If you're not like me and enjoy casual romances that turn into fairy tale romances, well, then you'll like "Love at First Sight," Netflix's new romantic comedy that tells the story of Hadley Sullivan (Haley Lu Richardson) and Oliver (Ben Hardy), who meet by chance when Hadley misses her flight to London, where she's going to her father's wedding, and, with her phone dead, she ends up meeting Oliver, who lends her his charger. And, as it happens in every movie of this kind, the girl ends up agreeing to have a snack at the airport with the guy she just met (please, real-life girls and boys, don't do this madness because the chance of you finding someone nice in this kind of situation is like winning the lottery, and the chance of getting into trouble is like finding bread at the bakery; paraphrasing the movie, statistics don't lie), and then the guy is weird, cute, and nice at the same time, and the two develop an almost magical connection with someone they've just met. What could be more romantic than that?
Which rational adult wouldn't become completely silly just by looking at a handsome boy or girl they've never seen in their life? What could be more logical than that? Well, to be fair, this is not logic; it's a romantic comedy, so let's dive into romance. Who cares about the impact this can have on young, dreamy minds out there if what really matters is the romance?
So, moving on, Hadley and Oliver end up having dinner together, and in the middle of dinner, Oliver's brother calls him and, during the conversation, says he has a surprise prepared. His reaction is one of total disapproval. The movie makes it clear at this point that Oliver doesn't like surprises. Well, that's not what it seemed like when, after boarding the plane and finding his seatbelt broken, he was moved to the executive class next to Hadley. It seemed like he really enjoyed that surprise.
And they fall in love during the flight. Who wouldn't fall in love with a stranger you don't know and possibly will never see again in your life, and share your fears and opinions about things like love and marriage with them? Who hasn't? An addendum here, especially with the guy being British. How could a Brit not be so spontaneous and passionate with a woman he's never seen in his life? That's totally common; it happens all the time.
Then, when they have to part ways in the immigration line, he gives her his number, which she loses right away as her phone breaks right there. How is that even possible, people? You had more than six hours of flight to exchange numbers, and you only did it in the immigration line? Geez, that's so dramatic.
Well, with all the pros and cons, everything works out, and Hadley manages to arrive on time for her father's wedding. But of course, she can't stop thinking about Oliver, and as in every good story of this kind, by a coincidence (or should I say magical convenience) of the script, some people mention the burial of his mother, and who's there to hear it? Hadley, of course, decides to leave her father's party for a moment to go after the one who became the love of her life. It's not even twelve hours. Meanwhile, we see the path Oliver took after leaving the airport, which led to him losing sight of Hadley, and we follow him to his mother's eccentric living funeral. Geez, who has a living funeral? That's way too much enthusiasm to die, I'd say. But believe it or not, silly me almost cried at that.
And I was almost giving this couple a chance, but our dear Oliver brought me back to reality when he told Hadley that he didn't feel like sharing all his feelings with a girl he met on the plane. Well, the thing is, he tried to kiss her, and she started talking about how he should open up, not keep talking about numbers all the time, and so on. Well, girl, what can I say? You met the guy not even a day ago and want to act like a wife when the husband doesn't talk at all and just wants to get intimate. Come on. But with that, I'm not saying that him trying to kiss the girl who's trying to talk to him is okay. But worse than all of this together is the mysterious narrator who appears throughout the movie, delivering Hadley's forgotten backpack to Oliver. What's up with that? Who forgets their backpack with all their important stuff inside in a place they barely know? Well, it must be the same kind of people who fall head over heels for someone they meet on a plane.
After that, we have Oliver's big speech to his mother, which basically says, "She's my mother, and I'll miss her." Well, I think that's the most emotion a British person can express in public. Meanwhile, Hadley is wandering around lost when she should be at her father's wedding, all because she thought it was a good idea to chase after a guy she just met.
At least when she's finally settling things with her father, she recognizes the madness of going after a guy she just met because she found him cute, and that redeems her a bit for me. And when advised by the family, Oliver decides to let go of his restrictions and go after Hadley, who was at a lively wedding party. The two finally reconcile, the movie comes to an end, and it leaves its message about things that happen and what we decide to do with them.
In conclusion, I found the movie enjoyable. If you set aside all the things that don't make sense, like falling head over heels for someone you just met at an airport, and embrace the romance and drama the movie presents, "Love at First Sight" is a good choice. Just embrace the absurdity and let yourself be carried away by Hadley and Oliver's romantic adventure for 90 minutes.
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