Tyler Perry’s “Mea Culpa,” has been topping Netflix charts ever since its release, in spite of a lukewarm critical reception. This goes to show the inclination audiences have towards steamy thrillers that are full of twists and turns that you can’t anticipate. The 2024 thriller follows lawyer Mea Harper (Kelly Rowland) as she takes on the case of artist Zyair Malloy (Trevante Rhodes), accused of murdering his girlfriend Hydie (María Gabriela González).
Complications arise when Mea’s brother-in-law, Ray Hawthorne (Nick Sagar), is set to prosecute Zyair. As Mea’s marriage falters and she becomes attracted to Zyair, she discovers a scheme involving Ray and his mother to frame Zyair, further complicating most of everything.
If you enjoyed Tyler Perry’s Mea Culpa and are looking for more movies that feel like they are cut from the same cloth, here are some recommendations:
1. Fatal Attraction (1987)
Directed by Adrian Lyne, Fatal Attraction revolves around a successful New York City lawyer, Dan Gallagher (Michael Douglas), who has a weekend affair with a woman named Alex Forrest (Glenn Close) while his wife and daughter are away.
However, what begins as a seemingly casual fling quickly spirals out of control as Alex becomes obsessed with Dan and begins stalking him and his family. She refuses to let him go and becomes increasingly unstable, leading to a series of terrifying and dangerous events.
The first thing you’d notice in Tyler Perry’s Mea Culpa is just how much it borrows from Fatal Attraction. Both movies have almost a similar vibe, with the thrills always feeling silly but urgent. Most of all, both movies, in a way, put a really smart woman in harm’s way by allowing them to go stupid.
2. Sleeping with the Enemy (1991)
A list like this would be incomplete without putting the 1991 film Sleeping with the Enemy in it. In Tyler Perry’s Mea Culpa, the protagonist literally sleeps with the enemy, complicating the already complicated threat of secrets and lies.
Following Laura Burney (Julia Roberts), who appears to have the perfect marriage to her wealthy and charming husband Martin (Patrick Bergin), the psychological thriller dives into Martin and his abusive and controlling nature.
After living with the nightmare for a long time and fearing that her life is in danger, Laura orchestrates an elaborate plan to fake her own death and escape from Martin’s clutches.
She relocates to a small town under an assumed identity, trying to rebuild her life and find happiness away from her abusive past. However, Martin soon becomes suspicious of her disappearance and begins to search for her relentlessly.
As Laura tries to start anew, she finds herself falling in love with a kind and compassionate local drama teacher named Ben (Kevin Anderson). But her past catches up with her, and she must confront Martin one final time to secure her freedom and safety.
3. The Thomas Crown Affair (1999)
A remake of the 1968 film, John McTiernan’s 1999 film The Thomas Crown Affair feels more appropriate for this list of movies like Tyler Perry’s Mea Culpa. One of the main reasons is the sexual chemistry between Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo.
Much like Trevante Rhodes and Kelly Rowland’s turn in Mea Culpa, the steamy, supposedly forbidden affair at the center of the film makes it all the more hot.
The Thomas Crown Affair follows Thomas Crown (Pierce Brosnan), a wealthy and bored businessman who orchestrates a daring heist of a valuable painting from a New York City museum. Catherine Banning (Rene Russo) is an investigator hired to recover the stolen artwork. As she delves deeper into the case, she becomes romantically involved with Crown, complicating her efforts to catch him.
Much like Mea in Mea Culpa, Banning in the 1999 thriller is at a crossroads of doing her duty and following her heart.
4. Secret Obsession (2019)
It seems like Peter Sullivan has a knack for thrillers that look at the obsessive nature of love and courtship. In his 2019 film Secret Obsession, the story follows a woman named Jennifer (Brenda Song) who suffers from amnesia after a brutal attack. She wakes up in a hospital with no memory of her past, and her husband, Russell (played by Mike Vogel), is there to take care of her.
As Jennifer tries to piece together her life, she begins to suspect that Russell may not be who he claims to be. Much like Mea Culpa, this is one of those movies that unfolds with twists and turns as Jennifer uncovers dark secrets about her past and struggles to survive in a dangerous situation.
5. Fatal Affair (2020)
The 2020 psychological thriller film directed by Peter Sullivan revolves around Ellie Warren, a successful attorney who begins a passionate affair with an old friend named David Hammond. However, David turns out to be obsessive and dangerous.
As Ellie tries to break off the affair and salvage her marriage, David becomes increasingly unstable and starts to threaten her life and the lives of those she loves. The film explores themes of obsession, manipulation, and the consequences of infidelity.
Starring Nia Long, Omar Epps, and Stephen Bishop in the lead roles, Fatal Affair feels eerily similar to Mea Culpa since Tyler Perry feels like he had seen the film a wee bit too many times to lift entire sequences from it.
6. A Fall from Grace (2020)
Talking about movies like Mea Culpa, Tyler Perry’s very own Netflix legal thriller ‘A Fall From Grace’ comes to mind. The story revolves around a woman named Grace Waters, who finds herself embroiled in a scandalous murder trial after being accused of murdering her husband.
A young public defender takes on her case, but as she delves deeper into the evidence and Grace’s past, she begins to uncover dark secrets that could change everything.
In a way, Mea Culpa feels like a spiritual sequel to A Fall From Grace since both the films involve a suspect who is on trial for killing someone they love and the defender slowly getting too involved with the proceedings.
Much like Mea Culpa, A Fall from Grace explores themes of betrayal, deception, and the complexities of the justice system.
