Ladies First, the Netflix gender-flip comedy starring Sacha Baron Cohen, has been panned by critics but remains an essential watch for its powerful commentary on gender bias. The film, directed by Thea Sharrock, follows Damien (Baron Cohen), a male chauvinist who wakes up in a world run by women who mirror his own behavior: ruthless in the boardroom and the bedroom. Co-starring Rosamund Pike and Fiona Shaw, the film flips the script to expose double standards and gendered language.
Critical reception versus audience response
The film has received largely negative reviews, with a critics' score of 26% on Rotten Tomatoes. However, the audience rating, known as the "popcornometer," stands at 64%, indicating a more favorable response from viewers. Notably, all UK broadsheet reviews were written by men, highlighting the gender imbalance in film criticism. Audience-led sites feature revealing reactions, such as a Reddit post titled "I'm male and just watched Ladies First," where the writer stated: "I've always considered myself a feminist... but really, before watching this film, I thought we were [equal]. The whole role reversal does not seem so shocking were it the original format, which got me thinking that maybe we as men don't truly understand how women are treated in life."
Emotional impact on female viewers
Anna Smith, host of the Girls on Film podcast, noted her emotional response: "When the film acknowledged the casual ways in which we are routinely undermined, objectified and patronised, I felt a mixture of amusement, relief and validation." She emphasized the film's ability to help female audiences feel seen and to help men empathize with their experiences. Farah Benis, founder of the Centre for Prevention of Violence Against Women and Girls, found the film "deeply disappointing" but warned against dismissing the workplace sexual harassment depicted as unrealistic. "Dismissing those experiences because they make people uncomfortable doesn't make them any less real," she said.
Relevance in today's corporate world
Despite criticism that the film feels dated, human resources manager Tanya Loeb noted: "The scenes around workplace harassment and the pressure of appearance really stood out for me and showed how normalised those experiences can be for women." Ellen Pollak, emeritus professor of feminist theory at Michigan State University, added: "Much of what's depicted in the movie is still all too true." As long as gender inequality persists, films like Ladies First serve as a valuable testimony to the enduring destructive force of gender bias.
