Netflix’s New R-Rated Remake Of 8-Year-Old Comedy Is Officially No.1 On Streaming Despite Poor Reviews

Netflix‘s new comedy laughs its way to streaming success.

In a year when Netflix’s best movies have mostly been thrillers, such as Alan Ritchson’s sci-fi war movie War Machine, Charlize Theron and Taron Egerton’s survival thriller Apex, and many more, comedies still have a place on the streaming service. People We Meet on Vacation was a hit with rom-com fans, adapting Emily Henry’s beloved novel, while the animated Netflix Original movie Swapped debuted to record-breaking numbers at the streamer. Now, it is time for another Netflix comedy movie to rise in the global charts, and this R-rated film took the world by storm almost immediately after it was released.

According to FlixPatrol, Ladies First is currently the most-watched movie on Netflix worldwide. The R-rated comedy debuted on Netflix on May 22, taking over the streamer’s top spot, which it continues to hold, only two days later. Ladies First leaves behind the record-breaking animated movie Swapped on the streamer’s global charts, as well as films like the hard-hitting documentary The Crash, recent drama release Remarkably Bright Creatures, Jennifer Lawrence’s hit comedy No Hard Feelings, which just resurged, and many more. Ladies First‘s global success was achieved after the Netflix movie found its way to several countries’ Top 10 Movies charts.

To be more specific, Ladies First is trending in 92 countries, cementing its grip on the streaming service. The R-rated comedy also ranks high among all 2026 Netflix releases, as it is currently the most-watched movie on Netflix in 52 countries. Some of those include Belgium, Chile, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Switzerland. Nationwide, the movie has not climbed as high on Netflix’s charts, though Ladies First is still performing strongly. After all, at the time of writing, Ladies First is the 3rd most-watched movie on Netflix in the United States. The Crash and GOAT are the ones above it.

Still, Ladies First ranks higher than movies like Stolen Baby: The Murder Of Heidi Broussard, Remarkably Bright Creatures, Swapped, Apex, Nope, and more on Netflix’s movie chart in the United States. The R-rated comedy is finding success as Netflix’s most-watched movie worldwide despite not seeing that reflected by positive reviews. At the time of writing, Ladies First sits at a disappointing 19% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes based on 16 reviews. That has given the 2026 Netflix movie the unwanted “Rotten” status. However, Ladies First has a decent 68% audience score, which connects to its streaming success.

Ladies First stars Sacha Baron Cohen as Damien Sachs, a misogynistic ladies’ man who hits his head and wakes up in a different world, one where gender rules have been reversed, and women occupy most positions of power. Rosamund Pike also stars as Alex Fox, who works with Damien at the Atlas advertising company and quits after overhearing his sexist remarks, but who takes over his former title in the new world Cohen’s character wakes up in.

In ScreenRant’s Ladies First review, Alex Harrison called it “a shameful misfire with a better cast than it deserves.” The critic also rated the new Netflix movie, handing it a 3 out of 10 score. Ladies First is a remake of 2018’s I Am Not an Easy Man. Also released on Netflix, the French film was written and directed by Éléonore Pourriat.