Director: Vanessa Caswill
Genre: Romance
Cast: Haley Lu Richardson, Ben Hardy, Jameela Jamil, Rob Delaney, Tom Taylor, Dexter Fletcher, Sally Phillips, Tom Taylor
Duration: 91 minutes
Now streaming on Netflix
Netflix has been trying to hit that Hallmark-esqe sweet spot when it comes to romantic movies. After watching Love at First Sight, I think the streaming site is getting there. Before you dismiss the movie because romance is not your gig, hear me out. Yes, this is a romantic movie, but not of the sugary sweet leaning. Love at First Sight is more like a soft, warm blanket that gets more comfy as you lean into it.
Based on Jennifer E. Smith’s The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, the movie’s protagonists are Hadley (Richardson) and Oliver (Hardy). We follow their story through a narrator played by Jameela Jamil, who keeps appearing as different characters throughout the movie. Hadley and Oliver’s story starts at the airport. Hadley misses a flight to the UK by four minutes. She meets Oliver while trying to charge her phone and the two get along immediately. It is no surprise to us because the narrator has already told us that the two will fall in love. The movie title also gives it away, and we have a proper slow-mo moment of their ‘at first sight moment’. So what makes this movie, which seems predictable, interesting?
It is in how the story unfolds. Yes, we know the two will fall in love. But getting to see their individual stories and the things they are going through gives depth to the storyline. Hadley’s trip to the UK feels tragic to her because it puts the final nail in an ending she hates. Oliver’s trip is an enigma at the start of the movie and discovering what it is about is part of the movie’s appeal. Richardson and Hardy have that heartwarming chemistry that grows with the story. This is a good fix for anyone looking for a no-rollercoaster romantic movie.
–Grace Kenganzi
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