Will Smith is heading back to Netflix on Friday, May 1, with the arrival of Hitch, the 2005 romantic comedy that gave him one of his most likable screen personas. Smith plays Alex Hitchens, a professional dating consultant whose polished methods for helping lovestruck clients find love begin to unravel when he develops genuine feelings for a sharp-tongued gossip columnist with little patience for his techniques. The tension between the two leads drives the film’s central romance and gives Smith the kind of comedic role that tends to age well with audiences.
Alongside Smith, the film features Kevin James as Albert Brennaman, one of Hitchens’s clients, and Eva Mendes as Sara Melas, the journalist who captures his attention despite her skepticism of everything he represents. Amber Valletta, Paula Patton, Michael Rapaport, and Jeffrey Donovan round out the supporting cast. The movie holds a 68 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 6.6 out of 10 score on IMDB, reflecting its reputation as a crowd-pleasing if uneven entry in the romantic comedy genre. Critics generally praised the warmth of the performances while noting that the script struggled to sustain its premise across the full running time.
What else is joining Netflix alongside Will Smith on May 1
Hitch arrives as part of one of the more substantial single-day additions Netflix has announced this year, with more than 40 titles joining the platform on the same date. The lineup covers a wide range of genres and eras and reads like a tour through several decades of popular cinema.
Among the highlights are Pretty Woman, the 1990 romantic comedy that turned Julia Roberts into a global star; The Breakfast Club, the 1985 John Hughes coming-of-age classic that remains one of the defining films of its generation; and Meet the Parents, the 2000 comedy that launched one of Ben Stiller’s most successful franchises. Green Book, the 2018 drama that won the Academy Award for Best Picture, is also part of the drop, as is Waterworld, the ambitious 1995 Kevin Costner action film, and Bad News Bears, the beloved 1976 little league comedy.
Why Will Smith’s performance in Hitch still holds up
Released in February 2005, Hitch arrived during a period when the romantic comedy genre was beginning to feel formulaic, and it succeeded largely by leaning into the chemistry of its cast rather than relying on the conventions of the form. Smith’s performance as the self-assured but ultimately vulnerable Hitchens gave the film an energy that carried it through the script’s weaker moments, and James’s turn as the lovably awkward Brennaman provided genuine comedic warmth that critics credited with elevating the material.
The film performed well at the box office on release and has maintained a loyal following in the years since. Its arrival on Netflix gives it the kind of renewed visibility that catalog titles often find on major streaming platforms, particularly when they land alongside names as recognizable as the ones joining the library on May 1.
For subscribers looking for a low-commitment Friday night watch, the combination of Smith, Mendes, and a story that never takes itself too seriously makes Hitch an easy recommendation.
