I love a rom-com and Netflix’s movie offering has been getting better all the time, so I went in to this feeling optimistic.
Isn’t It Romantic tells the story of Natalie (Rebel Wilson), an architect living in New York who’s somehow taken a back seat in her own life.
She allows herself to be walked all over in work and fails to recognise that her best friend Josh (Adam Devine) is into her romantically – until she ends up in a coma and ends up living out a romantic comedy in real life.
I watched the movie for the first time last night – here are some thoughts I had.
1.Why is a ten year old watching Pretty Woman?
2. Wasn’t expecting to see Jennifer Saunders but I’m here for it.
3. Natalie’s dog’s indifference towards her is devastating.
4. Whitney’s hairclip game could honestly be stronger.
5. Wait, Liam Hemsworth can be funny? As well as devastatingly handsome? OK then.
6. Vanessa Carlton’s A Thousand Miles is a jam. Always.
7. Did we actually get cheated out of seeing a dressing-up montage?!
8. Give parallel universe Whitney more screen time!
9. Are we supposed to root for a guy (Josh) who half cracks on to another woman (Natalie) the day before his wedding?
10. For an architectural firm, the layout of Natalie’s office building seems poor.
11. I would have expected Priyanka Chopra’s karaoke bar of choice to be a little fancier.
12. Thank God Natalie came to the conclusion that she did in the church.
13. Is Adam Devine just Jack Black in a different body?
14. The closing musical sequence feels unnecessary.
15. Liam Hemsworth playing the sax isn’t something I knew I needed in my life but I am grateful for it.
16. Rebel Wilson carried that.
So should you watch it?
Isn’t It Romantic bills itself as a rom-com that ridicules all of the classic rom-com tropes.
The intent is there but ultimately, it can’t decide what it’s supposed to be doing. The film feels like a skincare product that claims to have multiple benefits – it tries to do too much and ends up half-fulfilling all of its promises.
In fairness, it recognises that rom-coms can be worthwhile and does hit the rights notes in parts (like in how it treats the gay best friend stereotype) but is ultimately too close to the clichés itself to really skewer them (like with overlooked-male-acquaintance-turned-love-interest Josh).
That said, it’s a grand Saturday night watch. There are some laughs here and while you might know how it’s going to end, you’ll want to know how it gets there.
It’s just the kind of thing that works for Netflix too – you can have it on in the background while you chat with your housemates, cook dinner or scroll on your phone and you’ll still be able to keep up.
Ultimately, Isn’t It Romantic may not do what it sets out to but Rebel Wilson and Liam Hemsworth keep it fun enough that you won’t regret watching. Probably.
