In a lineup full of psychological thrillers, true crime docs, and high-stakes suspense, it’s actually kind of refreshing when something lighter cracks the Netflix Top 10. Right now, The Crash is holding strong at number one, which tracks given how much audiences love a gripping true crime story. But if you scroll down to number four, you’ll find a comedy that’s quietly broken through. Surprisingly though, it’s not exactly winning over viewers, a take I honestly do not agree with. I watched it myself and found it pretty entertaining, and I’ll get into why. The film? Ladies First.
Let’s start with the premise. It’s a satirical comedy about Damien Sachs (played by Sacha Baron Cohen), an arrogant, chauvinistic ad executive who wakes up after a head injury in a parallel universe where gender roles are completely flipped. In this world, women hold all the power and men are the ones navigating a system stacked against them. Rosamund Pike also stars, bringing her usual sharp energy to the mix.
If that setup sounds familiar, it’s because it kind of lives in the same lane as films like What Men Want and Freaky Friday. You know the formula: two sides do not really understand each other, some kind of wild switch happens, and suddenly everyone is forced to see life through a different lens. It’s been done before and usually people eat it up. This time though, the reaction has been a lot more mixed.
The Internet Is Tearing Apart Netflix’s #4 Movie, But Here’s Why I Loved It
Don't let the reviews fool ya
On Rotten Tomatoes, Ladies First sits at just 26 percent with critics and 66 percent with audiences. A lot of the criticism, without getting into spoilers, centers on how the gender dynamics play out after the switch.
"This is not what the world would be like if women ran it, it's what the world would be like if one man got to experience, as a woman, how MEN run the world," one reviewer shared. "I thought the premise might be funny, but it quickly became annoying and gross," another person wrote, while a third chimed, "Is this a sick joke to poke at feminists? I can’t even get through it; this is not what women want."
That said, not everyone hated it. Plenty of viewers actually vibed with the film and its approach.
"I enjoyed the premise of this movie and the reversal of stereotypical gender roles," one person said. Another objectively wrote, "I think of course this movie isn't a perfect feminist movie, as it's not meant to be. It's meant to be a comedy, and it's meant to show a different perspective, which I think it did perfectly." A third added, "I dont understand why this got blasted by critics…My wife and I watched the movie and it was great. Good messaging, fair gender swapping, fun gags (so many), funny situations and dialog."
And honestly, I’m in the camp that Ladies First works if you just let it be what it is. Not every movie has to be a deep, life-changing think piece. Sometimes you just want a slightly messy, funny, easy watch that makes you laugh and lets your brain chill for a bit.
I mean, when you’ve got moments like the main character getting waxed or those over-the-top takes on lingerie, it’s kind of hard to take everything too seriously anyway. And that, really, feels like the point.
Ladies First is streaming now on Netflix.
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