The Six Triple Eight is a film we should all watch and learn from

A new release this month on Netflix has been getting mixed reviews but it’s one we should all watch. That’s despite our rating the movie as one to miss when we gave you the three best new Netflix movies to watch (and two to skip) in December 2024. As a spoiler, the reason we used to skip The Six Triple Eight wasn’t that it’s not a good movie, it was more about the late December timing of the release. 

The Six Triple Eight was released in selected cinemas in early December and became available on Netflix on Friday, December 20. It has a strong cast and relates an important story set in World War II. That's part of the reason why it should be a must-watch. 

Before I explain more about why, let’s get back to that strong cast. You’ll see some top stars, including Oprah Winfrey, Kerry Washington, Ebony Obsidian, Kylie Jefferson, Moriah Brown, Dean Norris, Milauna Jackson, Shanice Shantay, Sarah Jeffery, Pepi Sonuga, and, Gregg Sulkin all featuring. There’s also Sam Waterston with Susan Sarandon as Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt. 

The Six Triple Eight movie tells an important story

The story is written by Tyler Perry who also directs. Perry has based the film on a historical book on WWII, Fighting a Two-Front War by Kevin M. Hymel, about the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion. Now a postal service during the war doesn't sound very thrilling. But there is quite a story behind this.

The Six Triple Eight, as they were known, were an all-black and all-female Battalion. Their role was to tackle a huge 17 million-deep backlog of letters from soldiers serving on the frontline back to their friends and families. We can only imagine the morale-boosting and emotional factors involved in such correspondence being delivered. 

The reviews are, as I said earlier, a little mixed. From the cast, Washington and Obsidian are regularly called out for their top performances. The main gripe shared about the film is from reviewers who felt the story was given a too sweet and syrupy flavor by Perry. It's a bit too much of a simple feel-good treatment when underneath there is a hard-hitting, historical story of real interest for everyone today. 

The importance of women's service in the military during wartime has been overlooked at times. The additional fact that the battalion featured so many African American women in its ranks is another important factor that needs recognition too. Especially so in current times.  

If we layer over those important elements a story that deserves to be told about the war efforts away from the frontlines and the huge efforts made to deal with the issue the battalion faced then it’s quite a significant movie. Sure there will be some sentimentality and heartwarming elements, but that’s inevitable. It’s inspiring, informative, and very much a must-watch. 

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