Something New

Kenya McQueen appears to have it all a thriving career, a close circle and a loving family. Yet her love life runs on fumes, leaving her skeptical about happiness in romance. When she meets Brian Kelly a carefree, magnetic newcomer with a different take on love, her routine is disrupted. Their chemistry is immediate and undeniable but also unsettling because it stretches beyond her carefully laid plans. As old friends and family weigh in on what kind of partner she should settle for Kenya finds herself torn between the formula that has always worked and a surprising longing that refuses to fit the script. The choice becomes less about risk and more about authenticity. Her friends weigh in with advice.

Directed by Sanaa Hamri from a script by Kriss Turner, Something New was released in 2006. It adapts an original screenplay to a stylish urban romance that blends light humor with sincere dramatic moments. A stylish entry for Hamri's career.

The film earned about 11.4 million at the worldwide box office, reflecting modest but solid performance in the romance genre, with audiences drawn to the cast and city setting. Lathan and Baker carried the marketing energy with supporting turns from Henson and Underwood too.

Critics often described it as a breezy exploration of independence and romance, balancing humor with meaningful moments. The film foregrounds a professional woman negotiating social expectations and personal happiness, showing how vulnerability and choice shape both relationships and career. The tone stays warm without slipping into nostalgia for contemporary audiences.

The film's focus on a successful Black woman weighing love against ambition fed into broader conversations about representation in romantic comedies. It helped normalize adult relationships with professional women making choices on their own terms, and its soundtrack and urban setting mirror mid 2000s city life for many viewers then today.