YMMV / The Family That Preys

• Alternative Character Interpretation: Was Chris really unaware of his wife's cheating or was he in denial? Or just plain stupid? Then again, he was gaslit pretty hard by Andrea, so, prolly, it was a combo of all three.
• Anvilicious: Not nearly as bad as Perry's usual films, but it lays it on pretty thick about adultery and being loyal and kind to your family no matter how complicated said family might be.
• Designated Hero: Pam. Granted, yes, she is the more faithful daughter and the better wife between the two sisters, but she's still snooty in her own right. She doesn't like looking after her nephew and was downright dismissive and condescending to Nick, even after learning about his sad past.
• Esoteric Happy Ending: Both William and Andrea get what they ultimately deserve: both are fired from their jobs and are now living in less-than-stellar conditions, Alice is wealthy and no longer has to work long hours in the restaurant, Nick has his life back on track and Chris and Ben got their construction business off of the ground. Yay! But, Jillian will have to deal with the fact she is also trapped in a loveless or at the very least one-sided marriage with William, Andrea's young son also has to live in implied poverty with her^note Supposing what she's saying is the truth, Chris is trapped paying child support for a child that isn't his, as the courts will always rule in favor of what is best for the child — in this case, money from the legal father who is not the biological father. This would only change if William were willing to go to court to claim him and get himself on the birth certificate., Charlotte is dead and considering the time period of when the guys got their dream off of the ground^note 2008 when the Great Recession was just starting out and plenty of people and businesses with and without money lost many or most of whatever they had before, it's highly likely their efforts will essentially be for naught.
• Faux Symbolism: Jillian's hair. Throughout much of the film, it was worn in an unattractive, mousy style up until she confronted Andrea, to show her newfound confidence that Charlotte (of all people) gave her. Even from the rest of the film's duration, it looked better than it previously did.
• Tear Jerker: The movie itself with Alice and Charlotte, especially when it ends with Charlotte's death.
• The Woobie:
  • Chris, who loves Andrea so much and wants to provide a better life for his family only for her to dismiss his efforts and overall disapprove of him in general.
  • Alice and Charlotte are both this and iron woobies. The former has to work her fingers to the bone to keep her restaurant/stream of income afloat and had her husband and her daughters' father leave her for another woman and the latter is at odds with her cold and ambitious son and dealing with her Alzheimer's disease that indirectly kills her.
  • Nick, who in addition to losing his job, had his wife then die, lost custody of their children, and eventually devolved into homelessness.
  • Jillian, who also has to endure being cheating on by the husband she loves and being mostly hated by her mother-in-law.
• WTH, Costuming Department?: No one is quite sure what exactly is growing on Ben's head. Considering Tyler Perry does have hair (and if not, a lot of money to afford hair), you have to wonder why he gave his character a lopsided Afro.