Honestly, if you've ever felt like you’re failing at adulthood because you forgot it was "Wacky T-Shirt Day" at school or you’re currently hiding in the pantry eating stolen Halloween candy, you probably have a soft spot for the movie with Mila Kunis and Kristen Bell.
Most people just call it Bad Moms.
But there’s actually a lot more to their on-screen partnership than just one raunchy comedy from 2016. These two have a weirdly specific cinematic history that spans nearly two decades, and it didn't even start with them being friends.
The Hawaii Connection Nobody Remembers
Back in 2008, long before they were "bad moms," they were actually rivals. Sorta.
In the Judd Apatow-produced classic Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Kristen Bell played the titular Sarah Marshall—the famous actress who brutally dumps Jason Segel. Mila Kunis played Rachel, the laid-back hotel clerk who basically saves his soul.
They barely have any scenes together. It’s funny looking back because their energy is so different. Bell is doing this "perfect but secretly messy" blonde starlet thing, while Kunis is the ultimate "cool girl" archetype.
That movie was a massive hit, grossing over $105 million worldwide, but it didn't really cement them as a duo. It just put them on the same tropical island for a few weeks of filming.
Why Bad Moms Actually Landed So Hard
Fast forward to 2016. The world was different. People were tired of the "Pinterest Perfect" parenting myths.
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Enter Bad Moms.
The film follows Amy (Kunis), a high-achieving, exhausted mother who finally snaps. She teams up with Kiki (Bell), a repressed stay-at-home mom with way too many kids, and Carla (the legend Kathryn Hahn), who is... well, Carla.
The chemistry between Kunis and Bell in this movie is what actually makes the engine run. You've got Kunis as the "straight man" and Bell playing this hilariously awkward, sheltered woman who thinks a "night out" is a wild concept.
The movie was a sleeper hit for STX Entertainment.
- Budget: $20 million
- Global Box Office: $183.9 million
It basically proved that R-rated female-led comedies weren't just a fluke. Moms wanted to see themselves being "bad" on screen. They wanted to see someone else fail.
The Sequel Struggle: A Bad Moms Christmas
Because Hollywood loves a franchise, we got the sequel just one year later in 2017.
A Bad Moms Christmas brought the trio back, but added a layer of "Grandma drama" with Susan Sarandon, Christine Baranski, and Cheryl Hines. While it was still profitable—making about $130 million—the critics weren't nearly as kind.
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It felt a bit rushed. Because it was rushed.
They filmed it in Atlanta in the spring of 2017 and had it in theaters by November. That's a lightning-fast turnaround for a major studio film. The plot was a bit thinner, relying more on slapstick and raunch than the relatable "I'm just tired" heart of the first one.
Still, the scenes where Kunis and Bell are just riffing? Gold. There's a natural comfort between them that feels like they actually like each other in real life.
Will There Be a Bad Moms 3?
This is the big question. For a while, there was talk of Bad Moms' Moms, focusing on the grandmothers. Then there was a spin-off called Bad Dads that never materialized (thankfully, probably).
In 2019, a sequel was officially announced as being in development, but then... nothing. Silence.
The industry shifted. Streaming became the king of mid-budget comedies. Kunis moved on to projects like Luckiest Girl Alive, and Bell was busy being a literal icon in The Good Place.
Is it dead? Not necessarily. But as of 2026, there’s no production date on the books.
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What Most People Get Wrong About Their "Duo" Status
People often group Mila Kunis and Kristen Bell together as if they’ve done ten movies.
In reality? They’ve only really shared significant screen time in the two Bad Moms films.
Their "rivalry" in Forgetting Sarah Marshall was mostly through the lens of Jason Segel’s character. Yet, their brands are so similar—both are seen as relatable, funny, and incredibly down-to-earth—that they feel like a permanent package deal in the public's mind.
Actionable Insights for Your Next Rewatch
If you’re planning a marathon of the movie with Mila Kunis and Kristen Bell, keep an eye out for these specifics:
- The Riffing: In the first Bad Moms, many of the grocery store scenes were largely improvised. Watch for the moments where they almost break character; those are the realest parts.
- The "Sarah Marshall" Easter Eggs: Look for small nods in their later work. While there’s no official "cinematic universe," the two often joke in interviews about their shared history in the Apatow world.
- The Kathryn Hahn Factor: You cannot talk about these two without acknowledging Hahn. She is the glue. Without her chaotic energy, the Kunis/Bell dynamic might actually be too grounded to be as funny as it is.
If you want to see the evolution of the modern female-led comedy, start with Forgetting Sarah Marshall and end with A Bad Moms Christmas. You'll see a massive shift from women being the "prizes" or "obstacles" in a man's story to women being the chaotic, messy leads of their own lives.
Check out the original Bad Moms on streaming platforms like Netflix or Hulu—it's still the best of the bunch.