‘Like a Boss’ gets Demoted on Tuesday, April 21

I really wanted to enjoy Like a Boss. I’ve had a major crush on Salma Hayek since I was 15, Tiffany Haddish is one of the funniest comics out there, Jennifer Coolidge is extremely talented and the same can be said for Rose Byrne and Billy Porter. Karan Soni has had me rolling with his dead pan delivery since I first saw him in Deadpool. Sadly, I just didn’t feel this one.

The movie follows Mia (Haddish) and Mel (Byrne), two best friends since middle school that run their own cosmetic line and salon. The due are in debt up to their eyeballs and in comes mega mogul Claire Luna (Hayek) to snatch their million dollar idea out from under them. Her evil plot is to use money to destroy their friendship where she will earn a controlling interest in their company, stealing their ideas and leaving both women emotional wrecks.

Like a Boss runs a little more than an hour and a half, but the demise of their friendship isn’t something so destructive that there needs to be something shy of a miracle to reunify Mia and Mel. Mel is a pushover looking to win Claire’s approval while Mel is distrusts the entire situation. Claire mentions a former friend in passing who she cheated out of their company to become the super boss lady that she’s become, but money means more to her than friendship and that’s the bottom line in this dig on capitalism.

Even when they lose Barrett (Porter) as a friend and employee, the “all is forgiven” moment feels forced. Barrett even mentions that after they let him go, Mia didn’t check on him once, but hey, we’re getting revenge on the rich lady, so it’s okay now.

Granted there were some humorous parts to the film, like Mel’s passive aggressive behavior and feeding Mia and abundance of Ghost Chilies, but beyond that Like a Boss falls flat and that is what hurts because everyone worked so hard to make this movie, especially with each actor giving it their all.

Like a Boss is available now on Digitial and on Tuesday, Blu-ray and DVD April 21, 2020.