What The Other Woman Is Really About
The Other Woman follows Carly (Cameron Diaz), a sharp attorney who discovers her boyfriend Mark isn't exactly the faithful type—he's actually juggling two other women at the same time. When she meets Kate (Leslie Mann), Mark's wife, the two decide to team up. Then there's Amber (Kate Upton), a model who also believed she had an exclusive claim on him. Instead of tearing each other apart, these three decide to do something far more satisfying: they're going to destroy him. Directed by Nick Cassavetes and clocking in at 109 minutes, the film trades traditional romantic-comedy formula for something messier and more fun—the kind of story where the women aren't fighting over the man, they're fighting together.
What's striking is that the premise itself—three women bonding over shared betrayal—could've been dark or mean-spirited, but The Other Woman leans into the absurdity instead. The script, written by Melissa K. Stack, gives these characters room to be angry, funny, and eventually genuine with each other. It's not a subtle film, but it doesn't pretend to be.
Behind the Making of The Other Woman
Nick Cassavetes, known for his work on The Notebook and Alpha Dog, brought a specific sensibility to what could've been a forgettable rom-com premise. The cast he assembled was genuinely A-list: Cameron Diaz was coming off a decade of box-office dominance, Leslie Mann had proven her comedic chops in Judd Apatow films, and Kate Upton represented a newer wave of celebrity (she was already famous from Sports Illustrated covers). Supporting them were Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as the philandering Mark—the guy everyone loves to hate—alongside veterans Don Johnson and Taylor Kinney, with Nicki Minaj adding comedic flair in a supporting role.
The film arrived in April 2014 with modest expectations but performed far better than anyone predicted. It earned $83.9 million at the global box office, making it one of the year's surprise hits. That's the kind of number that gets studios' attention, even if critics weren't throwing roses. The MPAA slapped it with a PG-13 rating, which meant Cassavetes had to keep the revenge scenes comedic rather than vicious. Awards-wise, the film picked up three wins and five nominations across various ceremonies—nothing earth-shattering, but enough to show it landed somewhere in the culture. On Movie OTT, where we track where films end up across streaming platforms, you'll find The Other Woman readily available, making it easy to revisit or discover for the first time.
Why The Other Woman Still Has an Audience
Here's the thing: critics were brutal. Rotten Tomatoes gave it 26%, Metascore landed at 39/100, and IMDb users settled on a 6/10. Not great. But audience reactions tell a different story—people actually enjoyed watching this film, even if they wouldn't claim it as a masterpiece. What makes The Other Woman work, despite the mixed reviews, is that it understands its own tone. It's not trying to be Bridesmaids or some groundbreaking feminist comedy. It's just trying to be fun, and for most of its runtime, it succeeds.
Cameron Diaz carries the film with an ease that's become increasingly rare in her recent work. She plays Carly as someone who's sharp enough to run rings around Mark but human enough that you believe her anger when she realizes she's been played. Leslie Mann, though—and this is where the film finds its emotional center—brings something unexpectedly tender to Kate. You'd expect Mark's wife to be either a doormat or a villain, but Mann makes her sympathetic without sacrificing her dignity. The chemistry between Diaz and Mann is the real engine of the movie; Kate Upton's Amber works as a punchline at first, but the film does something kind by letting her become a real person by the end.
The revenge sequences themselves are where the film earns its comedic stripes. Without spoiling specifics, there's a scene involving laxatives and a business meeting that's exactly as juvenile and effective as it sounds. These aren't elaborate Ocean's Eleven-style schemes—they're petty, personal, and deeply satisfying in a way that makes you understand why audiences kept buying tickets even as critics sharpened their knives.
Where to Stream The Other Woman Online
If you're looking to watch The Other Woman right now, you can find it on Prime Video. The film's availability does shift depending on your region and subscription status, so checking the where-to-watch widget at the top of this page will give you the most current information on all platforms carrying it. Since the film came out a decade ago, it's had plenty of time to cycle through various streaming homes, and Prime Video is currently the place to catch it. Movie OTT keeps tabs on these availability shifts so you don't have to hunt around wondering where your next comedy binge has landed.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Who directed The Other Woman?
Nick Cassavetes directed the film. He's known for his work on The Notebook and has a knack for balancing emotional beats with lighter moments, which serves the material well here.
Q: What's the runtime of The Other Woman?
The film runs 109 minutes, which is pretty standard for a comedy-romance hybrid. It doesn't overstay its welcome.
Q: Is The Other Woman based on a true story?
No, it's an original screenplay written by Melissa K. Stack. The premise is entirely fictional, though the themes of infidelity and revenge are certainly universal enough to feel familiar.
Q: What rating did The Other Woman receive?
The film is rated PG-13, which means it's designed to be accessible to teens while still containing some adult humor and situations. There's nothing gratuitous here.
Q: How much money did The Other Woman make at the box office?
The film grossed $83.9 million worldwide, making it a genuine commercial success despite lukewarm critical reviews. That kind of performance suggests audiences connected with it in ways critics didn't.
Final Thoughts on The Other Woman
The Other Woman isn't a perfect film—the critics weren't wrong about that. But it's a genuinely entertaining one, which sometimes matters more than critical consensus. If you're in the mood for a revenge comedy that doesn't take itself too seriously, that lets its female characters be complicated and funny without needing to apologize for either, then it's worth your time. The performances elevate material that could've been forgettable, and there's something refreshing about a film that knows exactly what it is. Sometimes that's enough.
