Promo poster with Ben and Bea in bathing suits standing facing each other looking like they are about to kiss. the title and the actors names are below with the tagline "They only look like the perfectly couple."
Rachel Comedy, Meh, Movie, Netflix, Rom-Com

ANYONE BUT YOU (2023): To Watch or Not to Watch Is Obviously the Question

One of my (many) working theories about rom-coms is that it's generally not the best sign when they start throwing quotes from dead white men on the screen early in the drama. Often it's an attempt to prove that "this" movie is somehow smarter and superior to all those "other" rom-coms. Anyone But You (2023), … Continue reading ANYONE BUT YOU (2023): To Watch or Not to Watch Is Obviously the Question

Rachel Comedy, Meh, Movie, Netflix, Rom-Com, Romance, Spanish

LOVE, DIVIDED (PARED CON PARED) (2024): A Rom-Com With Pros, Cons, and a Cat

Even while watching Love, Divided (Pared con pared) (2024), I went back and forth about how much I liked it. And yes, I'm sure some of that was due to my now very distant memories of Blind Date (2015), the French movie from which it was adapted. "Misty water colored memories…" Honestly, I don't even … Continue reading LOVE, DIVIDED (PARED CON PARED) (2024): A Rom-Com With Pros, Cons, and a Cat

Promotional poster showing Elodie with a focused look pointing a silver sword with fire behind her and soot on her face. The title is in white letters.
Rachel Drama, Meh, Movie, Netflix

DAMSEL (2024): Less of a Delight Than Expected (Updated)

I was pretty excited to watch Damsel (2024) because: 1. Millie Bobby Brown is a delight, 2. I’m a huge fan of maidens saving themselves, and 3. I love a good dragon redemption story. But! After a decent start, the movie just slid deeper and deeper into a chasm of stereotypical ideas about scorned women, … Continue reading DAMSEL (2024): Less of a Delight Than Expected (Updated)

Mack in a baseball-style shirt leaning on a bat standing in front of a baseball diamond-shaped outline around the rest of the cast. The text has Gina Rodriguez, Damon Wayans, Tom Ellis LOVE IS A TEAM SPORT PLAYERS ONLY ON NETFLIX FEBRUARY 14
Rachel Comedy, Meh, Movie, Netflix, Rom-Com, Romance

PLAYERS (2024): Forgive Me, But I Think I Liked It? Mostly. Enough.

As Madonna once wisely told us, "Life is a mystery." And that's how I feel about telling you that I mostly enjoyed Players (2024)—a movie all about a woman with almost no female friends who, along with her pals, carries out elaborate pre-planned setups to land one-night stands until she falls hard for a "grown-up" … Continue reading PLAYERS (2024): Forgive Me, But I Think I Liked It? Mostly. Enough.

Kaley Cuoco and David Oyelowo standing next to each other in front of green background with a crosshairs on it. She is holding a gun pointing down and he is rolding a red rose. The title is in yellow letters acorss their chests. The tag line at the bottom says EVERY COUPLE HAS THEIR SECRETS.
Rachel Amazon Prime, Comedy, Cringe Watch, Distressing, Movie

ROLE PLAY (2023): Taking a Nap Might Be More Exciting Than Watching This Movie

This may be hard to believe, given the ratio of snark to non-snark words on this site, but I often start watching a movie, realize that it’s just Not Good At All, and decide it’s better to back away slowly than to hack at it with my proverbial Sword of Snark. And that’s exactly what … Continue reading ROLE PLAY (2023): Taking a Nap Might Be More Exciting Than Watching This Movie

Zoey with her hands raised palms up standing in front of Zach and Miles. The title is resting on her palms. Behind them is a college campus. Above are their names Josephine Langford, Drew Starkey, Archie Renaux. And then the tagline: Love is the one thing she can't outsmart.
Rachel Amazon Prime, Meh, Movie, Rom-Com, Romance

THE OTHER ZOEY (2023): It’s Not Good, And Yet I Mostly Don’t Regret Watching It.

The Other Zoey (2023) is not, even by mediocre rom-com standards, a particularly good movie, and yet I couldn't stop watching. Make of that what you will. It has a bajillion callbacks to rom-coms of yore, but it's unclear if people involved in making the movie have actually watched those movies or if the simply … Continue reading THE OTHER ZOEY (2023): It’s Not Good, And Yet I Mostly Don’t Regret Watching It.