What Men Want
Paramount Pictures | Release Date: February 8, 2019 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
49
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 29 Critic Reviews
Positive:
7
Mixed:
20
Negative:
2
Watch Now
Stream On
Buy on
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Expand

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
75
RogerEbert.comNell MinowFeb 7, 2019
We don’t need funky tea to know what Ali is thinking; we just need Henson, who makes us care. Read full review
75
The Seattle TimesMoira MacdonaldFeb 7, 2019
What we have here is mostly a straight-up, mildly raunchy rom-com, where everyone learns lessons and gets a happy ending. But Shankman gives it all an agreeable bounce, and Henson (better known for dramatic roles, in “Hidden Figures,” “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” and TV’s “Empire”) zestfully dives into the comedy. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChroniclePeter HartlaubFeb 6, 2019
An unexpected pleasure that’s heartfelt at times and humorous throughout. Yes, the plot is ridiculous and often coarse. Yes, the story is predictable. Yes, a condom stuck to a women’s jacket is played for laughs. But it’s a very steep uphill climb from there. Read full review
75
Chicago TribuneMichael PhillipsFeb 6, 2019
The story is a lot harder on its female protagonist than the 2000 film was on its male equivalent. This makes a depressing amount of sense, given what women are up against in most workplaces. Henson’s Ali plays both the dramatic encounters and the slapstick opportunities for higher stakes than Gibson ever did. Read full review
70
SlateInkoo KangFeb 8, 2019
A high-concept comedy about the domestication of a work-obsessed woman that nonetheless managed to win me over. Read full review
70
TheWrapCandice FrederickFeb 6, 2019
What Men Want” obviously doesn’t reinvent the wheel, and its biggest laughs are in the trailers, but it is a fun romp that manages to also confront a real-world issue. Read full review
63
Movie NationRoger MooreFeb 6, 2019
No, it’s not on a par with “Bridesmaids” or “Girls’ Trip.” The sentimental stuff, the piercing insights Ali picks up about men, are instantly forgettable. But Henson plays the hell out of this part, no subtlety allowed. Read full review
60
The Observer (UK)Simran HansMar 18, 2019
Cameos from Pete Davidson and 30 Rock’s Tracy Morgan are enjoyable diversions but the jokes themselves are less high-concept, hinging on the men’s thoughts, which are mostly predictable (and predictably crass). Read full review
60
EmpireHelen O'HaraMar 14, 2019
The storytelling is a little loose, but as a workplace comedy with a side-line in romance, this earns its laughs thanks to the immensely game Henson and a stellar supporting cast. Read full review
60
VarietyOwen GleibermanFeb 6, 2019
But the thoughts she overhears don’t, for the most part, have the snap of comic surprise. They just fill in the walking alpha blanks we already know. Read full review
60
The Hollywood ReporterJustin LoweFeb 6, 2019
In the end, it’s a rather conventional feature that satisfies expectations rather than challenging them. As a result, this adaptation looks unlikely to stir the passionate devotion that could confirm it as first-rate comedy material. Read full review
58
ConsequenceCaroline SiedeFeb 7, 2019
An entertaining if mostly inconsequential romp, in its best moments What Men Want feels less like an update on What Women Want and more like a gender-flipped version of Jerry Maguire. Read full review
58
IndieWireEric KohnFeb 6, 2019
The ideas don’t cut that deep, but like its psychic protagonist, this movie knows exactly what its audience wants. Read full review
50
CNNBrian LowryMay 21, 2019
A mildly pleasant but significantly flawed vehicle for Taraji P. Henson. Read full review
50
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Sarah-Tai BlackFeb 8, 2019
The concept of a woman being a “winner” and of being the best version of herself because she has a better understanding of “what men want”? That ain’t it. Say what you will about Nancy Meyers, but at least she knew that. Read full review
50
Original-CinKim HughesFeb 7, 2019
If there is a cinematic cliché not marshalled into service during What Men Want, it’s not easily identifiable. Read full review
50
Slant MagazinePeter GoldbergFeb 7, 2019
This gender-swapped update of What Women Want doesn’t pass up the opportunity to undercut itself whenever it gets the chance. Read full review
50
Los Angeles TimesKatie WalshFeb 7, 2019
Henson is a gifted actress and physical comedian. She manages to hold together What Men Want with the sheer force of her powerful charisma, but the film around her is harried, messy and woefully underwritten. Read full review
50
ReelViewsJames BerardinelliFeb 7, 2019
At least What Women Want could be identified as an enjoyable rom-com with a dose of female empowerment. One would have to be charitable to use “romantic”, “comedy”, or “enjoyable” for this new iteration. Read full review
50
Washington PostFeb 7, 2019
What Men Want avoids some of the pitfalls of gender-flipping, given how loose its connection to “What Women Want” is. But that doesn’t mean it’s good. It would make a perfectly fine airplane movie. Or maybe save it for the bachelorette party. Read full review
50
The A.V. ClubIgnatiy VishnevetskyFeb 6, 2019
It tries to replicate the earlier film’s redemption arc, all the while proving that it is more than willing to adhere to the same double standards it ostensibly pokes fun at. Read full review
40
The TelegraphRobbie CollinMar 14, 2019
Henson is a natural at this kind of broad comedy, and throws herself into the goofy-cringe set-pieces with enough energy to elicit giggles, if not outright guffaws. The result rarely looks like something anyone might want, male or otherwise, but it passes the time, just about. Read full review
40
Austin ChronicleSteve DavisFeb 12, 2019
Henson aside, the most memorable performance comes from musician Erykah Badu in the smallish role of a trippy, weed-dealing psychic seemingly from another planet. Read full review
40
New York Magazine (Vulture)Emily YoshidaFeb 8, 2019
What Men Want is a wildly uneven stretch of a movie that’s more of a flail than a romp. Read full review
40
Rolling StonePeter TraversFeb 8, 2019
Henson looks ready to come out firing on all cylinders, but the comic cowardice of What Men Want leaves her shooting blanks. Read full review
40
The New York TimesBen KenigsbergFeb 7, 2019
While What Men Want starts off as a stinging critique, it undermines that message with one of Hollywood’s favorite idiotic subplots. Read full review
40
Arizona RepublicGarrett MitchellFeb 7, 2019
You don't have to be endowed with an otherworldly gift to know that What Men Want will do little to please the men or women watching it. Read full review
38
New York PostJohnny OleksinskiFeb 12, 2019
Instead of smarts, we get farts. The movie is packed with gross body and sex humor, reductive characters (the gay assistant, the boss who should be fired) and delusions of insight. And Henson’s likable performance is so overblown, it could be sponsored by Red Bull. Read full review
25
The Associated PressMark KennedyFeb 7, 2019
Henson does as best she can with this material, attempting Lucille Ball-level physical comedy. But she’s laboring and often overshadowed by the one unpredictable spark in the film — provided by Erykah Badu. Read full review
More From This Movie

49 Critic Reviews

3.8 User Reviews

Details & Credits|Trailers

Current Movie Releases
By MetascoreBy User Score
1 81 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
2 77 Project Hail Mary
3 75 Send Help
4 73 Hoppers
5 72 The Sheep Detectives
SEE ALL
Essential Links
New on Amazon Prime Video
New on Netflix
Coming Soon to DVD/Blu-ray
SEE ALL