Tyler Perry's Finding Joy: Release date & time, where to watch and what to expect

Tyler Perry has built a career on stories that pull at the heartstrings, blending raw emotion with everyday resilience. His latest, Tyler Perry's Finding Joy, marks a return to holiday fare after a twelve-year break since A Madea Christmas.

As the third instalment in his four-film deal with Amazon MGM Studios, the movie arrives at a time when audiences crave feel-good escapism amid economic pressures and global uncertainties. Perry, who writes, directs, and produces alongside Angi Bones and Will Areu, infuses the project with his signature mix of humour, drama, and uplift.

Releasing on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, at 12 a.m. ET on Prime Video, Finding Joy clocks in as a brisk 90-minute watch. It's Perry's first Yuletide tale since 2013, tapping into themes of reinvention that resonate post-pandemic.

Set against a snowy Colorado backdrop, the film follows Joy, a sharp New York fashion designer played by Shannon Thornton of P-Valley fame. Her professional life is stifled by a domineering boss, mirroring her string of romantic disappointments. Urged on by her no-nonsense friends Ashley and Littia, Joy accepts the invitation from her crush Colton to spend the holidays in Colorado, for what she hopes will be a festive spark.

But the plot twists quickly. A devastating, brutal blizzard traps her far from home. In her isolation, Joy encounters Ridge, a grounded stranger whose kindness forces her to rethink her self-worth and romantic ideals.

Tyler Perry's 'Finding Joy' delivers holiday heartbreak and hope on Prime Video

The official trailer for Tyler Perry's Finding Joy was released on October 15 on Prime Video's YouTube channel, clocking in at just over two minutes but packing a punch. It opens with quick cuts of New York's frenetic fashion world: Joy sketching designs late into the night, her ideas dismissed by a smug superior.

The pace shifts as Joy drives to Colorado during a snowstorm and gets lost in an unfamiliar location. The snowstorm sequence ramps up the drama: howling winds, a car spinning out, and Joy trudging through drifts, symbolising her inner turmoil.

Enter Ridge in the trailer's emotional pivot. A quiet diner encounter unfolds, lit by warm firelight, where subtle banter hints at budding chemistry. Perry's direction shines in these moments, layering humour with poignant dialogue on second chances. The trailer closes on an optimistic swell: Joy laughing freely, fairy lights blurring in the background, teasing a resolution where love blooms unexpectedly. No major spoilers, but it promises Perry's hallmark blend of tears and triumph, all wrapped in holiday cheer.

Finding Joy: Cast details

Shannon Thornton anchors the film as Joy, drawing on her P-Valley grit to portray a woman teetering between ambition and exhaustion. Opposite her is Tosin Morohunfola, who steps into Ridge's shoes as a stranger in the woods, with no TV or social media, and only finds real connection with nature and God. 

Brittany S. Hall shines as Ashley, Joy's pragmatic bestie and voice of reason, infusing the friendship trio with infectious energy. Her chemistry with Inayah, who plays the sassy Littia, steals early scenes, echoing the supportive sisterhoods in Perry's past works. Aaron O’Connell rounds out the leads as Colton, the elusive crush whose charm masks deeper flaws—his boy-next-door look belies the plot's sharp turn.

Supporting players add texture. Eric Stanton Betts is a wry colleague. Natalie O’Connell is in a mysterious familial role. Jefferey Thomas Johnson brings gravitas to the role of a mentor figure, and Whitney Goin is a quirky local.

Tyler Perry's Finding Joy streams exclusively on Prime Video starting November 5, 2025, at 12 a.m. ET. A Prime Video subscription is available for $14.99 per month or $139 per year.

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