Critics have labeled the new Netflix comedy "Ladies First," starring Sacha Baron Cohen and Rosamund Pike, as a regressive and simplistic gender satire [1, 2].
The backlash highlights a perceived failure in the film's attempt to tackle complex social issues through humor. By missing the mark on feminist themes, the movie risks alienating the audience it intends to engage while reinforcing the tropes it claims to critique.
Reviewers have been blunt about the film's quality. A writer for Tom's Guide said, "I predicted Netflix’s new comedy movie with Sacha Baron Cohen would be bad, but it’s even worse than I imagined" [4]. The film is currently streaming on the Netflix platform [3, 4, 5].
Much of the criticism centers on the movie's approach to sexism. An author for Yahoo Entertainment said the regressive comedy of the film smugly asks its audience a question films have been asking for decades: "Did you know sexism is bad?" [2]. Critics argue that the movie relies on smug sexism, and fails to provide a genuinely feminist perspective [2, 3, 4].
Additional reviews suggest the film's understanding of gender is superficial. A writer for Decider said the movie is not nearly as feminist as it thinks it is [3]. This sentiment is echoed across multiple outlets, with some labeling it the worst of recent comedies [2].
While the film attempts to address toxic masculinity and gender roles, critics say the execution is simplistic [2, 5]. The consensus among early reviews published this week is that the satire lacks the depth necessary to be effective [3, 4].
“"I predicted Netflix’s new comedy movie with Sacha Baron Cohen would be bad, but it’s even worse than I imagined"”
The critical reception of 'Ladies First' suggests a growing disconnect between corporate attempts at 'socially conscious' comedy and the expectations of modern audiences. When a satire is perceived as regressive or simplistic, it often indicates that the humor is lagging behind the actual cultural discourse on gender and feminism.
