Yes, the focus is on a battalion of black women in WW2. But it is derived from real people and real events and is a good and meaningful movie. I cannot imagine an educated and empathetic viewer finding great fault with this movie.

It is the 1940s and the war in Europe is far from being decided. One problem is the mail, soldiers are not getting letters from their families. And, families are not getting letters from their sons and daughters deployed overseas. Battalion number 6888 of black women are sent to get the mail back on track, those who sent them were sure they would fail. They had six months to unravel the mail mess contained in several full warehouses in the UK. They were given quarters that were dirty and in disrepair. In spite of things being stacked against them, they were able to do the job and in half that time allotted.

This movie isn't about how realistically or not the fighting is portrayed; it is about battalion 6888 and what they did. The end credits show some original footage of the women in the 1940s plus some snippets of a few of those women still living in modern times.

My wife and I watched it at home, streaming, after our usual Saturday night steak and wine dinner. We both give it a hearty "thumbs up."

It really hits me in so many levels emotionally, ethically, values , love and passion with mercy and motherhood then consistency and persistent all in one real story thanks for the producers ,artists, the real characters who's inspired all of those to do this amazing movie and all who's working on this to make it reached to us as a watchers Thanks for United States of America for the honest to allows always to let us see the real reality with fair and dignity I really do enjoy every detail in the movie its one of the most important perspectives of war and what really going on and it shows how much the emotional parts very important to the soldiers .

Thanks from my heart.

Ignore the reviewers who tell you to ignore negative reviews. Reading a review that's partially negative isn't going to hurt you.

Anyway, the Six Triple Eight follows a black female Army unit charged with sorting millions of undelivered letters and packages in a short time during WWII. The unit is given third class treatment and facilities, and the general in charge of their division attempts to undercut their mission.

Kerry Washington (as the unit's hard-driving captain) and the actors portraying unit member all give strong performances. In contrast, the actors who portray the fat general and his racist white officers act like they're in an old 60s or 70s movie about a Southern sheriff and his redneck deputies. A woman in the unit who apparently is supposed to provide comedy also seems to be based on a stereotype.

Tyler Perry deserves kudos for bringing a compelling and touching story to the screen, but he mucks up the movie with clumsy courtship scenes and a heavy-handed treatment of Army racism. The movie is too long at 129 minutes, mainly because it starts with an unrealistic battle scene followed by a courtship straight out of a BET movie. Like most movies "based on a true story," many parts of this movie have dubious historical accuracy.

Before attempting a historical drama. Perry should have employed the help of Spike Lee. He knows how to execute a historical drama. Please see Miracle at St. Anna adapted from James McBride. You can't approach a historical drama the same Way a comedic film is approach. Perry MUST get this. The film is landing flat, corny, overly dramatic and lacks historical feel and substance. As a result, the professional talent and friends who helped with the film just aren't utilized at their full potential (Oprah and Kerry Washington). I look forward to other films telling this story. I am confident someone else can do it better.

Kerry Washington delivers a powerhouse performance in this gripping historical drama! She fully embodies her role, and the rest of the cast is equally impressive, with Oprah shining as Mary McLeod Bethune. The film brings to light the incredible and little-known true story of the only all-Black female battalion deployed overseas during World War II. The direction, pacing, and storytelling are exceptional, weaving together beautifully crafted scenes that keep you thoroughly engrossed.

The relationships among the characters are authentic and engaging, with the bond between Lena Derriecott King and the young Jewish man adding emotional depth. While the film suggests a romantic undertone, it's unclear how accurate this aspect is given the era's segregation. Nevertheless, their friendship serves as a poignant and inspiring catalyst for Lena's decision to join the battalion.

This is an important and well-told story that deserves recognition. The historical context, combined with stellar acting and direction, makes for a must-watch film. Don't miss it!

There are more than these two faults in the movie. The two privates that were killed in the truck were killed on the 12th of May 1945. The war was over than in Europe. Furthermore the Lt killed in the plane was killed during assistance to ground troops fighting the Germans on the 19th december 1943. There were no ground troops fighting in the advance area yet. Dday was in the 6th of June 1944. Giving these wonderful women their respect makes details important.

The movie was good. Wonder if there were moren of these wrong details in the movie. Let me know if you found some. Always

Movie ok. Details poor.

The true story wasn't good enough for Tyler Perry. This telling omitted events and facts that make the story more compelling. This telling added events and moved the timeline around that diminish the story. Yes, the performances were compelling and the art of movie making well represented. That the 6888, their challenges and accomplishments are brought back into the public eye is wonderful. Acknowledgement of these women their extraordinary skill and contribution to the war effort, servicemen and families is well deserved. Tyler Perry didn't have to create a documentary but I expected so much more and I think the 6888 received so much less than they deserved, yet again. Too bad.

I don't usually rush to see Tyler Perry movies, but was invited to a pre-screening with Mr. Perry who spoke with the audience beforehand. He said he's made 28 movies, but this is his first " film ". And what a film! I dare you-Black or White or whatever-to watch this film and not cry for joy, for sadness, for the triumph of ordinary people working their damnness in the spirit of serving and helping people they don't know and will never meet. Treat yourself for the holidays. It will lift and humble you. And Kerry Washington was phenomenal, but so was the entire cast. Mr Perry, this is a masterpiece.

T.

It is unfortunate that such an extremely deserved story was told in such a basic manner. I and many people in America and beyond do not know the story of these extremely skilled individuals who helped in winning a war, and for the simple matter of learning even a bit about the 6888, this movie is worth showing and watching.

But as a film, this movie lacks effort, which I have no doubt is due to Netflix. The set never looks lived in, but like a set to play in. The makeup often looks too well done, reminding us this is a movie. Many more qualified people have pointed out the incorrect verbiage and actions of the soldiers involved, which is not excusable in a movie about soldiers. The acting is fairly stilted, but the fualt cannot be placed solely on the actors, but the director and producers involved.

It is truly a dissapointment that a film which ultimately aimed to honor and shed light on such important and often ignored individuals, failed to put in the care they deserved. If you care to learn about the 6888, watch the beginning and the end, and research from there. You'll spend the same amount of time as if you watched the entire movie, but you will actually learn about these heros.

A visually stunning and emotionally resonant film, The Six Triple Eight is a powerful testament to the human spirit. Heavily based on a true story, it masterfully weaves together the grave and complex horrors of war with a poignant love story, showcasing the resilience of the human heart in the face of unimaginable adversity.

By invitation, I was able to represent Veterans in Media and Entertainment NY Chapter to see an advanced screening of The 6888. Without spoilers I will simply share that I do hope everyone gets the opportunity to listen to Nicole Avant speak about the convergence of ideas and actions that brought this film to life. I hope you get to hear Tyler Perry speak about meeting the real-life Pvt Derriecott King and how moved he was to hear her story from the beginning. I hope you hear from Kerri Washington, Ebony Obsidian, and the rest of the cast as they tell you what this film meant to them. Their care and attention is seen in every detail.

Supporting the force is what I have spent my entire military career doing and when I had the honor of supporting Soldiers in a theater of war, I was privileged enough to capture and document those who were handling those monumental tasks. I've witnessed Soldiers work tirelessly to ensure that their fellow service members on the field of battle had what they needed - bullets, food, fuel, their pay and much more - including mail.

The 6888 Central Postal Directory Battalion, led by then U. S. Army Maj. Charity Adams (played by Kerri Washington), masterfully performed a near-impossible mission only they could have done. They succeeded with skills cultivated by simply being who they were - women of color from around the USA and different walks of life, who wanted to serve their country for a variety of reasons.

This is demonstrated by performances that are raw and deeply affecting while the breathtaking cinematography captures the beauty and devastation of the environments in which these women worked and thrived despite adversity.

Even the disinformation that followed them home could not erase their personal courage, which is one of the seven Army values illustrating that Soldiers willingly face fear, danger or adversity (physical or moral).

"Facing moral fear or adversity may be a long, slow process of continuing forward on the right path, especially if taking those actions is not popular with others. You can build your personal courage by daily standing up for and acting upon the things that you know are honorable," according to the Army.

This underscores the importance of the storytelling medium because those who feel like their voice isn't being heard or that their story may never be told will always have a voice in a space that is true to the telling.

The Six Triple Eight is a must-see for anyone who appreciates powerful storytelling and the enduring power of love. There were many moments in the film where the hairs on my arm stood up and I could feel the energy as if I was there with them during WWII. I know with certainty that every viewer who shared these moments in the theater with me felt the same.

Opening scene: an Army unit LEAVES their covered, fortified position to charge an attacking enemy. In an open field...

As you would imagine, mass casualties happen. Then friendly planes start bombing and and crashing in said field??

That's not even remotely how that would have went down. Countless documentaries, were available but ignored. Sour taste right out the gate. Lost the trust of the audience.

This is what happens when people with no emotional connection to a subject matter are given a project they don't respect beyond the what they can gain from being associated with a project.

There are so many historians that would have gladly told the director it was a terrible way to portray that engagement.

I had been looking forward to seeing this film since I learned about it six months before its release. It was quite the learning experience. I had never heard about the logjam of mail to and from military servicemen, and I knew nothing about this special regiment of black women who worked so hard to resolve it. I never expect a Tyler Perry script to be very heavy or cerebral, but the historical aspect of this film definitely makes it more substantial. What these women went through, including the shameful treatment they endured by the white male establishment, is shameful and heartbreaking. A couple of scenes brought tears to my eyes.

Kerry Washington was outstanding, as always, and what a delightful surprise to see the real Lena at the end of the film. If this hadn't been a true story, I'm not sure I would have stuck with it, but I found it to be a great learning experience and well worth the watch.

When it's brought to the attention of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt (Susan Sarandon) that the soldiers fighting in Europe aren't getting their morale-bolstering mail, she convinces her husband (Sam Waterston) that something has to be done about it. Meantime, a regiment of African American women is festering away at a fort awaiting, in vain, orders that will get them meaningfully employed. Well! Now they have a task, and under the command of their newly promoted Maj. Adams (Kerry Washington) are posted to Europe. They are unaware of the sale of their project until presented with half a dozen enormous hangars full to the brim of rotting envelopes, packages and their fair share of rats. Chief amongst the newly arrived soldiers is "Lena" (Ebony Obsidian) who joined up after her beau "Abram" (Gregg Sulkin) went off to war as a pilot and was reportedly killed in action. She, and her determined colleagues, are determined to make a difference and the remainder of this drama depicts their struggles against their own side rife with bigotry and sexism whilst the bombs are never far away and the task is quite literally Herculean - only they can't just divert a river to solve this one. It's a fact, so the conclusion isn't in doubt, and the story is quite an interesting one as it not only challenges stereotypical attitudes, but quite poignantly illustrates how downright counter-productive these were. The execution, though, is all rather bland. Washington is competent but nothing more, indeed that's true of almost all of the acting talent on display here - aside from a lively and earthy effort from Shanice Shantay as the the engagingly rough-around-the-edges Johnnie Mae; and the writing takes a sledge hammer to the racial undertones that, once it's made it's bleedin' obvious point, just proceeds to labour that a bit too heavily. It's fascinating to see glimpses of the "intelligence" these women used to repatriate the post with the person and at times it's quite funny too as their intuition and common sense proved astonishingly effective but that's all rather swept under the carpet as the story focusses too much on the soapy elements of their travails. Indeed the ending, and the significance of their achievement, is all just a bit too rushed. It's a film that might have made for a better documentary celebrating the dedication of these ladies. As a piece of cinema, it's at best an high-quality television movie and an over-long one at that.

From the jump - the real story here was very poorly served. I picked this movie apart simply because I saw Tyler Perry was the director. Yes, he has produced and written some pretty good movies. But with this...the ball was dropped from the minute go. First and most egregious was the lack of a decent dialect coach teaching many of these talented actors one thing - pick ONE distinct and specific true to life accent and stick to it. Even Kerry Washington's "Southern" accent was ALL over the map. Most all of the minor players - and the smaller roles played by big name actors (looking at you, Oprah, Sarandon, Waterston,) are examples of the same thing. One scene they sound like an old school highly educated Charleston person from a wealthy family. Next scene they sound like plain Southern sharecroppers. The next is the horrible CGI. Not too much to add to that, as it speaks for itself. The editing was ... off. It needs a good 20 minutes shave. The script was decent and the true story is incredibly inspiring. But Tyler Perry needs to get a handle on who he hires to do the real hard work behind the scenes (the editors, the cinematographers, the dialect coaches - even the costume designers , as one scene showed women from what is supposed to be the mid 1930's wearing skirts that ride mid thigh and that was NOT happening then). I'm just saying. If you want to make a serious historical drama and make it believable, then DO IT. But Do. It. Well. And this is not done well.

This is a very earnest but stiff and stagy look at black women trying to serve their country during WWII and experiencing all the racism and sexism that you would expect.

The best part is the lead performances: Kerry Washington doing a fiery take on the traditional drill sergeant role; and Ebony Obsidian as the character whose emotional arc forms the backbone of the story.

However, everything is overly pat and comes off as stilted and forced. Racist people are racist. The black characters are noble and don't let that get in their way. And on and on.

I'm not sure how you even do this story in a non-stilted way but I've seen this problem before, such as in Masters of the Air, which has great battle scenes and soapy interludes with stiff dialogue and acting. Most of those characters were white, so the issue isn't really race. Is it that writers are so removed from WWII that they can't even envision these people as human beings?

Amazingly, the people during WWII were human beings who behaved in human ways. Band of Brothers figured out how to do this.

This is a movie that you cannot help but feel touched by the love, devotion, and enduring spirit these ladies had for themselves and their country. The sisterhood they felt for each other is heartwarming.

Not only did they complete their mission, some of the unit's recreational basketball players were invited to play on an Army all-star team; however, that invitation was rescinded when the Army learned the women were Black. Mixing races in units was against Army policy at the time - even for sports teams. The team dealt with the snub by winning the European theater's basketball championship.

Good job, Tyler, now you're on the right track. We need more of this.