Francisco Chronicle said, "The trouble with the movie is that it sometimes seems at odds with itself, vacillating between a realistic presentation of the obstacles black professional women face finding a suitable mate and another bit of Hollywood fluff where their skin color is glossed over." Steve Persall of the St. Petersburg Times graded the film B and commented, "I like the way Something New presents facets of African-American life seldom seen in mainstream movies, such as the formality and brief funkiness of a debutante cotillion ball, the affluent sophistication making such events important. I like Hamri's approach to material that might be offensive from a solidly black or white perspective. It all makes the foundational sameness of the story easier to take. The basic story isn't new, but telling it this way is really something." Brian Lowry of Variety observed, "Wispy at best, this romantic comedy from a first-time director and screenwriter feels as if whole chunks have been left on the cutting-room floor, with what remains mustering intermittent charm thanks to the attractiveness, if not chemistry, of Sanaa Lathan and Simon Baker ... Perhaps the best thing the movie has going for it, actually, is that despite the title, there's really nothing new here at all; rather, the beats are so familiar the audience can fill in the gaps themselves." Award and nominations NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture (Sanaa Lathan, nominee) NAACP Image Award for Best Director of a Feature Film or Television Movie (Sanaa Hamri, nominee) Black Reel Award for Best Screenplay (Kriss Turner, winner) Black Reel Award for Best Film (nominee) Black Reel Award for Best Actress (Sanaa Lathan, nominee) Black Reel Award for Best Director (Sanaa Hamri, nominee) Black Reel Award for Best Original Score (nominee) Black Reel Award for Best Original Soundtrack (nominee) Black Movie Award for Outstanding Achievement in Screenwriting (Kriss Turner, winner) Black Movie Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Lead Role (Sanaa Lathan, nominee) Black Movie Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role (Alfre Woodard, nominee) DVD release On May 16, 2006, the film was released on DVD in Region 1 in two versions, one in anamorphic widescreen and the other in fullscreen format. Both have an English audio track and subtitles in English, Spanish, and French. Bonus features include an introduction by Blair Underwood, The Making of Something