The Big Sick review: Honest, heartfelt comedy-drama that redefines romantic films

The Big Sick, a 2017 romantic comedy-drama based on the real-life courtship of comedians Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon. Also known as a true-story indie film, it breaks the mold of typical rom-coms by refusing to sugarcoat love, culture clash, or illness. This isn’t a movie where the couple overcomes a misunderstanding at the airport. This is a movie where one partner wakes up in a coma, and the other has to sit with their family, their fears, and their own contradictions.

What makes The Big Sick stand out isn’t just that it’s based on real events—it’s how it handles the messy parts of relationships. You see a Pakistani-American comedian struggling with his family’s expectations, a white American woman fighting for her life, and two people who love each other but don’t know how to say it. The film doesn’t push easy answers. It lets silence sit. It lets awkwardness breathe. And it lets comedy rise from pain, not despite it.

It’s also one of the few films that treats cultural identity as something lived, not labeled. Kumail’s parents aren’t caricatures. They’re people who love their son but don’t understand his dreams. The film doesn’t villainize tradition—it shows how love can stretch across generations, even when words fail.

And then there’s Emily V. Gordon, the real-life writer and co-star, whose illness becomes the emotional core of the story. Her performance, though not in front of the camera, is everywhere—in the quiet moments, the hospital scenes, the way her character’s voice lingers even when she can’t speak. The film doesn’t use her condition as a plot device. It uses it as a mirror.

If you’ve ever loved someone through a crisis, or felt torn between who you are and who your family wants you to be, The Big Sick doesn’t just speak to you—it sits beside you. You won’t find flashy stunts or grand speeches here. Just truth, told with humor, grace, and a lot of heart.

Below, you’ll find reviews, analyses, and deeper dives into how this film changed what romantic comedies can be—and why it still matters years later.