Film

Boomerang

Name: Boomerang
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Released: 1992
Cast: Eddie Murphy, Robin Givens, Halle Berry, David Alan Grier, Martin Lawrence

Other titles called Boomerang: the 1947 film.

Comedy

A gleefully mean-spirited 1992 comedy where Eddie Murphy plays a womanizing ad exec who gets a taste of his own medicine when his new boss does the seducing. It's wish-fulfillment revenge wrapped in '90s style, broad humor, and genuine chemistry between its leads. Perfect if you want something funny, romantic, and unapologetically shallow.

TMDb rating

2.8

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy battle-of-the-sexes comedies about a smooth operator getting a taste of his own medicine, and you don't mind a fashion-soaked early nineties look and a soundtrack doing half the talking.

Skip it if you want a sharp, tightly plotted romance; this one is loose, its middle stretch sags, and it leans on Murphy's mugging more than on the story.

What it asks of you: Roughly two hours at a comfortable pace, with a lot of talky scenes in offices and bars, and it wants you to laugh at vanity more than to feel anything deep.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Coming to America1988

Eddie Murphy at peak charisma playing a prince discovering New York and love. The warmth and creativity of the writing makes it feel generous even when it's being silly. A genuine crowd-pleaser that holds up.

But Some of the comedy feels dated, and the romance can tip into schmaltzy. It's also much gentler than Boomerang—if you want sharper edge, this goes softer.

Trading Places1983

The template for role-reversal comedies done right: Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd swap lives and expose the lie at the heart of class and privilege. Sharp, funny, with real stakes underneath the gags.

But The pacing is slower than modern comedies, and some of the humor leans on '80s assumptions that haven't aged perfectly. The revenge plot takes a while to get going.

House Party 21991

Kid 'n Play bring infectious energy to a teen comedy about a house party where everything goes delightfully wrong. It's got heart, style, and music that still bangs. Pure fun with real character work.

But The plot is thin and the film knows it. If you need narrative weight or emotional depth, you're looking at the wrong place.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Boomerang

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Disclosure1994

Both flip the script on workplace seduction and power dynamics, but Disclosure asks 'what if this were genuinely threatening?' where Boomerang asks 'what if this were justice?'

Michael Douglas as the man being sexually harassed by his female boss (Demi Moore). It's Boomerang's dark twin—same power-reversal idea, but thriller instead of comedy, played deadly serious. Accidentally fascinating as a time capsule of '90s anxiety.

But It's deeply uncomfortable and sometimes seems to side with the wrong perspective. The film is also pretty bad, and watching it feels more like anthropology than entertainment.

Harlem Nights1989

Eddie Murphy and Richard Pryor running a Harlem nightclub, directed by Murphy himself. Gorgeously shot, funny, with genuine warmth between the leads and a real story of found family beneath the surface.

But It's uneven—some jokes land harder than others, and the tonal shifts between comedy and drama can feel jarring. The revenge plot gets messy.

How Stella Got Her Groove Back1998

Angela Bassett discovering herself and romance in Jamaica. Sexy, funny, feminist in ways that feel earned rather than preached. It's about a woman's pleasure and agency, played completely straight.

But The fantasy element is strong—the wish-fulfillment here is thick. If reality is what you're after, this isn't it. Also very much a '90s film in its sensibilities.

A Thin Line Between Love and Hate1996

Martin Lawrence plays both a charming womanizer and his vengeful female victim. It's a darker take on the gender-swap revenge idea, with real menace under the comedy. Surprisingly effective.

But The tone whiplash between comedy and horror-thriller is extreme and doesn't always work. Some of the jokes haven't aged well, and the darker elements can feel mean-spirited.

A Thin Line Between Love and Hate poster

Jungle Fever1991

Spike Lee's drama about infidelity, race, and addiction. It's got Wesley Snipes and Samuel L. Jackson giving powerhouse performances, with the crack epidemic as a brutal wake-up call. Serious, urgent, and unflinching.

But This is heavy material treated seriously—no broad comedy here. The film is interested in consequences and pain, not easy laughs. Some viewers find it preachy.

Do the Right Thing1989

Spike Lee's masterpiece about a neighborhood on the hottest day of the year. It's funny and furious and alive, mixing comedy, music, and social rage in ways that still feel vital and necessary.

But It's deliberately provocative and doesn't offer easy answers. The climax is violent. If you want comfort or resolution, this isn't your film.

School Daze1988

Spike Lee's musical comedy about Black college life, colorism, and identity. It's got energy, dancing, satire, and a genuine attempt to grapple with complicated issues through song and humor.

But It's messy and overambitious, and some of the musical numbers don't land. The tonal shifts are jarring, and it feels like a work in progress even after completion.

Menace II Society1993

Both came from the same year and community, but Menace II Society treats survival as tragedy where Boomerang treats seduction as comedy. They're mirrors showing how the same era could be read as either consequence-free or consequence-inevitable.

Tyrin Turner as Caine navigating Compton's brutal streets. Shot with documentary precision, funny in character moments, but unsparing about consequence and mortality. It's the anti-fantasy version of '90s Black cinema.

But It's violent, grim, and offers no redemption. The humor emerges from darkness, not lightness. This is the opposite of escapism.