Nappily Ever After (2018) User Reviews

Wow, all about image.

[Msbnitski · 6/10 · 28 September 2018]

It's amazing how hard we try to fit into a unattainable mold of perfection. People really do not care how we look or feel. We are our own person. We all need to remember that we are the captain of our ship. This movie is a perfect example of how we let society dictate how we look and feel about ourself, screw them. Love yourself and only yourself and the rest will follow. I am a 64 year old white woman with thin hair. I have always worn my hair short up until the last 10 years. I thought that longer hair is what men wanted. I am going down to the salon and getting this thin crappy hair cut off to please myself and only myself. That being said, live your life to please only yourself other than to make others happy. You only have this one life, live it for yourself. I think this movie is a wake up call for all people, not just women in general. Love yourself.

Good, but not as great as expected

[lvadams-93491 · 6/10 · 22 September 2018]

I was so excited about this movie. As a mixed woman who has struggled all her life with loving her hair , this movie felt made for me.

The movie is cute , typical , kind of obvious story line ..which , I love my typical rom coms. While this isn't a rom com ,& it's about loving yourself , it felt more about her still molding to fit a man , vs truly finding and loving yourself.

*spoiler alert * she does "find" herself , but it's only in the last seconds of the movie do we see her alone. No man to define herself by. I liked the hairdresser man don't get me wrong , but she jumped from "perfect identity wih perfect man " to "natural woman with natural man". There was no time frame of discovering herself , it felt like watching her discover herself only through men. If this had dived deeper, it would have felt more satisfying and true.

Side note. The pool scene should have felt more deeply satisfying , but I get what they were trying to get at.

The emotional depth wasn't there for a self love story line, but it was a good 6 out of 10 Friday night movie.

For Relaxation

[Lawrence-Mark · 7/10 · 29 September 2018]

This story is about obedience and obssession. When you take one away. How do you cope? This is a simple story about a girl who learnt from her Mother the importance of hair and appearance which was affected by the environment you find yourself in. This a very enjoyable film. Simple message and no clunkers.

Good, But Not Great

[socrates4 · 6/10 · 4 February 2019]

NAPPILY EVER AFTER is a new romantic comedy, now available on Netflix. The title of course is a play on "happily" ever after and refers to the hair of the African-American lead actress, who does a great job in this film. I'm not familiar with her other work, but I loved her in this.

That being said, this IS a romantic comedy, so be warned. It has all the clichés and trappings of the genre, so you can expect that. It doesn't feel particularly fresh, but it feels familiar in a good, comfortable way. There are no real surprises and it follows a plot we've seen a hundred times before, but of course it's still fun to watch if you like these kinds of films. Recommend to fans of the genre.

Fantastic

[mrslathan09 · 7/10 · 22 September 2018]

Great! Sanaa Lathan is great! She does an excellent job depicting how women fall under so much pressure to be perfect. Black women are often stereotyped on how their hair looks and put in a box. This movie is funny and has a good plot. I recommend it

Brilliant film ruined by one thing

[dannijohnson · 7/10 · 6 March 2019]

This film was brilliant! I had no idea what black women do to make their hair fit into societies rules. It's unreal to me that someone can be made to feel like they have to change their beautiful natural hair just to 'fit in'. It's so refreshing to watch a movie where the lead female just learns to let go and, find who she really is. But also feel so genuine and not overloaded with Hollywood cheese. I loved the casting for this movie! I think each actor was brilliant in their portrayal of each character. My only tiny complaint is the ending. After such an uplifting and heart warming story, it just fell flat very quickly. Other than that it's a must watch

Relatable. More about discovery thatn a rom-com

[Cowtownus · 6/10 · 17 June 2021]

Enjoyed the storyline. This is what little girls are supposed to dream about. You go with the character along the journey.

So sutil that the man who wrote the synopsis doen't get it

[natachabertin92 · 9/10 · 2 December 2018]

«Violet Jones tired of waiting for her longtime boyfriend to propose, breaks up with him. But old feelings, and heaps of jealousy, no doubt, arise when he promptly begins dating another woman.»

Really? Somebody didn't get it. The best about the movie: is not about the men. Is mainly about a woman who set itself free. From her mom, the society and the man.

Good movie to watch

[keylaarrambide · 7/10 · 28 September 2018]

I really liked the movie as I love romantic movies. It was good in general just I felt like all these new movies have to have a bunch of sex scenes in them now and it's too much.

Just sooo bland....cant put my finger on it as to why.

[sannyd · 3/10 · 26 September 2018]

I cant put my finger on it but this was sooooo CRINGE. i couldn't even hate watch it. I lived and live this hair life. Ive gone thru the mishaps, the joys and out the other side. THIS execution isn't for us, but maybe for those who try and touch our hair. I cant put my finger on it but Sanaa Lathan's acting is very suspect. I almost want to go back and watch one of my favorite movies she stars in "Brown Sugar" and see as I don't recall her being this BAD. Is it the material or the acting? She looked kinda haggard at times. Is it the weight of the story or something else. And who was the leading man? I felt no chemistry. Its like everyone was tiptoeing around but nothing ever landed. The heart warming moments and laughs felt forced. I sat stone faced waiting to be moved for at least 30 minutes. Me and my afro will wait for the right film or project. You probably do better watching Da Kink in My Hair.

Great movie about finding ones self

[cameronterrell-91186 · 10/10 · 21 September 2018]

This isn't a movie just about hair. This movie is about a women who finds herself. It's a movie based on upon the deconstruction of African-American women fitting in to societal standards of what beauty is. The hair is a metaphor for African-American women who continuebeing someone they are not. By cutting her her she found out more about herself and her culture/ancestral roots. She freed all worries, stress, and anxieties that has been placed upon her shoulders. It's similar to the song by India.Arie "I am not my hair."

Just another version of "Something new"

[cristina-trsl · 6/10 · 23 September 2018]

The movie itself would have been OK, but what ruined it for me was that it seemed like a remake of Something New. Same actress (!!), same topic, with the small difference that in this one, the accent is mostly on hair, and less on clothes, status, etc. Violet and Kenya both have mothers who pressure them into looking flawless, they both have successful but demanding jobs, they both seek a relationship with a succesful man (a requirement imposed mostly by family), and they both figure out who they really are by the end of the movie. There was literally no need for 2 movies with story lines so similar.

Not as good as I'd hoped

[alexislang · 1/10 · 1 October 2018]

I saw the trailer a month before it's release and was very excited for it. The movie is sadly below average. The female lead is great but the storyline just fell flat, continuity was terrible and the character was messed up even after her symbolic haircut, which was supposed to see her begin her life again as a strong, independent woman. 2/3 through the movie and she's back to square one, being defined by her man and her hair - pointless and a waste of time. Disappointed as this could have been a really good movie.

Cute

[Jessicanu94 · 6/10 · 27 September 2018]

I liked the concept and the little chapters but it was a bit dramatic

Too Old

[gmoney65 · 27 September 2018]

I love watching Sanaa Lathan, the story line was nice, but she is way too old to play a 35 year old professional career woman, she looks her age at different points in the movie, and I just find her character a little hard to follow because of this, she has done the movie character before about the the successful woman trying to follow the perfect man.

Not what I thought...

[aevaughn-77305 · 6/10 · 18 October 2018]

This was very much the B-movie version of Something New...but BET level quality. It was very cliche', kinda rushed, the characters were all blah, and the precocious little girl was annoying. This literally was all about her HAIR - which yes, us black women have a heavy attachment to. But this was too much for me.

Solid movie

[ayojerkinskarega · 7/10 · 26 October 2019]

Good Story about black hair politics. Very good acting from Sanaa Lathan, she really carried the movie. Unfortunately, the other actors were subpar. The writing was ok, sometimes it felt robotic. Character development was M.I.A. with the secondary characters. I liked that the movie shed a light on black women hair politics and social views on beauty. I really love the overall message of the movie no matter what the socialital norms of beauty is, women can be and are beautiful. Overall I'll give an 7.8/10.

Hair today, Gone tomorrow

[anil-kulkarni-108-85663 · 7/10 · 25 October 2020]

This is quite a unique dive into African American subculture. We have a leading lady, obsessed with her hair and with a boyfriend who gifts her a dog on her birthday when she is expecting a ring. This leads to an epiphany of sorts that Vi goes thru and how she deals with coing into her own and bagging the said boyfriend froms the bulk of the tale. But I must say, this goes in directions not entirely predictable. Quite a feminist film if I may say so. And all the better for it. Definitely worth a watch.

Black Hair Matters

[alexwebb32 · 8/10 · 21 September 2018]

Someone else questioned how they could make a movie about a woman's hair. Well, they didn't. This movie isn't about one woman's hair. This movie is about black women's hair, and what it's like for black women to live in a world where they're stigmatized because of their hair. Where they're considered unprofessional and uncivilized if they don't straighten it.

I guess you have to actually be a black woman to relate to this film. But you shouldn't have to be a black woman to be able to empathize with black women. When the world is the way it is, we need movies like this. Black women need movies like this. Black women deserve movies like this.

Also, you know, it's a sweet and heartwarming movie, it goes places and doesn't end the way you think. I liked it.

Horribly Disappointed

[knightmartha · 1/10 · 27 September 2018]

We've all waited months for this Netflix release. unfortunately, I hated it. I fell asleep on it 3 times. Lynn Whitfield who was AMAZING in "Women of Brewster Place", "Jospehine Baker Story", even "Thin Line Between Love and Hate is overly typecast as the bourgeois mother who is BITCH and is never happy with the lower social class man her daughter falls in love with (°Greenleaf", "Made a Family Reunion", "Happily Ever After". Ricky Whittle was underutilized big time in this role....I mean come on, "American Gods".While I loved Ernie Hudson as always, Sanaa was missing "something" in this movie too me. her role felt way too similar to her Kenya McQueen in "Something New". and while I like Lyric Bent, they had zero chemistry. He would have been great with Grace from Greenleaf...or someone, but I just wasn't into them as a couple. His little girl was annoying and I found it hard to believe that she and Violet would still see each other socially after her Dad and Violet cooled things off. This movie felt cheap. Sanaa did not bring her A game at all. I loved that she went bald and natural for this movie and I could relate to the high and lows of emotions she felt during her big chop, but other than tgat...this movie did nothing for me. At all. Lynn Whitfield ruined it for me and the guy from "Sister sister" could have been played by anyone else. Sorry Sanaa and Netflix, y'all missed the mark with this one for me.

Other awesome film of Haifaa Al-Mansour

[robindelosmadriles · 10/10 · 21 September 2018]

Extraordinary film that talk about all the uncomfortable issues of our societies, anywhere.

I watched the film without knowing anything about it, and i was impacted for the sensibility of all the things that show. I was curious about who was behind this netflix production, and i was right thinking it was a brave and great woman.

Haifaa Al-Mansour has made few films but it is the kind of films it should more made. I am tired of finding empty and stupid films without values, without sense... pretentious and expensive, waste of money and time.

This production may connect with all cultures and countries, it has an universal feeling, that claim for the authenticity, and the simple things beyond the conventionalism and rules that chain our lives.

Dare!

OK but ...

[bsj-58690 · 5/10 · 22 September 2018]

The movie was ok when dealing with the whole "love yourself" theme. However, it would have been more effective if the actress in a movie called "Nappily Ever After" actually had nappy hair. Maybe they should have just called is "Natural Ever After." It's like having a movie called "I love my red hair" starring a blonde.

Must Watch!

[sweetkandicampbell · 10/10 · 22 September 2018]

I cried at the big finale won't say what it is but it's the point in the movie everyone just accepted what the Grows naturally out of their scalp! Kudos for Netflix for making this movie to inspire and encourage women of all ethnicity who may have kinks and curls waves and coils to embrace the hair that grows out of their scalp and to learn that you are BEAUTIFUL Just the way you are .... LOVE thissssss

One of the worst movies of 2018

[mad_crack_scientist · 1/10 · 26 October 2018]

Boring, unusually cheezy, unnecessarily dramatic. This movie is a complete waste of time and money.

Beautiful film ALL women can relate to!

[paindweller · 9/10 · 22 September 2018]

This was so well put together, Sanaa usually wows and as usual this is no different. The spark between the lead roles was so well acted out that a relationship was built with every single character it was a master piece. Wish we could see more films like this.