'Mea Culpa' Release Date, Cast, and Everything We Know So Far

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• When Is 'Mea Culpa' Coming Out?

• What Is 'Mea Culpa' About?

• Where Can You Watch 'Mea Culpa'?

• Is There a 'Mea Culpa' Trailer?

• Who Stars in the 'Mea Culpa'?

• Who Is Making 'Mea Culpa'?

Tyler Perry has made several films across various genres, but his latest release, Mea Culpa, is probably the first, major legal thriller. The award-winning filmmaker takes on multiple roles for this film, where he writes, directs, and produces. The upcoming Netflix original film follows the story of a criminal defense attorney, Mea Harper, who takes on the case of a famous artist, Zyair Malloy, who is accused of killing his girlfriend. Despite all odds against her reticent and intriguing client, Mea decides to defend him, which pushes her down a path of desire and danger. As told by the filmmaker himself, Mea Culpa is inspired by classic crime thrillers, albeit with a different touch to it, which is also reflected in the film’s promos.

Perry commented:

“This idea came to me because I love all of those older thrillers from the ’80s and ’90s. It was fun to explore the best and worst of humanity through the genre of an exotic thriller.”

Former Destiny’s Child member, Kelly Rowland stars as the protagonist Mea, in her first collaboration with Perry, and also serves as one of the producers for the project. Mea Culpa also stars Trevante Rhodes as Zyair, in his second project with Perry, since their first collaboration together in If Loving You Is Wrong. Mea Culpa also marks the fifth project for Netflix and Perry, under their initial multi-year first-look film deal that was announced in 2023. Before this all-new thriller, the celebrated filmmaker has produced several projects with the streaming network, including A Fall from Grace and A Madea Homecoming. The legal drama thriller comes straight after Perry’s 2022 feature film, A Jazzman’s Blues, which became his most acclaimed film to date, after 2009's I Can Do Bad All By Myself.

Following the announcement of the updated multi-year deal with Netflix, Perry is set to produce several new films and shows in the coming days. First up after Mea Culpa, fans would be treated with Six Triple Eight. The all-new war drama film, with Kerry Washington starring and producing, tells the true story of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, the first (and only) Women’s Army Corps unit of color stationed overseas. This will be followed by the 16-episode drama series, Beauty in Black, which follows two women living very different lives, as well as Madea’s Destination Wedding, the thirteenth film in the Madea franchise. Besides Netflix, Tyler Perry has also partnered with Amazon Studios where he will write, direct, and produce four films for Prime Video, thus ensuring a stacked roster for the filmmaker for the foreseeable future. Black, White, and Blue marks the first of these four projects, followed by Divorce in the Black, both currently in development. But for now, we have all eyes on Mea Culpa. Filmed in Atlanta and Chicago in March 2023, the thrilling legal drama film is all set to land on the streamer this February.

While you wait for this all-new series to arrive, find out everything we know so far about Mea Culpa, including plot, trailer, cast, and characters.

Mea Culpa

Follows an ambitious criminal defense attorney that, in her aspiration to be named partner, takes on a murder case of an artist.

When Is 'Mea Culpa' Coming Out?

Netflix’s latest legal thriller releases worldwide on Friday, February 23, 2024, at midnight, PST.

What Is 'Mea Culpa' About?

As released by Netflix, the official logline for the thriller film reads:

When criminal defense attorney Mea Harper (Kelly Rowland) takes on the murder case of artist Zyair Malloy (Trevante Rhodes), the truth isn't as obvious as it seems. While she tries to determine the innocence or guilt of her cagy-yet-seductive client, it is uncovered that everyone is guilty of something. Tyler Perry’s Mea Culpa explores what happens when burning desire takes hold and things get hot... and dangerous.

Where Can You Watch 'Mea Culpa'?

Being a Netflix original, Mea Culpa will be available exclusively on the streamer for the global audience. Netflix is already home to other major titles from Perry like A Fall From Grace, A Madea Homecoming, and A Jazzman’s Blues. The streaming giant is also set to release his next two films, Six Triple Eight and Madea's Destination Wedding. Besides these titles, the streaming giant also boasts a stacked library of legal and crime thrillers and dramas, across shows, series, and films, which you can watch with a subscription.

Is There a 'Mea Culpa' Trailer?

The official trailer for the legal thriller film was released by Netflix in January 2024, and it would be fair to say that Mea Culpa has all the ingredients that justify calling it a “crazy sexy thriller”, as is the official description. The clip opens straight into the plot, where we see Rowland’s Mea Harper, a prominent attorney signing up her latest client, Zyair Malloy. The artist is accused of murdering his girlfriend and all the evidence seems stacked against him. But Mea believes he is innocent, or at least Zyair makes her believe so, and she is determined to prove her argument. From the prosecution to her co-workers, and friends try to convince her that her client might be withholding the truth from her, which makes her more determined to prove everyone wrong.

From this point on, the two-minute video moves onto a more thrilling narrative, where everyone seems to be hiding something or the other. As Mea begins to build her case and interact with her client at a deeper level, she gets pulled by Zyair’s seductive allure and his artistic, intriguing nature. Soon she realizes that the lines she draws between personal and professional behavior are getting blurred, making it difficult for her to look at things objectively. With her emotions getting involved with the discovery of facts, Mea finds herself at a dangerous turn.

Mea Culpa, as the trailer reveals, is built like a classic crime thriller drama, almost reminiscent of popular crime and legal thriller films from the 90s and 2000s, where forbidden desires often lead the protagonists down a dark path. If the promo is a good peek at the upcoming film, then we can safely say that it will be a slick and sensual crime thriller with several plot twists and turns, with unexpected outcomes for the characters.

Who Stars in the 'Mea Culpa'?

Perry and the team have put together an interesting ensemble cast for his latest legal thriller film, led by singer, actor, and television personality, Kelly Rowland. She stars as the film’s protagonist, Mea Harper, “a confident and strong-willed defense attorney,” who takes up the case of a falsely accused artist, which takes her down a dangerous path. The former Destiny’s Child artist has released several solos and appeared in films like Bad Hair and The Curse of Bridge Hollow, and TV shows like The X Factor and The Voice.

As the film’s second lead, Trevante Rhodes of Moonlight fame plays the role of Zyair Malloy, a famous artist and Mea’s client who is accused of murdering his girlfriend. Besides the Academy-winning film, Rhodes also had notable roles in the films Bird Box, Bruiser, and The United States vs. Billie Holiday, and series like Westworld and Mike.

Rowland and Rhodes are joined by Nick Sagar (Shadowhunters) as Ray, the Assistant District Attorney prosecuting Zyair’s case; Sean Sagar (The Covenant) features as Kal, Ray’s brother; RonReaco Lee (Survivor's Remorse) as Jimmy, a private investigator hired by Mea to help her with the case; Shannon Thornton (Power) as Charlise, Ray’s wife and Mea’s friend, and Kerry O'Malley (The Killer) as Azalia Hawthorne, Ray and Kal’s mother. In other supporting roles, actor-singer Angela Robinson (The Haves and the Have Nots) features as Renee, and Connor Weil (Scream: The TV Series) as Bobby.

Who Is Making 'Mea Culpa'?

Tyler Perry writes, directs, and produces Mea Culpa for Netflix. The honorary Academy and Emmy-winning filmmaker-actor-playwright is most reputed for creating and performing the Madea character and its associated properties. Besides his breakthrough work in Diary of a Mad Black Woman, Perry is best known for his films Daddy's Little Girls, Good Deeds, Acrimony, A Fall From Grace, A Jazzman’s Blues, and shows like Tyler Perry's House of Payne and Assisted Living. Perry also has eight shows currently running on BET and other networks. He is next set to launch a new, Madea movie, and the new period drama series, Perimeter. This all-new legal thriller marks the filmmaker’s fifth project with the streaming network and will be followed by the war drama film, Six Triple Eight, and the series, Beauty in Black, as a part of his deal with the streaming network.

Perry serves as the producer for Mea Culpa under his banner, Tyler Perry Studios, along with Kelly Rowland, Angi Bones, and Will Areu.

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