Tyler Perry is handing the keys to one of his loudest, most unapologetic characters. Joe’s College Road Trip puts Madea’s brother Joe Simmons front and center, expanding the Perry-verse with a road-trip comedy that mixes chaos, comedy, and hard-earned wisdom, right on brand for Perry’s ongoing partnership with Netflix.
Written and directed by Perry, the film follows Joe as he’s tasked with a responsibility he didn’t exactly ask for: teaching his grandson B.J. what the “real world” looks like. Played by Jermaine Harris, B.J. is headed off to college, and the family decides a cross-country college tour with Joe behind the wheel is the perfect crash course in adulthood.
Unsurprisingly, Joe has his own way of doing things.
“I’m gonna do this my way,” Joe declares in the trailer, setting the tone early. What’s meant to be an educational trip quickly spirals into a series of unpredictable encounters, culture clashes, and lessons you won’t find in any college brochure. From roadside chaos to uncomfortable truths, Joe’s brand of mentorship is loud, unfiltered, and rooted in survival instincts shaped by experience.
At its core, Joe’s College Road Trip isn’t really about picking the right school. It’s about preparation, how young Black men are taught to navigate a world that doesn’t always welcome them with open arms. One of the trailer’s most telling moments lands quietly but powerfully: “Every Black man wants his child to be better than he was. The world is tough. You gotta be your own damn hero.”
The tension between Joe’s old-school mindset and B.J.’s more modern, digital-era outlook fuels much of the comedy. Joe may be rough around the edges, but his intentions are clear. He wants B.J. ready, ready to stand up for himself, ready to make mistakes, and ready to move through the world with confidence.
Along the way, the road trip tests both of them, forcing grandfather and grandson to see each other beyond stereotypes and expectations.
Alongside Perry as Madea and Joe, and Harris, the film also stars Amber Reign Smith and Ms. Pat.
Joe’s College Road Trip premieres February 13 on Netflix. Check out the trailer below.
