Runtime1h 37mGenreComedyDirected byLeah McKendrickWritten byLeah McKendrickStarringLeah McKendrick, Ego Nwodim, Andrew Santino, Adam RodriguezDistributed byLionsgateMPAA RatingR

‘Scrambled’ Is a Fresh Comedy About Female Anxiety and Fertility

Filmmaker Leah McKendrick's 'Scrambled' is a provocative feminist film that puts the power back into the hands–or wombs–of women.

By Morgan Rojas|February 2, 2024
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In the new comedy, Scrambled, multi-hyphenate Leah McKendrick takes the taboo out of fertility treatments. Poking fun at the pressure that single women in their mid-30s face from society to get married and start a family, Scrambled is a provocative and confident feminist film that puts the power back into the hands–or wombs–of women.

McKendrick (who also wrote and directed the film) plays Nellie, a single, 34-year-old recurring bridesmaid and aspiring celebrity jewelry designer who struggles with feelings of not-enoughness. She is at the age where all her friends are either getting married or pregnant or reaching some other traditional milestone that comes with a stereotypical relationship. Still wounded from a past breakup, Nellie’s prospects in the love department are slim to none.

After a one-night stand goes wrong, Nellie considers freezing her eggs to take some of the pressure off of society’s imaginary timeline for single ladies. Throughout her fertility treatment, which lasts roughly a couple of weeks, Nellie embarks on a chaotic journey through emotional peaks and valleys. What follows is a comically layered personal exploration of being single, including visits from ex-boyfriends of the past, putting on faux smiles during friends’ baby showers, and barely surviving family dinners when her dad asks when he can expect grandchildren.

Leah McKendrick has been candid about how the themes of Scrambled were birthed from her real-life experience, which should give audiences an even more delicate lens through which to view the film. Addressing myths, taboos, and the “danger zone” of being a woman in her mid-thirties, McKendrick dodges societal expectations and creates a truly empowering film about developing a newborn sense of ownership over her bodily autonomy.

“I don’t even know if I want kids! I’ve seen Euphoria,” is one of Nellie’s many sharp comebacks that give the film its adult cheekiness. The witty script paired with the magnetism of McKendrick’s performance is a winning combination. So if you’re sick of conventional films about fertility and want something original from the point of view of someone who’s lived it, Scrambled is for you.

1h 37m. Rated R for sexual content, nudity, language throughout, and some drug use.

Morgan Rojas

Certified fresh. For disclosure purposes, Morgan currently runs PR at PRETTYBIRD and Ventureland.