A poster for the Netflix film “Look Both Ways” shows the protagonist of the movie, Natalie Bennet (Lili Reinhart), in two separate timelines. Although the film, which was released on Aug. 17, may appear to be just another dramatized romantic comedy, it may surprise viewers as it breaks past this cliche. “Viewers who enjoy a little bit of romance and some sort of depth and originality in a film are destined to fall in love with this movie,” News Staffer Miles Lawrence writes. Photo fair use of Netflix
The Netflix film “Look Both Ways,” released on Aug. 17, outdoes the mass of cliche teenage romantic comedies with an inspirational story of a girl whose pregnancy scare takes her on two divergent paths.
When scrolling through Netflix, many viewers may find their feeds being flooded with a large amount of dramatized teenage romantic comedies. However, one of Netflix’s new movies in this genre, released on Aug. 17,“Look Both Ways”, differentiates itself from this cliche.
The R-rated, 110 minute movie directed by Wanuri Kahiu follows aspiring illustrator and animator Natalie Bennett (Lili Reinhart) through two separate timelines after a pregnancy scare puts her at a crossroads. In the first timeline, the pregnancy test she takes comes back negative, while in the second, the test comes back positive.
In the timeline where the test is positive, she moves back home with the father of her unborn child Gabe (Danny Ramirez) to live with her parents and raise the child. In the timeline where the test is negative, she moves to Los Angeles, California with her best friend Cara (Aisha Dee) and begins to execute her five-year plan, pursuing a career as an animator.
A trailer for Netflix rom-com “Look Both Ways” is shown. News Staffer Miles Lawrence believes that the movie has elevated itself above others in the genre. “(The movie’s) unique plot, its loveable characters and inspirational story sets it apart,” Lawrence said. “‘Look Both Ways’ contains heartfelt exchanges that even the most anti-romantic viewers can come to love.” Video free use of Movie Coverage
Viewers who enjoy a little bit of romance and some sort of depth and originality in a film are destined to fall in love with this movie. “Look Both Ways” contains heartfelt exchanges that even the most anti-romantic viewers can come to love, but it also has other components that make for an engaging watch.
The movie includes a unique perspective on what it’s like to be an aspiring animator, due to the lack of animator protagonists in films, however it hits the ball out of the park when it comes to illustrating the experience of being a young mother. Natalie’s experiences navigating through early motherhood aren’t glorified, differentiating “Look Both Ways” from the dramatized romantic comedies viewers may be used to.
Natalie’s experiences navigating through early motherhood aren’t glorified, differentiating “Look Both Ways” from the dramatized romantic comedies viewers may be used to.
However, while some viewers may enjoy the depth of the movie, they may not love how chaotic the plot can get at times. Although the two timelines and range of scenarios add to the uniqueness of the film, it can make the movie hard to follow, possibly turning away viewers who can’t handle overwhelming plots.
Overall, the movie’s pros outweigh its cons. Its unique plot, its loveable characters and inspirational story sets it apart from other Netflix romantic comedies, making it one of the better new movies on the streaming platform.
