Like a Boss is a waste of potential. With comedic powerhouses like Tiffany Haddish, Rose Byrne, Jennifer Coolidge, and Billy Porter, you'd expect to have a hit. Though there are laughs to be had, they come entirely from the skills of the lead performers who are largely let down by a lackluster script and some shockingly choppy editing.
Tiffany Haddish and Rose Byrne play Mia and Mel, best friends who have started a makeup/beauty company together. They end up in considerable debt from starting their own business and decide to sign a contract with Claire Luna (Salma Hayek), a cosmetics mogul who has her own agenda when acquiring companies to add to her empire.
If this premise sounds familiar already, that's because it's introduced thoroughly in the film's marketing campaign. The trailer gives away more than just the plot, but the vast majority of "comedic bits" as well. Whether it's Tiffany Haddish struggling to handle food that is excessively spicy, Tiffany Haddish threatening to jump off a high balcony in order to force a meeting with Claire Luna, or Billy Porter telling Mia and Mel to WITNESS. HIS. TRAGIC. MOMENT. the real tragedy is how much potential was wasted.
Perhaps most baffling of all is the ultra short run time of 83 minutes. This may account for why so much is given away in the trailer, as there is very little to draw from for marketing material. There was so much room to better develop the characters and flow of the story, since by the time the main conflict and fall-out happens, the resolution and wrap-up happens in what feels like five minutes (if you were to go back and time it it's probably closer to ten but the point still stands).
If you're a super fan of any of the lead actors and want to support their work, that's probably the only reason to show up.
