The Boss

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2:21

The Boss

R

2016

1h 39m

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

21%

Tomatometer

193 Reviews

38%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

Wealthy CEO Michelle Darnell (Melissa McCarthy) always gets her way, until she's busted for insider trading and sent to federal prison. After leaving jail, Darnell finds herself broke, homeless and hated. Luckily, she tracks down former assistant Claire (Kristen Bell), the only person who's willing to help. While staying with Claire and her young daughter, the ex-con devises a new business model for a brownie empire. Unfortunately, some old enemies stand in the way of her return to the top.

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Critics Consensus

Melissa McCarthy remains as fiercely talented as ever, but her efforts aren't enough to prop up the baggy mess of inconsistent gags and tissue-thin writing that brings down The Boss.

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Sara Michelle Fetters

MovieFreak.com

Aug 11, 2016

2/4

While there's plenty about The Boss to appreciate, I'm just not certain there's a great deal to like.

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Tara Brady

Irish Times

Aug 10, 2016

3/5

There's something irrepressible about McCarthy's shtick. Her foul-mouthed rants are always amusing, even when they're not quite laugh-out-loud funny.

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Megan Garber

The Atlantic

Jul 22, 2016

The Boss is sketch comedy, with none of the lines colored in.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Dec 6, 2025

1.5/4

Mostly, the film puts McCarthy in situations which are humiliating rather than hysterical.

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Kip Mooney

College Movie Review

Aug 29, 2021

B

Provides big laughs throughout.

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David Bax

Battleship Pretension

Jan 7, 2021

Falcone and McCarthy have landed somewhere in between and, with jokes as good as these, that's good enough.

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Robert P

@Superbad 1 day ago

The Boss =a 1.5 star Movie!

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av 8

@anagha.vinay Jun 19, 2026

The 47th-richest woman in America can't get over her short, bitter, begrudging ex, and manages to push away a beautiful almost-family while taking everything down with her, throwing shade at everyone, and corrupting a little girl who cannot act. The movie is bad and the jokes are either just cheesy or unethical or both. The girl fights made me go get a pack of eye bleach. I'll probably not watch it again. A brownie business success story which doesn't sell as much as the brownies apparently do.

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TheMovieSearch R

@TheMovieSearch May 8, 2026

The Boss starring Melissa McCarthy and Kristen Bell has a few genuinely funny moments, but overall it feels like a comedy that relies way too heavily on loud antics and exaggerated behavior instead of smart writing. Melissa McCarthy definitely commits to the role, playing this power hungry businesswoman who crashes and burns, but at times it feels like the movie is trying way too hard to force laughs every few seconds. Kristen Bell brings a more grounded and relatable energy to the film, and honestly some of the best moments happen when the movie slows down and focuses on the chemistry between the characters instead of nonstop chaos. There are entertaining scenes throughout, but the film also feels very much like part of that era where Melissa McCarthy comedies became oversaturated. It is not a terrible movie by any means, but it is definitely one that is easy to forget after the credits roll. It works for a casual watch, but I would never rush back to revisit it..!!

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Thao H

@RT01283150 May 6, 2026

great cast but TERRIBLE writing. The jokes just don’t land and the movie isn’t funny at all. This movie tried too hard and the plot is just bad. The "jokes" are shallow and cheap humor.

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Kory F.

@BlueKnight Mar 18, 2026

Not too sure of all the bad reviews but what a great great movie!! GO WATCH!!!

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Stephen C

@bob25009 Feb 20, 2026

Funny in 1 hour and 39 minutes. Rated R for Language, Brief Drug Use and Sexual Content. A success on home media.

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Ben Falcone

Director

Melissa McCarthy

Michelle Darnell

Kristen Bell

Claire

Peter Dinklage

Renault

Ella Anderson

Rachel

Tyler Labine

Mike Beals

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Synopsis

Wealthy CEO Michelle Darnell (Melissa McCarthy) always gets her way, until she's busted for insider trading and sent to federal prison. After leaving jail, Darnell finds herself broke, homeless and hated. Luckily, she tracks down former assistant Claire (Kristen Bell), the only person who's willing to help. While staying with Claire and her young daughter, the ex-con devises a new business model for a brownie empire. Unfortunately, some old enemies stand in the way of her return to the top.

Director: Ben Falcone
Producer: Melissa McCarthy, Ben Falcone, Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, Chris Henchy
Screenwriter: Melissa McCarthy, Ben Falcone, Steve Mallory
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Production Co: Gary Sanchez Productions, On the Day
Rating: R (Language|Brief Drug Use|Sexual Content)
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 8, 2016, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 4, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $63.0M
Runtime: 1h 39m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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