Film Review: LADIES FIRST (2026): Rosamund Pike Shines in a Netflix Comedy That Runs Out of Steam Quickly

Ladies First Review

Ladies First (2026) Film Review, a movie directed by Thea Sharrock, written by Natalie Krinsky, Cinco Paul and Katie Silberman and starring Sacha Baron Cohen, Rosamund Pike, Emily Mortimer, Weruche Opia, Charles Dance, Fiona Shaw, Richard E. Grant, Kathryn Hunter, Kadiff Kirwan, Bill Paterson, Paul Chahidi, Jordan Metcalfe, Danny Ashok, Dani Moseley, Maddie Rice and Ron Cook.

Filmmaker Thea Sharrock’s high-concept comedy, Ladies First, is a miscalculation of a movie that benefits from the always energetic Rosamund Pike who shines in a role that doesn’t deserve her admirable and very distinct talents. Ladies First could have been a major, groundbreaking film had it been released 10 years ago, but coming out now, it feels like it doesn’t have the sharp, keen edge that it thinks it has, for whatever reason. It’s timely to an extent, but also very familiar in the way it resolves its imaginative premise.

Pike stars opposite Sacha Baron Cohen in the film. Cohen plays a terrible boss named Damien Sachs who makes a distinguished employee, Alex Fox (Pike), feel uncomfortable through his demeaning words. As a result of the mistreatment by Damien, Alex quits her job. As fate (and fantasy) would have it, Damien slips and falls. When he wakes up, the women have the upper hand over the men in more ways than one. They are in control of things in the work force, but Damien must ultimately give in to the nature of the new world he finds himself immersed in. Can a leopard change his spots? Can Damien become a better person in this new society? Or will he find it too challenging to adapt to?

This film develops a nice love story between Alex and Damien. They bond through their interaction with one another, and both performers tend to shine in the more romantic moments in the movie.

Those moments are few and far between, though. Instead, the movie features scenarios with a high-profile supporting cast that includes very good actors in performances that either hit or miss. Richard E. Grant is sort of in the background in a goofy turn, but Fiona Shaw (always reliable) tends to be quite humorous as her character meets an interesting fate in the new world. Also on board are screen veterans Charles Dance and Emily Mortimer, both solid, but forgettable in turns that won’t really advance their already established careers too much.

Ladies First imagines a world where women have the final say rather than men. It’s certainly a premise that could have made for a much better film. There is no reason to fault the leads because they try very hard. Sacha Baron Cohen is able to convey his character transformation rather effectively. Rosamund Pike gets to thrive in the best scenes of the film and shows that she can handle playing an intelligent character with a lot to say time and time again in the various roles she plays.

Ladies First is intriguing because it stars the lead of the movie Gone Girl, Pike. That David Fincher film showed no hopeful outlook in terms of the interaction between men and women and having them reach a peaceful happy medium by the film’s conclusion. Ladies First is the lighter side of the coin. It gives us hope that men and women could co-exist in a satisfactory way. Too bad, the movie doesn’t have as much zest in the comedy it displays on-screen. The characters feel like they’re going through the motions at times whether the performances are good or mediocre, depending on the particular performer at hand.

It’s always fun to see Sacha Baron Cohen outside of his Borat movies. He has a natural charisma in this film that could have been utilized to stronger effect had his character not been made out to be so unlikable right from the film’s outset. He plays his role in a nasty way at the start and though his character does change, it’s hard to erase his character’s mean-spirited nature that is so prevalent in the early scenes.

Though Ladies First has its funny and tender moments, it is ultimately a miss. It comes close to being acceptable entertainment with its cute, heartfelt ending, but even then, it feels like the movie delivers its final rewards a day late and a dollar short. Ultimately, Ladies First is a battle of the sexes where the sexes end up in a happily ever after at the conclusion. Well, more or less anyway. This film could have said so much more than it actually does.

Rating: 6/10

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