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Ladies First

Play trailer 2:25 Poster for Ladies First R 2026 1h 33m Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
28% Tomatometer 40 Reviews 66% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
Damien Sachs (Sacha Baron Cohen) seemingly has it all: money, power, and a never ending stream of casual flings. As he prepares to ascend to the role of CEO at a leading advertising agency, his life is turned upside down when he wakes up in his worst nightmare: a parallel world dominated by women. Where he once ruled the boardroom, he now finds himself humbled and going head-to-head with the newly fierce and fearless Alex Fox (Rosamund Pike). With the rules of engagement changed and Alex at the top of her game, the two boldly battle it out in a playful and satirical comedy about what happens when the script is flipped.

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Ladies First

Critics Reviews

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John Anderson Wall Street Journal 5d
The destination of “Ladies First” might as well be on tracks. But Ms. Pike is terrific, as are Ms. Shaw, Mr. Dance and Mr. Baron Cohen, an agile comedian in a production that isn’t particularly taxing. Go to Full Review
Amber Dowling Globe and Mail May 26
Director Thea Sharrock presents a somewhat predictable but entirely cathartic take on what it really would look like if women ran the world, and it is fine companion viewing for Eléonore Pourriat’s French film I Am Not an Easy Man, on which it’s based. Go to Full Review
Kevin Maher The Times (UK) May 26
2/5
The gender politics, much like the French original, are bonkers and alarmingly retro. Go to Full Review
Lauren Veneziani WBAL-TV (Baltimore) 1d
3.5/5
Every single man needs to see this film. Rosamund Pike can do no wrong and absolutely nails this role. Go to Full Review
Tom Meek Cambridge Day 2d
2/4
Ladies First is a lot of sharp edges that never find ripe fruit to cut into. Sexism at its most basic is skin deep, but films about It — comedic or not — shouldn’t be. Go to Full Review
Matt Pais MattPais.com 5d
D
The most controversial movie of 1981. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Carly M @RT95807697 1h Extremely entertaining, while sometimes stupid, it was cleverly done. Genuine laughter and makes you think a bit, not too much over basic exaggerated stereotypes. But still makes some real world observations. See more Andrea C @andreawatchesmovies 2h This was a thoroughly enjoyable movie. The details were very well thought out. So much rang true for me this. Fiona Shaw and Rosemund Pike did an amazing job of embodying their male misogynistic. It is a fun light hearted comedy but it will leave you thinking. Watch it with someone of another gender it is a great conversation starter. Well done ! The only people putting it down are men that don't want to look at reality See more Matt T @RT63569324 8h Good movie, has great examples of how sexism really is, would definitely reccomend for all gender enthusiasts and those who don’t know. Also all the actors played brilliant roles, especially the main characters. See more nilufer E @Nilicim 12h Ladies First had a decent premise, even if it didn't bring much that felt new. The biggest hurdle was the male lead, who I found more irritating than engaging. That said, Rosamund Pike is effortlessly brilliant as always—sharp, charismatic, and easily the most compelling part of the film. Not particularly memorable overall, but perfectly watchable if you're just looking to pass some time. See more Apolla E @apollonia 13h This is the first Rotten Tomatoes review I've ever written, and it took a masterpiece of a film "Ladies First" to make me want to set up a RT profile and spend time writing my thoughts. Storytelling has the power to change the culture (who didn't rethink their diamond purchases after watching "Blood Diamond"?). And this film gently shows the extreme bias towards men, through a sexy, fun, and hilarious lens. Well done to everyone involved. And thank you Netflix for getting behind such a fantastic film. Now I'm going to go watch the French version! (The French version and original inspiration for the 2026 American film Ladies First is the 2018 comedy I Am Not an Easy Man, "Je ne suis pas un homme facile", written and directed by Éléonore Pourriat. It was notable as the first French-language Netflix original commissioned by the platform.) See more Rayyan A @Raymondo 16h Although the plot was basic and predictable, I think a lot of people are missing who the target audience really was. This movie is supposed to be so in your face obvious so that the most uneducated individuals, will have a modicum of a chance at understanding the basis of the patriarchy. It’s not trying to be clever, it’s trying to get the message across highlighting the hypocrisy in a way that literally every man who watches can sympathize and understand. It was funny overall, with a decent ending. Rosamund Pike absolutely nailed the role. See more Read all reviews
Ladies First

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Movie Info

Synopsis Damien Sachs (Sacha Baron Cohen) seemingly has it all: money, power, and a never ending stream of casual flings. As he prepares to ascend to the role of CEO at a leading advertising agency, his life is turned upside down when he wakes up in his worst nightmare: a parallel world dominated by women. Where he once ruled the boardroom, he now finds himself humbled and going head-to-head with the newly fierce and fearless Alex Fox (Rosamund Pike). With the rules of engagement changed and Alex at the top of her game, the two boldly battle it out in a playful and satirical comedy about what happens when the script is flipped.
Director
Thea Sharrock
Producer
Liza Chasin, Eleonore Dailly, Edouard de Lachomette
Screenwriter
Natalie Krinsky, Cinco Paul, Katie Silberman
Distributor
Netflix
Production Co
3dot productions
Rating
R (Sexual Material and Language)
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
May 22, 2026
Runtime
1h 33m