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Nappily Ever After is yet another fantastic romantic comedy on the Netflix Original movie lineup. If you’re needing a reason to jump in or looking for some information post-watch, then we’re here to give you the complete before and after guide to watching Nappily Ever After.
Before you watch
What’s the movie about?
Based on the Novel of the same name “Nappily Ever After” is a romantic comedy, directed by Haifaa al-Monsour. The film was originally in development way back in 2003 by Universal pictures with Halle Berry listed to play the lead role but was subsequently dropped after rewrites on the script. It took 14 years for it to come back again when in 2017 an announcement was made by Netflix.
Everything has to be perfect for Violet Jones but most important of all her hair. After leaving her longtime Boyfriend and seeing him with another woman, she decides to make a drastic change to that of which she thought was perfect.. her hair! After an accident at the hair salon, and her life crumbling around her Violet shaves off her hair. With the help of a soulful barber, she builds her life back together piece by piece and in the process learns there is more to life than being ‘perfect’.
What the critics say
There haven’t actually been too many critic reviews for the movie which is a shame. The three reviews on Metacritic that averages out at around 60/100 both point out the pros and cons of the new movie.
RogerEbert’s review is the must flattering saying “Nappily Ever After is as much a polemic as it is anything else” adding “The ending, when it comes, is not what one might expect, but it feels right.”
The movie currently sits at a 6.6/10 on IMDb by user scores.
Our Take
Another good (not great) adaptation that adds to the growing list of romantic comedies on Netflix but manages to do enough to set it aside from the rest. The cast all play their roles exemplarily with Sanaa Lathan potentially putting in the performance of her long career. The 98 minutes don’t feel like a slog with enough quips to keep you smiling throughout.
7/10
After you watch
The soundtrack for Nappily Ever After
- Doing Me – Ray BLK
- Ghost – Lianne La Havas
- I’m Gonna Make You Love Me – Dianna Ross & The Supremese & The Temptations
- To Build a Home – The Cinematic Orchestra
- Bass Drop Bigger – TT THe Artist & Hands Up
- Electric – Alina Baraz feat Khalid
- Keeping Your Head Up – Birdy
- Holy – Jamila Woods
- Strollin Downt he Avenue – Craig Hlady and Friends
- Here We Go – Jerome Dawson
- Maybe – Sidibe
- Black Mermaid – Esthero
- Stay – Carmen Rodgers
- Holy (Reprise) – Jamila Woods
- Home – Anthony Perry, Jared James Nichols
- Something New – PJ
- No Good – Eryn Allen Kane
- Eggs over Easy – Tank and the Bangas
- Steeler – Blaq Tuxedo
- Lituation – Sage the Gemini
- Carla – Blair Bielawski
- The Terrace – Wayne Wilentz
- Lose Yourself to the Groove – The Apx
- A Higher Degree – The California Honeydrops
- Sand Bath – Jonathan O’Hara
- Woman’s World – Estelle
- Simple Things – Iman Europe Zyah Belle
Where you’ve seen the cast before
Sanaa Lathan in Nappily Ever After
There’s plenty of cast members in Nappily Ever After you probably recognise but don’t quite remember where they’re from.
| Actor/Actress | Character Name | Where have I seen them Before? |
|---|---|---|
| Sanaa Lathan | Violet Jones | Alien Vs Predator, The Affair (TV Series), The Cleveland Show |
| Ricky Whittle | Clint | American Gods, NCIS, The 100 |
| Ernie Hudson | Richard Jones | Grace and Frankie (Netflix Original), Desperate Housewives |
| Lynn Whitfield | Paulette Jones | Greenleaf (TV Series), Head of State, The Josephine Baker Story |
| Lyriq Bent | Will Wright | Saw II/Saw III/Saw IV, She’s Gotta Have It (TV Series) |
| Camille Guatey | Wendy | Ghost of Girlfriends Past, Prison Break, CSI |
What to watch next
Netflix has a few movies in its library that are similar to Nappily Ever After including some recent Netflix Original releases too. Here’s a list of titles that should definitely be considered for your queue after you finish Nappily Ever After.
Here are our five movie and TV picks (all of these are streaming on Netflix US, other regions may vary):
- Set It Up (2018)
- Greenleaf (2 Seasons)
- Catching Feelings (2018)
- The Incredible Jessica James (2017)
- All About the Washingtons (Season 1)
What did you think of Nappily Ever After? Let us know in the comments below!
