What Men Want
Performance & Direction: What Men Want Review
Last updated: January 28, 2026
Quick Verdict: Hit or Flop?
Is What Men Want (2019) worth watching? According to our cinematic analysis, the film stands as a ABOVE AVERAGE with a verified audience rating of 6.2/10. Whether you're looking for the box office collection, ending explained, or parents guide, our review covers everything you need to know about this Comedy.
Cast Performances: A Masterclass
The success of any Comedy is often anchored by its ensemble, and What Men Want features a noteworthy lineup led by Taraji P. Henson . Supported by the likes of Aldis Hodge and Josh Brener , the performances bring a palpable realism to the scripted words.
Performance Analysis: While the cast delivers competent and professional performances, they are occasionally hampered by a script that leans into familiar archetypes.
Final Verdict: Is it Worth Watching?
In summary, our editorial assessment of What Men Want (2019) is mixed. With an audience rating of 6.2/10, it stands as a highly recommended experience for genre enthusiasts.
Story & Plot Summary: What Men Want
Quick Plot Summary: What Men Want is a Comedy, Romance film that brings laughter through sharp writing and comedic timing, providing amusement while touching on deeper societal themes. This summary provides a scannable look at the movie's central conflict and narrative structure.
Story Breakdown
The comedic structure relies on both situational humor and character-based comedy. Magically able to hear what men are thinking, a sports agent uses her newfound ability to turn the tables on her overbearing male colleagues. The film finds humor in relatable situations while maintaining narrative momentum. The jokes serve the story, with callbacks and running gags that reward attentive viewers.
Narrative Structure
- Opening Hook: The opening establishes the comedic tone and introduces the central conflict through humor and character quirks.
- Character Arc: The main character shows growth throughout the story, though some supporting characters could have been more fully realized. The arc is present but occasionally predictable.
- Climax & Resolution: The comedic climax ties together recurring jokes and character arcs, delivering both laughs and emotional satisfaction.
Ending Explained: What Men Want
Ending Breakdown: What Men Want concludes its story with a mix of closure and open interpretation. The finale presents its approach to comedy resolution.
The conclusion addresses the core thematic questions, offering viewers material for post-viewing discussion.
Ending Analysis:
- Narrative Resolution: The story concludes by addressing its primary narrative threads, providing closure while maintaining some ambiguity.
- Character Arcs: Character journeys reach their narrative endpoints, reflecting the film's thematic priorities.
- Thematic Payoff: The ending reinforces the comedy themes established throughout the runtime.
The final moments of What Men Want reflect the filmmakers' creative choices, offering an ending that aligns with the film's tone and style.
Who Should Watch What Men Want?
Worth Watching If You:
- Enjoy Comedy films and don't mind familiar tropes
- Are a fan of the cast or director
- Want some laughs and light entertainment
Box Office Collection: What Men Want
| Metric / Region | Collection (Approx) |
|---|---|
| Production Budget | $20.0M |
| Worldwide Gross | $69.8M |
| Trade Verdict | FINANCIAL DISAPPOINTMENT |
What Men Want Budget
The estimated production budget for What Men Want is $20.0M. This figure covers principal photography, talent acquisitions, and visual effects. When accounting for global marketing and distribution, the break-even point is typically 2x the base production cost.
Top Cast: What Men Want
All Cast & Crew →
Where to Watch What Men Want Online?
Streaming Hub🎟️ Rent on
Amazon VideoWhat Men Want Parents Guide & Age Rating
2019 AdvisoryWondering about What Men Want age rating or if it's safe for kids? Here is our cinematic advisory:
⏱️ Runtime & Duration
The total runtime of What Men Want is 117 minutes (1h 57m). Ensuring you have enough time for the full cinematic experience.
Verdict Summary
Analyzing the overall audience sentiment, verified rating of 6.2/10, and global performance metrics, What Men Want is classified as a ABOVE AVERAGE. It remains an essential part of the 2019 cinematic calendar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is What Men Want worth watching?
What Men Want is definitely worth watching if you enjoy Comedy movies. It has a verified rating of 6.2/10 and stands as a ABOVE AVERAGE in our box office analysis.
Where can I find What Men Want parents guide and age rating?
The official parents guide for What Men Want identifies it as R. Our detailed advisory section above covers all content warnings for families.
What is the total runtime of What Men Want?
The total duration of What Men Want is 117 minutes, which is approximately 1h 57m long.
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Critic Reviews for What Men Want
I knew there was a What a Women Want reboot in the works, and my interest was **zero**. I heard they were flipping the script a la genders, and it was still zee - row. Cast Taraji P. Henson in the lead and I was like: "Fuck... I'm gonna have to watch this now aren't I?" And so I did. But I probably shouldn't have. _Final rating:★½: - Boring/disappointing. Avoid where possible._
Good watch, could watch again, and can recommend. While it's potentially problematic for many of the same reasons for the Mel Gibson "What Women Want", I think this is a much better version, and a good modernization. It's also a good way to shift it to a "black movie". Taraji P. Henson does an excellent job carrying the movie and it is full of good humor, and exciting moments. The movie does send a little bit of a mixed message as it seems to indicate that a woman needs to be a man in order to play in a man's world, but it feels more like its about it not being a man's world. This is a good time, my only concern is that she's not a very likable character at the start of the movie.
Well, it has less that 5 Stars and I think that is a very good thing. Less than a year ago giving a movie like "What Men Want" anything less than a perfect score would have created a Ghostbusters style backlash to anyone that even remotely suggested it might not be better than The Godfather. And then Oceans 8 flopped...and got mainly positive reviews based principally out of fear...and had a cast that mostly seemed disinterested in attacking absolutely everyone that didn't buy a ticket. Now it seems that that critics are OK with giving it a low rating, so long as they still only praise it in the prose review...just in case. So, think of it like the Gibson version of "What Women Want" and then make it raunchy and vulgar to the point of repulsion with views of the opposite sex that would get a lot of men arrested. And then think if it as slightly androphobic...and slightly as in the androphobia is racially based which makes it clear that the message of this film is to virtue signal how woke the they are by making it clear that a certain skin color and gender are evil. In other-words, it's kind of like the original "Birth of a Nation" with it's propagandist depiction of race...meets a romantic Comedy written and directed by Andrew Dice Clay.
movieMx Verified
This review has been verified for accuracy and editorial quality by our senior cinematic analysts.
This analysis is compiled by our editorial experts using multi-source verification and audience sentiment data for maximum accuracy.
