Ladies First (2026) Review-An underrated comedy

Added: 2026-05-28

[00:00:00]There are comedians who simply want laughs, and then there are comedians like Sacha Baron Cohen who use comedy to challenge society. From Borat exposing prejudice to Bruno tackling homophobia, Cohen has built a career on fearless satire. But Ladies First is something completely different. Directed by Thea Sharrock and starring Cohen alongside Rosamund Pike, the film takes a gender swap concept and flips society completely, placing women in positions of power while men are objectified and overlooked. And honestly, I had way more fun with this movie than the critics did.

[00:00:30]The premise is simple. Cohen's character Damien wakes up in an alternate reality where gender roles are reversed. What makes the film work isn't the concept itself. We've seen that before, but the attention to detail.

[00:00:39]>> [music] >> The world is filled with hilarious background jokes like Victor's Secret, Net-Chix, and even Vulva replacing Volvo. The film constantly highlights how women are often dismissed or ignored in real life, but it does so through comedy rather than preaching. Some viewers may think it leans too feminist, but personally, I thought it handled its message in a surprisingly balanced >> [music] >> and entertaining way.

[00:00:59]Sacha Baron Cohen gives one of his most restrained performances in years, and it really works. Instead of outrageous shock humor, he plays the role much straighter, which actually makes the satire that better. Meanwhile, Rosamund Pike is fantastic once again. She's funny, intimidating, charming, and completely believable in this flipped world. The supporting cast is stacked with British talent, too. Charles Dance, Emily Mortimer, [music] Richard E.

[00:01:19]Grant, Isla Fisher. Everyone looks like they're genuinely having fun in this one.

[00:01:24]Now, the film was shot mainly at Shepperton Studios, with sequences also filmed at Broughton Castle. One of the coolest details is how much effort went into building the flipped world. Even clothing choices were symbolic. Women in power [music] wear comfortable shoes and trainers instead of high heels. Another interesting fact, Cohen physically transformed for the role, spending months in the gym to create a more conventionally attractive version of Damien instead of leaning into his usual awkward comedic look. This is where things get surprising. Despite audiences generally enjoying the movie, critics absolutely destroyed it. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film currently sits at just 13%. While Metacritic gives it a score 41 out of 100. The Guardian even called it an excruciatingly unfunny high concept thought experiment. And honestly, I think that's incredibly harsh. Now, it's not a comedy masterpiece, and now it's not another Borat, but it's fun, clever, well-acted, and filled with smart visual comedy and social satire. [music] Ladies First isn't trying to reinvent comedy. It's simply trying to entertain people while making them think a little.

[00:02:21]And for me, it absolutely succeeds. It's light-hearted, witty, surprisingly charming, and packed with clever little details that make the world feel believable. If you enjoy dry British humor, good performances, and social satire that doesn't take itself too seriously, this is definitely worth the watch.

[00:02:37]Ladies First gets an 8 and 1/2 out of 10. A fun, smart, easy-to-watch comedy that absolutely deserves better than the [music] backlash it's received. So, what did you think of Ladies First? Please let me know down in the comments below, and don't forget to like and subscribe for more deep dive reviews.