Films The Big Sick

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The Big Sick poster

Film · 2017

The Big Sick

Directed by Michael Showalter · starring Lauren Patten, Zenobia Shroff and Kumail Nanjiani

  • 2 h
  • 15
  • Comedy · Drama · Romance
  • USA
  • Released in the UK 27 July 2017
  • 8.0 AverageMovieNCo
  • 7.4 Users6 votes
  • 8.7 Critics5 reviews
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Synopsis

Kumail is a Pakistani comedian who meets a white American graduate student named Emily at one of his stand-up shows. As their relationship blossoms, he soon becomes worried about what his traditional Muslim parents will think of her. When Emily suddenly comes down with an illness that leaves her in a coma, Kumail finds himself developing a bond with her deeply concerned mother and father.

The film is based in the real life of the actor Kumail Nanjuani, who also stars and writes the screenplay with his real life wife Emily V. Gordon. The film is directed by Michael Showalter and the cast is completed by Zoe Kazan (as Emily), Holly Hunter, Ray Romano, Adeel Akhtar and Anupam Kher.

Where to watch The Big Sick

All the options

Available now in the UK:

Availability checked on 8 November 2026.

The essentials

Runtime
120 min2 hours
Budget
$5mApatow Productions
Box office
$42.7m8.5 times its budget
Rating
15Suitable only for 15 years and over
How long is The Big Sick?
2 hours (120 minutes).
When was The Big Sick released in the UK?
It was released in the UK on 27 July 2017.
Who directed The Big Sick?
Michael Showalter.
Who is in The Big Sick?
It stars Lauren Patten, Zenobia Shroff, Kumail Nanjiani and Zoe Kazan.
Where can I watch The Big Sick?
In the UK it is available with a subscription on Prime Video and to rent on Apple TV.
How much did The Big Sick make?
It took $42.7 million in US. It cost $5 million.
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Cast

Full cast (33)
Director
Michael Showalter
Writers
Emily V. Gordon, Kumail Nanjiani
Producers
Judd Apatow, Ben Browning, Amanda Glaze, Emily V. Gordon

Videos and trailers

See the video
Trailer 'The Big Sick 2:2722 May 2017

Photos and posters

All 15 photos

Reviews

All 5 reviews
7.4 6 votes
  • 100 %
  • 90 %
  • 833 %
  • 750 %
  • 617 %
  • ≤50 %

What the critics say average 8.7 from 5 outlets

  • 10 Time OutJOSHUA ROTHKOPF "Actor Kumail Nanjiani breaks out with an autobiographical girlfriend-in-a-coma comedy that signals his arrival to the top." Read
  • 9.0 VarietyGeoff Berkshire "Comedian and actor Kumail Nanjiani and writer Emily V. Gordon mine their personal history for laughs, heartache, and hard-earned insight in ?The Big Sick,? a film that?s by turns romantic, rueful… Read
  • 8.3 IndiewireEric Kohn ?The Big Sick funnels the two sides of his career (Kumail) into a genuine crowdpleaser that juggles humor and pathos through a personal lens. Read

Box office

Weekend by weekend
  • Budget $5m
  • US $42.7m
  • UK £1.1m

Awards

All the awards

Soundtrack

All 38 songs
  1. Devil's HaircutBeck, Used permission of Fort Knox Music, Inc Spotify
  2. Groove in GWilbur Bascomb, Blue Zodiact, Published Sanavan Music Co
  3. Seen HimJim Brown
  4. We Gon Turn It OutSoulchef, Published Urband, Lazar Music Publishing, Inc Spotify

Trivia

  • Based on a real life story

    This movie is based on how Kumail Nanjiani, and his real life wife Emily V. Gordon, met and fell in love.

  • Distribution war

    When the film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, Sony, Amazon, Netflix and Focus Features started a bidding war for the distribution rights. Kumail Nanjiani wanted the film to have a theatrical distribution wich eliminated Netflix. The distribution rights were bought by Amazon for $12 million, one of the largest deals in the festival's history.

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