Best in Bed (2014)

Best in Bed takes the well-worn “sex comedy” setup and flips it with a refreshingly female point of view, turning performance anxiety into a smart, surprisingly tender engine for laughs. Its real charm is watching a hyper-methodical heroine try to spreadsheet her way through intimacy, only to discover that chemistry, embarrassment, and affection refuse to behave like a controlled experiment. The screenplay keeps the pace lively and the misunderstandings deliciously escalating, landing jokes that feel more human than mean-spirited. If you like your comedy a little frank and a little absurd—more about self-discovery than conquest—this is an entertaining Paris-set romp that sneaks in warmth beneath the wit, though viewers allergic to sex-forward humor may want to pass.

Best in Bed is clearly aiming for a cheeky, sex-positive Parisian farce about an anxious perfectionist learning to loosen up and accept that intimacy can’t be “optimized.” The problem is the comedy often lands with a thud: the plot starts with a workable premise but tends to unravel into escalating misunderstandings that feel more exhausting than funny. A lot of the jokes and character beats can come off tone-deaf and, at times, sexist, with broad, cartoonish performances that make it harder to connect with Emma as a real person. If you enjoy light French rom-com energy and don’t mind messy, goofy exaggeration, you might find a few charming moments, but if you’re sensitive to dated sexual politics or want sharper, more grounded humor, this probably isn’t for you.