Will Ferrell & Reese Witherspoon’s Romantic Comedy Is Taking Οver Prime Video

For a long time, it has seemed as though there are just no good comedy movies. Anyone who grew up in the age of Judd Apatow films in the 2000s will surely have noticed the lack of decent big-budget comedy offerings, and that’s essentially because studios have all but abandoned them. While laughs still thrive in the indie arthouse world and on television, it’s more than a little frustrating that some of the biggest names from the Apatow era haven’t used their streaming projects to keep the laughs coming.

Will Ferrell is one example. I don’t think it’s a stretch to call him one of the funniest men alive, and yet the days of “Step Brothers” and “Anchorman” seem so long ago. Instead, as streaming has come to dominate the moviemaking landscape, Ferrell has been spending his time making uninspired parodies such as “Holmes & Watson” and starring in mixed-bag Christmas streaming movies like “Spirited.” Arguably, the last half-decent non-documentary Ferrell effort was “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues” all the way back in 2013.

Now, the “SNL” alum is back with a film that will set things right for everyone who’s starved for some classic Ferrell shenanigans. Just kidding, it’s “You’re Cordially Invited,” a Prime Video romantic comedy with Resse Witherspoon that currently has a 47% score on Rotten Tomatoes. While the film might not be a hit with critics, and certainly isn’t going to satiate fans of Ferrell’s earlier comedy output, it has at least proven a success with Prime Video viewers. Indeed, Amazon’s subscribers have aleady sent the film to the top of the streamer’s charts.

“You’re Cordially Invited” has Will Ferrell playing Jim, a suburban dad whose daughter announces her engagement. Jim thusly books a wedding at a suitably fancy venue only to arrive and discover that Reese Witherspoon’s Margot has also booked the same venue for her daughter on the exact same date. That’s the basic premise of this rom-com, which is brought to you by writer and director Nicholas Stoller, who’s been responsible for some great comedies of his own, such as “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and “Neighbors.” The film follows Jim and Margot as they compete to make the best of their venue while trying to cram two weddings into the same weekend.

While this story hasn’t fared all that well with critics, it certainly appears to have gone down well on Prime Video. “You’re Cordially Invited” debuted on the service on January 30, 2025, and according to FlixPatrol, a site that tracks viewership data across the streaming networks, became an instant hit. As of January 31, the movie is number one on the U.S.’ most-watched film chart and number two on the combined TV and film chart. But there’s more to the story, as “You’re Cordially Invited” is becoming a global hit.

The film is charting in 103 countries, and, even more impressive, it is number one in 47 of them. That means the rom-com debuted in the top spot in almost half of the countries in which it’s charting. “You’re Cordially Invited” is also number two in a further 21 countries, all of which has propelled the film to the number two spot on the worldwide Prime Video chart.

Like most streaming platforms’ ranking systems, the Prime Video charts are a bit of a mixed bag. While Prime Video can provide an audience for the under-appreciated Jodie Comer and Austin Butler crime flop “The Bikeriders,” movies like the critically-derided action-comedy “Brothers” (starring Josh Brolin and Peter Dinklage) can also become a hit on the streaming platform. 

What would really be great is if Will Ferrell used his streaming projects to maintain the sort of wildly entertaining and gonzo comedies that characterized his earlier output. Unfortunately, “You’re Cordially Invited” doesn’t seem to be anything like that. Its Rotten Tomatoes score gives you an indication of whether this one is actually worth a watch or not, with even one of the so-called “Fresh” reviews from RogerEbert.com labelling Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon’s latest “reheated comedy leftovers, for the most part.”

While Ferrell’s Netflix trans documentary “Will & Harper” is definitely one of the better things he’s been a part of recently, the most entertaining thing he’s done of late is talk about his “More Cowbell” sketch at length in the documentary series “SNL 50: Beyond Saturday Night.” Sadly, despite its ascendence on Prime Video, “You’re Cordially Invited” doesn’t seem like it’s going to change that.