Here are Cinephile Corner’s 10 recommendations for movies like Ladies First:
Eternity
Eternity has a sweet, sentimental charm that fits David Freyne’s A24 rom-com mold, then asks a clever what-if of the afterlife. When you die, you enter a hub and choose where to spend forever. For Joan, played by Elizabeth Olsen, the question is less where than who. Freyne, working from a script co-written with Pat Cunnane, leans into humor and physical business rather than plumbing for deeper grief. The emotion largely comes from familiar highlight reels, meet cutes and proposal flashbacks that remind Joan what each love felt like in its best light. When the movie wants to go big, it does not hesitate.
Babes
Babes is the sort of down-the-line comedy that feels like a relic of the past. Nowadays, studio comedies are often hampered by another genre – superheroes, horror, action, etc. – so the occasional one that feels comfortable in its own skin and actually makes you laugh feels like a breath of fresh air. And this time, that breath comes from Ilana Glazer and Michelle Buteau‘s Babes, a comedy about motherhood and friendships as you grow older. It’s uncomplicatedly funny, with a surprisingly earnest and dramatic side to match.
Fly Me to the Moon
Rumor has it that Apple is stepping away from theatrical releases for their original movies, and the lukewarm reception of Greg Berlanti‘s Fly Me to the Moon may be a big reason why. Starring Channing Tatum and Scarlett Johansson, this romantic comedy set against the backdrop of the U.S.-Soviet space race seemed poised for success. It had all the ingredients for a financial hit: big stars, a pastiche-heavy style, and the kind of premise that could benefit from strong word-of-mouth. Yet, it never gained traction.
Crossing Delancey
Crossing Delancey is the kind of romantic comedy that remembers what adulthood feels like. Joan Micklin Silver builds a world so specific that it becomes universal, a New York where bookstores, delis, and family kitchens carry as much weight as flirtations. The movie sits alongside the late eighties high points, close to Moonstruck and When Harry Met Sally…, yet it leans a little more serious and a little more tender.
Nouvelle Vague
Nouvelle Vague may not feel strictly necessary, yet it is frequently absorbing and occasionally electric. It is a reminder that Richard Linklater keeps making movies because he likes to look closely, whether the subject is a barroom confession or the jittery birth of a classic. This one will not inspire a movement, and it does not try to, but it earns its place as a smart, modest riff on a seismic moment. By the time Breathless finally clicks into focus, you understand why the chaos mattered and why the gamble was worth it, even if the film around it plays as a minor, affectionate gloss.
Splitsville
Splitsville is the better of Dakota Johnson’s two 2025 relationship comedies, a looser, livelier counterpoint to Celine Song’s Materialists. Directed by and co-starring Michael Angelo Covino with frequent collaborator Kyle Marvin, it plays like a pinball machine of modern romance, funny more often than not, rarely profound, yet consistently watchable. Covino and Marvin build a brisk farce around two couples whose ideas about fidelity collide, and the result is breezy and entertaining in the moment, and a little thin after.
Materialists
Materialists feels like a transitional work. It shows Celine Song experimenting with scale, ensemble dynamics, and new narrative textures—but it lacks the intimacy and precision that defined her first film. It’s a movie with moments that flirt with those same highs in small doses, but one that ultimately falls short. Still, it leaves me hopeful: the emotional territory Song wants to chart is rare in contemporary cinema, and while Materialists stumbles, it’s a sign that she’s aiming high. Her best films are likely still ahead.
Nonnas
Nonnas is a reminder that charm, good casting, and a touch of sincerity can elevate a standard script into something enjoyable, if not exactly essential. It’s not destined for rewatchability or critical acclaim, but for a streaming comedy in 2025, that’s probably enough.
One of Them Days
Keke Palmer is undeniably magnetic, and One of Them Days serves as another showcase for her effortless charm and comedic timing. Directed by Lawrence Lamont, the film largely exists to let Palmer shine, and she doesn’t disappoint, carrying the movie’s 97-minute runtime with infectious energy.
You’re Cordially Invited
Nicholas Stoller’s career has had its highs and lows, and You’re Cordially Invited is another entry that feels stuck in the middle. The writer-director behind Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Neighbors once had a knack for sharp, self-aware comedy, but his recent films, including Neighbors 2 and Bros, have felt like diminishing returns. His latest, a straight-to-Prime Video release starring Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon, had the potential to reignite his creative spark. Unfortunately, while there are glimmers of his old magic, the film ultimately feels too safe and forgettable to leave much of an impact.
READ MORE: Ladies First (2026), Movies Like Eternity, Movies Like Remarkably Bright Creatures
