Inspired by a popular young adult novel, and featuring a cast that is lesser known, Love at First Sight is, dare I say this, possibly one of the better flicks to come our way in… well, a while.
Love at First Sight (2023) Netflix Film Review
Four minutes is all it takes for Hadley Sullivan’s life to change. She doesn’t know it yet, but these four minutes are going to do more than just change her day, it’s going to change her life. Late for her flight, it’s just enough that Hadley (Haley Lu Richardson) misses her flight. But as a girl constantly running on a low phone battery, she rebooks what she can get, hoping she’ll still make her London event. It’s while doing this she makes another connection.
Oliver (Ben Hardy) is the opposite of Hadley. He always has a charged phone and while he has fears that he isn’t quite ready to own, he’s a statistics guy. He likes to look at odds, which helps in his studies at Yale. But now he’s on the way home, only what his stats don’t prepare him for, is Hadley.
As I said at the beginning of this, this is quite possibly one of the best films to appear in a while. It’s not that it’s groundbreaking or an incredible true story, though in some ways, this is a story about real people. Rather, I’m saying this recognizing what a good job this film does being what it should be, an entertaining piece of cinema.
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Penned by To All the Boys: Always and Forever writer, Katie Lovejoy, this a good romantic film from modern cinema. The script gives us everything. From the cuteness of that “meet cute” and the sweet antics to follow (like discovery of favorite colors, foods); to the more serious nature of life intruding within love. The story is one that takes place within a twenty-four hour period, but it feels like it could be longer because of these production qualities. Additionally, it has the unusual addition of narration.
Adding this element is strange for the genre. One I didn’t know how I’d like, but actually did. It allows the viewer to believe the story more because it’s a reflection almost, looking back at how two people meet and what their future life is. This also ties into the ending and quite cleverly the film ends not on “the end” but “the beginning…” which is actually often true of any ending in a romance. It’s really just the beginning.
Based on the novel The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith, this is a good adaptation. The second they’ve produced, this is, by far, my favorite of the two; and is a good adaptation, too. The cast is also really good. I haven’t seen either one in much or maybe not anything, but they impress. I like how they play the characters, and since the actors are several years older than their characters, I think they end up bringing this maturity. In case it wasn’t obvious, I really like Love at First Sight. It feels like a long time since I saw a new movie that I was excited to talk about. Mostly I’m just glad that I watched something, and from start to finish, that entertains even in the moments of misty eyes.
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Content: there isn’t a lot to mention. There’s a few innuendoes and suggestive remarks. There’s a couple of I-really-want-to-kiss-you “close” moments. Talk of death and illness is part of the script. The characters, one underage, do drink some alcohol but it’s not to excess. There may be a few instances of profanity, including an f-word. The film is TV-14.
Photos: Netflix / Ace Entertainment
Thanks for the great review, Rissi! I was wondering if this movie was any good. I’ll definitely be watching it soon! :)
I hope you enjoy if you see it, Alison. :)