The Color Purple

81%

Tomatometer

252 Reviews

95%

Audience Score

2,500+ Verified Ratings

A story of love and resilience based on the novel and the Broadway musical, THE COLOR PURPLE is a decades-spanning tale of one woman's journey to independence. Celie faces many hardships in her life, but ultimately finds extraordinary strength and hope in the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood.

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The Color Purple

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Building on the legacy of the previous film adaptation while incorporating elements of the stage musical, The Color Purple is a crowd-pleasing testament to resilience in the face of trauma.

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Audience Says

Much more than a remake, the musical film version of The Color Purple stands on its own as a vibrant, uplifting experience -- and the singing and dancing are superb.

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Critics Reviews

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Wendy Ide

Observer (UK)

It’s a punishingly bleak story, and the songs, with their antiseptic polished sheen, seem fundamentally out of tune with the unforgiving grit of the plot.

Rated: 2/5

Jan 28, 2024

Full Review

Kevin Maher

Times (UK)

Blitz Bazawule adds conspicuous pizzazz to the musical numbers, but “Historical Racism: The Feelgood Musical” was always going to be a hard sell.

Rated: 2/5

Jan 27, 2024

Full Review

Stephen Romei

The Australian

The director and screenwriter have a lot of source material to draw on and by and large pull it off due to the fine performances and the powerful song and dance numbers.

Rated: 3.5/5

Jan 26, 2024

Full Review

Ernesto Diezmartinez

Letras Libres

The Color Purple is a decaffeinated remake: more militant and careful, but more monotonous and less bold than the version directed by Steven Spielberg in 1985. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 2/4

Apr 19, 2024

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

This is the superior version, wringing as much emotion out of viewers as the previous picture but thankfully leaving aside its tonal inconsistencies.

Rated: 3.5/4

Mar 16, 2024

Full Review

Nicholas Bell

Fish Jelly Films (YouTube)

A vibrant reimagining of an iconic, harrowing narrative, Bazawule's adaptation of the stage play may soften the trauma but not the intensity of The Color Purple, featuring a stellar cast led by a resplendent Fantasia Barrino.

Rated: 4/5

Mar 12, 2024

Full Review

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Audience Reviews

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Jtex A must see that was even better done than the original. I went to this movie twice in one week it was so good. A bit of a tear jerker at points. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/25/24 Full Review Kimberly J A Great take on the story. MUSIC Fabulous Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 04/04/24 Full Review Heather D-Tulsa, Ok The musical selections were A+! The storyline mostly kept with the original and the new additions worked well. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/22/24 Full Review Kai Enzo Definitely a masterpiece ❤️ Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/22/24 Full Review veroniquea t Marvelous , moving, riveting production! The entire cast was great! My emotions were a rollercoaster ride. BRAVO! Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/21/24 Full Review ernestinej l It was a great movie. More stars were in it than I thought. Rated 4.5/5 Stars • Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/18/24 Full Review Read all reviews

The Color Purple

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Cast & Crew

Blitz Bazawule Director Taraji P. Henson Shug Avery Danielle Brooks Sofia Colman Domingo Mister Corey Hawkins Harpo H.E.R. Squeak

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The Color Purple

The Color Purple: Extended Preview

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Movie Info

Synopsis A story of love and resilience based on the novel and the Broadway musical, THE COLOR PURPLE is a decades-spanning tale of one woman's journey to independence. Celie faces many hardships in her life, but ultimately finds extraordinary strength and hope in the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood.

Director: Blitz Bazawule
Producer: Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Scott Sanders, Quincy Jones
Screenwriter: Marcus Gardley
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: QJP, Amblin Entertainment, SGS Pictures, OW Films
Rating: PG-13 (Mature Thematic Content|Language|Sexual Content|Violence)
Genre: Musical, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 25, 2023, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 16, 2024
Box Office (Gross USA): $60.6M
Runtime: 2h 21m
Sound Mix: Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)