Common Sense Media Review
By Kat Halstead
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Formulaic romcom has some language, drinking, innuendo.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Love at First Sight
What's the Story?
In LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT, Hadley (Haley Lu Richardson) and Oliver (Ben Hardy) meet in a chance encounter at an airport and discover they're both traveling to London. After forming a connection on the flight, the pair are separated on arrival and head off into the chaos of the city alone. The odds of finding each other again seem slim -- but perhaps not impossible ...
Is It Any Good?
You'd think a strong cast and quirky narrative gimmick would save this from becoming yet another humdrum romcom, but sadly the movie feels as generic as its title. Hot off the success of The White Lotus, Richardson is wasted here in an uninspiring, underwritten character, and even wonderfully warm and entertaining husband-and-wife duo Dexter Fletcher and Sally Phillips can't save Love at First Sight from hitting turbulence. Jameela Jamil both narrating and showing up in random supporting roles is fun at first, as is the use of statistics in the storytelling, but both quickly lose their appeal -- especially when you start to suspect they're there to cover up how little substance there is at the core. What the movie does do well is family, and the relationships between both leads and their parents is sweet and charming, but the chemistry in the central romance never quite takes off and, with very little new here to elevate it above the sea of similar romcoms out there, even the film's swift 90-minute run time starts to feel long-haul.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the importance of family in Love at First Sight. How did what was happening with their parents affect Hadley and Oliver? What did they each learn about their families and their own role in dealing with the difficult times they were going through? Did Hadley and Oliver teach each other anything that helped them better deal with their situations?
The film shows communication, empathy, and courage to be important character strengths. Can you think of times Hadley or Oliver displayed these qualities? Can you think of times when you've shown these strengths in real life?
The movie follows a lot of romcom conventions. Did you notice any? How did it compare to other romcoms -- can you see any similarities?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : September 15, 2023
- Cast : Haley Lu Richardson , Ben Hardy , Jameela Jamil
- Director : Vanessa Caswill
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Queer Movie Actor(s) , Indian/South Asian Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Writer(s)
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Romance
- Run time : 90 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : brief strong language and some suggestive references
- Last updated : November 7, 2023
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