Think Like a Man

Right now you can watch Think Like a Man in Australia on Netflix, and in the US on Starz Apple TV Channel and YouTube TV — and it is funnier than its reputation suggests. It says what it needs to say in one sitting, no filler. 901 viewers have already rated it on TMDB — the kind of consensus that does not happen by accident. Michael Ealy sets the tone, and the rest of the cast matches it scene for scene. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Netflix.

Think Like a Man is not trying to be everything to everyone, and that focus is exactly what makes it work. The jokes in Think Like a Man land because the characters underneath them are worth caring about. The balance of power in four couples’ relationships is upset when the women start using the advice in Steve Harvey’s book, Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man, to get more of what they want from their men. When the men realize that the women have gotten a hold of their relationship “playbook,” they decide that the best defense is a good offense and come up with a plan to use this information to their advantage. Michael Ealy and Jerry Ferrara lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 2012. The real test of any comedy is whether it is still funny once you know all the jokes, and Think Like a Man holds up on rewatch in a way that separates it from one-off curiosities. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

Think Like a Man is the kind of thing you put on in the background and end up fully watching. It has built its own audience without needing a direct comparison. A contained runtime means every scene is doing real work. Michael Ealy's comic timing carries it through its weaker moments. The kind of comedy you recommend to someone who claims they do not watch much.