KINDA PREGNANT: A Baby-sized Comedy with Big Expectations

KINDA PREGNANT is a 2025 Hollywood romantic comedy. It was released on February 5th, 2025, and is currently streaming on Netflix. The movie was written by Julie Paiva and Amy Schumer and directed by Tyler Spindel. It’s rated 18+ because it contains sexual situations and language, as well as swearing, some drinking and drug use. it runs for 1 hour and 40 minutes.

THE PREMISE of KINDA PREGNANT

The story follows Lainy, a 40-something schoolteacher who watches her best friend settle down and get pregnant before her. She is left single and alone, feeling left out and struggling with her biological clock. Lainy then makes an impulsive and absurd decision to fake a pregnancy. There’s no good reason at all for Lainy to be faking it and no excuse for this apparently sane woman to be maintaining a bizarre double life where she refuses to recognise that pregnancy isn’t something you can turn on and off.

By day, Lainy is shaping young minds as a teacher alongside her childhood bestie Kate. And by evening, however, she goes to pregnancy classes, befriends struggling mum Megan Taylor and flirts with Megan’s brother Josh. It will not even slightly shock you to learn that her two worlds collide, nor that she’s soon sticking any old thing up her jumper in an effort to continue the charade.

What starts as a small white lie spirals out of control, affecting her friendships and love life. This deception leads her into a series of comedic situations and personal revelations as she navigates the complexities of her fabricated condition.

CAST AND PERFORMANCES

Amy Schumer as Lainy Newton

Lany is a high school teacher who, out of jealousy of her best friend’s pregnancy, fakes her own. Amy brings depth to Lainy’s character, balancing the humour with vulnerability. Her performance captures the absurdity of the situation while grounding it in relatable emotions.

Will Forte as Josh Lewis

Josh is Lainy’s potential love interest. He adds warmth and sincerity to the film, complementing Amy’s comedic style.

Jillian Bell as Kate

Kate is Lainy’s best friend; she wears the role very well. Lainy and Kate challenge and support each other.

Brianne Howey as Megan Taylor

Megan is a friend who Lainy meets at yoga. She believed Lainy was genuinely pregnant. Her performance brings charm and sincerity to the character, adding depth to the ensemble cast.

Urizila Carlson as Fallon

Fallon is Lainy’s colleague and a destructive, borderline-demented school guidance counsellor. She brings so much energy to this character and is filled with lots of humorous content. She seems to be the funniest character in the show, having me giggle more than once.

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THE MOVIE

Great picture quality!
The film attempts to blend outrageous comedy with genuine emotional beats, exploring themes of envy, deception, and the desire for connection. Schumer’s comedic timing and willingness to embrace the character’s flaws add depth to the narrative.

I loved the portrayal of a long-lasting childhood friendship between Lainy and Kate, the kind of friendship that everyone looks for but hardly finds.
The movie takes place in a modern era, an era we can relate to, unlike those movies having lots of flashbacks or alternate universes.

What makes this movie a little better than other Netflix comedies and not just merely functional is its willingness to be extreme. Lainy is not normal, and the movie understands that. At one point, someone tells her, “You need serious help,” and they’re not exaggerating.

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE ABOUT THE MOVIE

Plot holes and logical inconsistencies

There was so much cursing and vaping by the teachers in a school with middle-aged children.
The humour at times feels outdated, relying too much on pregnancy-related jokes.
The romance subplot lacks chemistry and development, making it seem forced.
The romance between Lainy and Josh is the movie’s weakest link because their scenes are mostly witless banter.
Some predictable plot scenes make the story less engaging.
Uneven pacing and relies heavily on predictable comedic tropes.
While the cast’s performances provide some entertainment value, the film’s execution lacks the originality and depth needed to make a lasting impression.
Unbelievable scenes: Pregnant women will not even try things that Lainy keeps doing, like skating, dancing provocatively and even doing splits. There were so many falls and violence towards her, not a baby.
I wish Lainy was not more concerned with the pregnancy aspect but more with the fact that she could potentially lose her best friend. I wish they focused on the female friendship and not the old narrative of “I want to be what everyone tells me and expects me to be” If Lainy had said that she faked it due to her feeling like she was losing a friend because of her new interests, activities and priorities and that she wanted to simply gain a new friend (Megan) and she felt like that was the only way to be able to connect, that would have made more sense and be more relatable.

Lack of Resolution

The ending feels rushed, like they just want to be done with it without delivering a very satisfying resolution, thus missing the golden opportunity for a great ending.

Dropped Consequences

Why Lainy never loses her job is beyond me; she curses in front of her students constantly, and she even sets the school on fire.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Kinda Pregnant had the potential to be a sharp, funny dramedy, but it never fully commits to either being a laugh-out-loud or a heartfelt dramedy. While Amy Schumer does her best with the material and the supporting cast adds charm, the movie feels like a missed opportunity. If you enjoy light, quirky comedy, it might be a casual watch; otherwise, it is not the strongest entry in the comedy genre.
Overall, I am pretty satisfied with the cast’s acting and the dialogue; there are some great one-liners, the main couple is cute and matches each other’s energy, and there’s nothing crazy, but there’s good enough chemistry for a romcom.