Sitting in Bars with Cake (2023)

Sitting in Bars with Cake has the rare gift of feeling like a crowd-pleasing rom-com and a tender, clear-eyed drama in the same breath, anchored by a friendship you can practically lean on. Yara Shahidi brings a quietly magnetic warmth to Jane’s shy brilliance, while Odessa A’zion lights up the screen as Corinne—funny, fearless, and just vulnerable enough to make every laugh land with meaning. The movie’s vibe is equal parts fizzy and heartfelt: cakes as conversation starters, Los Angeles nights as a playground, and then a turn toward something deeper that never feels manipulative, just human. If you’re up for a story that can make you grin one minute and sting the next—without losing its sweetness—this is an easy film to root for, though anyone allergic to tearjerker-adjacent illness stories should know it goes there.

Sitting in Bars with Cake wants to be a cozy, high-concept buddy dramedy that pivots into a sincere story about friendship under pressure, and you can feel the heart behind that switch. The problem is the “cakes in bars” gimmick often plays more like a cute pitch than something the movie fully earns, and the pacing can be lopsided—breezy montage energy up front, then a heavy emotional turn that feels like it’s steering a more conventional tearjerker. Yara Shahidi and Odessa A’zion sell the bond well enough to keep you watching, but Jane can feel underwritten and Bette Midler’s presence is more cameo-level than game-changing. If you’re expecting a sharp rom-com or a consistently funny, food-forward crowd-pleaser, this may disappoint; if you’re up for a sentimental friendship drama with some light comedy and a serious illness storyline, it’s more in its lane.