SummaryA young department store manager (Flannery) finds himself falling in love against his will with a woman (Gellar) who has recently inherited a restaurant and whom he thinks may have strange magical powers.
Directed By:Mark Tarlov
Written By:Judith Roberts
Simply Irresistible
Metascore
Generally Unfavorable
27
User score
Mixed or Average
5.3
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Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Unfavorable
27
24% Positive
5 Reviews
5 Reviews
24% Mixed
5 Reviews
5 Reviews
52% Negative
11 Reviews
11 Reviews
75
Old-fashioned and obvious, yes, like a featherweight comedy from the 1950s. But that's the charm.
63
Both actors seem too callow and shallow to actually feel all those emotional raptures they are supposedly experiencing. This is a problem exacerbated by the talent of the supporting cast.
User score
Mixed or Average
5.3
40% Positive
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
40% Mixed
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
20% Negative
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
Feb 7, 2026
7
I was surprised at how much fun I had withy this one. Sarah Michele Gellar was in her prime here and is fantastic as always. I was along for the ride. Is it silly? Yes. Is it late 90's fun nostalgic magic? Yes
Jun 27, 2021
4
With her restaurant failing Amanda meets a mysterious fishmonger in a local food market, who persuades her to purchase a very ‘special’ crab. The crustacean turns out to have supernatural powers, and having escaped her cookpot, inspires Amanda to become a master chef. Not even the lovely Sarah Michelle-Gellar can save this uninspired and unimaginative romcom, and I can’t say I’d recommend anyone bother to watch it.
50
It's a movie, a goofy little movie. Not so bad, but as far as food and sensuality go, ``Like Water for Chocolate'' still has the edge.
30
When the enchanted crab is the most appealing character in a movie, you know you're in some serious metaphoric hot water.
20
A betrayal of all things Buffy, not to mention a complete waste of Gellar’s strengths as a young actress. Even the most hardcore of her fans would do well to give it a miss.
20
Much like a botched souffle that fails to rise, Simply Irresistible is a bland confection that remains doggedly earthbound while attempting flights of romantic fantasy.
0
The dialogue is fast but bad, the acting is loud but awful and the morality is chaste but unromantic. As for the food, it looks vulgar.
Jan 11, 2023
2
I thought this would be a decent romance movie since it is Sara Michelle Gellar. Boy was I wrong. This has to be the dumbest romance movie I have ever seen. She's a cook and it's so good I guess it has magical powers. Then when she meets the love interest he eats her food and they start floating in air. Then it gets more stupid and cheesy from there. HORRIBLE!!!!
Production Company:
- New Regency Productions
- Polar Entertainment Corporation
- Taurus Film
Release Date:Feb 5, 1999
Duration:1 h 34 m
Rating:PG-13
Tagline:Magic opened up their hearts... Love did the rest.
