Love at First Sight (2023)

The last decade or so of romance films have been really hit or miss for me, especially in the young adult genre.

Looking back now at my Letterboxd, many of the misses were disappointing: Me Before you (2016), The Space Between Us (2017), Five Feet Apart (2019), Yesterday (2019), and Moonshot (2022). Then there were those misses that were just flat out atrocious: Love Everlasting (2016), Irreplaceable You (2018), The Kissing Booth (2018), Sunrise in Heaven (2019), Cinderella (2021), and Love Again (2023).

Thankfully, there were those that hit well with me (many of them underrated): About Time (2013), The Fault in our Stars (2014), To All the Boys I Loved Before (2018), Stargirl (2020), Clouds (2020), The Map of Tiny Perfect Things (2021), and now, Love at First Sight.

Based off a 2011 book by Jennifer E. Smith entitled “The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight”, the film version takes a very narrator centered approach (said narrator is portrayed nicely by Jameela Jamil, who portrays other minor characters in the film, giving the plot a fable like feeling). She ensures us the film is “not about love, but about fate.” Or, as she states, it depends on who you ask.

 We start at JFK airport, where 20 year old Hadley (Haley Lu Richardson) has just missed her flight to London for the wedding of her father (Rob Delaney). We learn she is someone who is notorious at not keeping her phone charged, and goes to a charging station, where she meets Oliver (Ben Hardy). While Hadley is truthful about her reasons for visiting London, Oliver (a stats fanatic) is not entirely so, as a family event (which is one of the most unique forms of this specific event I have ever seen) is about to occur with Oliver’s mother Tessa (Sally Phillips), father Val (Dexter Fletcher), and brother Luther (Tom Taylor).

As is the case with every romance (whether it is comedic or dramatic), we as an audience are asking the same question first: do these two actors have chemistry? The answer is (rather quickly) a solid yes, as Oliver and Hadley are sitting next to each other on the next business flight to London, easily falling in love. Whether they will find each other afterwards, remains to be seen.

There is also a grand sense of authenticity to the film. Consider a scene where one of the main characters finally encounters a set of supporting characters (I won’t give away names). In the wrong hands, the interaction could have not only gone wrong, but thrown the film off the rails. Thankfully, that does not happen, and we feel a sense of relief.

If this movie proves one thing, it is that I am proud of myself for buying stock in Haley Lu Richardson. While I have not seen all of her work (I have heard good things about her in The White Lotus), I am still convinced she is one of the underrated young stars in Hollywood. She is slowly mastering the ability to have a sassy outer shell to her personality, while inwardly she is hiding something. She is riveting on screen.

Parents, the PG-13 is justified. There is brief sexual references, but nothing is shown on screen. The rating is mainly for thematic elements and some swearing (some strong.) If your kids saw any of the movies I mentioned already, they are fine seeing this one.

With all the original Netflix films, it is nigh impossible to catch up with all of them, meaning I can only speculate how bad a good majority of them are. That said, even with its over the top use of narration, Love at First Sight is a worthy treasure to seek out.

Side note: I need to make sure my airline seatbelt doesn’t work going forward.

Overall: