The Six Triple Eight (2024)
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2025-09 to 2026-08
A female-led battalion faces a daunting logistical challenge and systemic prejudice while clearing a massive mail backlog during World War II.
The story
In 1940s Philadelphia, a young woman named Lena faces the loss of her love and enlists in the military. She joins the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, an all-black, all-female unit. Under the leadership of Captain Charity Adams Earley and Lieutenant Abbie Noel Campbell, the battalion is tasked with a daunting mission: clearing a massive two-year backlog of undelivered mail from soldiers in the field. The unit is stationed in a dilapidated facility in Glasgow, Scotland, where they must overcome both the physical challenges of a rat-infested, unheated building and the prejudice of hostile military officials to ensure letters reach their destinations.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The story follows Lena, who enlists after her boyfriend, a pilot, is killed in action. She joins the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion. While the unit is stationed in a dilapidated building in Glasgow, they face a two-year backlog of 17 million pieces of mail. Despite being given a deadline intended to ensure their failure, the women establish an efficient sorting system. Lena finds personal connection to the work when she realizes the importance of the letters. The unit faces discrimination from a prejudiced officer, General Halt, who attempts to replace Major Adams. However, the women successfully clear the backlog in 90 days and are sent to France. After the war, Lena marries a man named Hugh. The film concludes with a modern-day ceremony honoring the 6888th, noting the renaming of Fort Lee to Fort Gregg-Adams.
- First release year
- 2024
- Runtime (minutes)
- 127
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Tyler Perry
- Writers
- Tyler Perry · writer
- Cast and characters
- Kerry Washington · Adams; Ebony Obsidian; Dean Norris; Sam Waterston; Oprah Winfrey; Milauna Jackson; Shanice Shantay; Sarah Jeffery
- Genres
- war drama
- Themes
- racial discrimination; female empowerment; war
- Tone and mood
- dramatic
- Premise and plot tags
- historical drama; military; women in war
- Source material / true-story basis
- Fighting a Two-Front War by Kevin M. Hymel
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics, with some praising the performances of the lead actors while others criticized the film's historical accuracy and portrayal of racial conflict.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 51 · scale: 100 · review count: 14
- Awards and nominations
- Best Original Song · Academy Awards · 97th · nominated; Outstanding Motion Picture · NAACP Image Awards · 56th · won; acting win · NAACP Image Awards · 56th · won
- Production trivia
- The film was Tyler Perry's largest and most expensive production to date.; The film reached the Top 10 in more than 85 countries.; The film's soundtrack was released on December 6, 2024, through Netflix Music.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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