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.
Babes stars Ilana Glazer as Eden, a single woman struggling to make sense of the world around her as her closest friends grow up, get married, and have children. Eden assumes she’ll never have kids. After all, she experiences secondhand motherhood through her best friend Dawn (Michelle Buteau) and feels as though that is as close she ever needs to be to those specific life experiences.
But after a one night stand with Claude (Stephan James), Eden gets pregnant and chooses to carry on with the pregnancy after learning that Claude died the day after they hooked up. Eden isn’t ready to be a mother, which is where Babes finds its groove because Eden and Dawn go on a series of adventures from there to help the single parent prepare for what is ahead of her.
The movie is directed by Pamela Adlon, who makes her transition from talented and seasoned voice actress to comedy director. It’s her debut film behind the camera, and for the most part, its a success. It’s uncompromising in both its humorous and sentimental moments, which makes for a breezy experience with brisk pacing.
The script is obviously very funny, with a set of sight gags and punchlines in tune with what Glazer and Buteau have starred in in the past. It has real sitcom energy, not unlike Glazer’s work in Broad City. But it also has a glossy, made-for-streaming touch, which reminded me a bit of the handful of Netflix comedies and reality shows that streamer often releases. But while many of those often don’t work for me, Babes is just too funny and touching to come across as lazy.
The drama in Babes can be hit or miss at times, but luckily the comedy is too hilarious to pass up. Ilana Glazer and Michelle Buteau have instant and effortless chemistry as the two best friends at the center of this story, and the script does just enough to make you stop and think.
Score: 6/10
- Cast: Ilana Glazer, Michelle Buteau, John Carroll Lynch, Oliver Platt, Sandra Bernhard, Stephan James, Hasan Minhaj
- Crew: Pamela Adlon, Ilana Glazer, Josh Rabinowitz, Jeffrey Kim, Annie Eifrig, Elizabeth Merrick, Jay Lifton, Ryan Miller
- Genre: Comedy
- Runtime: 104 minutes
- Rated: R
- Release Date: May 17, 2024
- Read about Babes (2024) on Wikipedia and IMDb
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