I was hesitant to publish this review because I didn’t enjoy this Netflix movie and I wasn’t feeling well for the following few days. Nonetheless, because I did see this movie on Netflix, I feel obligated to express my opinions on it.
WHAT I LIKE
Despite the fact that neither Reese Witherspoon nor Ashton Kutcher physically engage with each other for the majority of the film, I felt their chemistry was rather decent for the kind of movie they were in.
I really enjoyed the idea of the protagonists switching locations, adjusting to their new surroundings, and realising that sometimes, where you think you should be in your life at this particular time isn’t where you actually should be. That’s a good concept, but it’s one we’ve seen a number of times in a rom-com like this.
Jesse Williams as Theo Martin was an intriguing character that Debbie meets and who alters the course of her life. He did make me wonder if Debbie should actively pursue a relationship with him or Peter because he seemed to be a nice person.
WHAT I DISLIKE
The writing is terrible. The film as a whole is dull, and there is a lot of exposition. A couple of the dialogues could have been written or delivered more properly, especially during the phone conversation scenes as the conversations leave no impact.
Some of the supporting characters were unnecessary to the plot, with Steve Zahn as Zen being the most notable example. He was simply a strange guy in the background who wanted to hook up with Reese Witherspoon as Debbie Dunn but that didn’t matter to the main plot. He was just a filler character that I didn’t care about.
In a rom-com, you tune in to see how the two protagonists realise their love for each other and the road that leads to that realisation. But, in order to get to that point, you must endure a slew of tedious filler, such as Ashton Kutcher as Peter Coleman’s book and/or Peter assisting Jack in making friends. They were so monotonous and uninteresting that you could go right to the good part, which occurs in the final 20 minutes of the film.
Regardless of my feelings about Theo Martin as a character, Theo’s relationship with Debbie never truly piqued my interest. Nothing in their conversation, execution, or connection kept me interested as the film progressed.
As I already stated, the film as a whole is boring. The movie was so dull that I watched the last 30 to 45 minutes of the film at 1.50x speed just to get it over with. The film was neither immersive nor interesting. The plot is one I’ve seen before multiple times, which would have been alright if it had been executed well, but it wasn’t.
CONCLUSION
This is a very forgettable film, so much so that you’ll forget most of it within a day after watching it on Netflix. I was pulled out of the movie multiple times to take a number of short breaks. The plot isn’t terrible, but I was so bored watching it since there was nothing in it that kept me engaged. I would not suggest this film to anyone, since there are better-executed rom-coms for people who are fans of the genre.
