The act of being pregnant has been treated in so many different ways in movie history that it could be considered one of the most malleable plot points of all time. It can be a blessing or a curse (or a blessing that turns into a curse). It can be a happy accident, a longtime struggle, or a complete surprise. And it can be adapted into multiple different genres, from comedy to drama to horror. (Action seems to be missing from the list, but that day is probably coming soon.)

Babes joins the long lineage of comedies based around someone being pregnant, but with it coming from the mind of writer/producer/star Ilana Glazer, the approach is not as sentimental as in other films. Eden (Glazer) is best friends with Dawn (Michelle Buteau), who gives birth to her second child early in the film. On her long subway ride back home from the hospital, Eden has a meet-cute with Claude (Stephan James), and the two end up having a one-night stand that results in her getting pregnant.

Although seemingly unprepared for life as a single mother, Eden pushes ahead with the pregnancy anyway. Expecting Dawn to help her every step of the way given their lifelong friendship, Eden is surprised when the family and job stresses in Dawn’s life take priority over accompanying Eden to doctor appointments. However, Eden’s free spirit nature helps her roll with the punches even as the pregnancy progresses.

Directed by Pamela Adlon and written by Glazer and Josh Rabinowitz, the film – despite having pregnancy at it center – is more about female friendship, self-discovery, and dealing with the changes life throws your way. The relationship between Eden and Dawn is as close as you can get, with each woman unafraid to visually check how dilated the other is, or lay out brutal honesty if the situation calls for it.

As anyone who’s watched Glazer’s sketch show Broad City will know, there's no situation that she won’t try to defuse with bawdy humor. And so the film is full of profane conversations, some of which work well, but unfortunately just as many that do not. Eden uses a certain feline term for her vagina both with Dawn and with her gynecologist, a lack of situational awareness that demonstrates her unfiltered nature, but feels odd in a film that’s otherwise supposed be grounded in reality.

What’s really strange is that this is Glazer’s second pregnancy-themed movie in a row, following 2021’s False Positive, which she also co-wrote. That film was a (supposed) thriller about a woman possibly experiencing hallucinations during pregnancy, and while this film takes a rosier view of pregnancy in general, it too deals with fears of what having a child can bring. Glazer, who had her first child in 2021, clearly has a lot of thoughts on the effects of pregnancy, even if neither movie is fully successful.

Glazer is at home in the comedic realm and remains an appealing performer despite not all of the situations landing as well as she might have hoped. Buteau is not as well-known, but she ably joins in on the fun with Glazer, and shows off decent chemistry with Hasan Minhaj, who plays her husband. John Carroll Lynch shows up for a one-note role as Eden’s doctor, and Oliver Platt doesn’t register at all as Eden’s dad.

While it has some funny moments, Babes could have used some extra polish to be more entertaining. Glazer and Buteau play well off each other, but in the end the connection their characters forge doesn’t reach the level of the best movie friendships.

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Babes is now playing at Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar. It will open wide on May 24.