The Lovebirds is a new Netflix movie starring Kumail Nanjiani and Issa Rae. It follows a couple with a terribly relatable problem in one of the funniest romantic comedies of the year so far.
However, it has been dubbed to be quite light on the “romantic” part of the equation. Another strong selling point: a light runtime of 87 minutes, which is just the right length for a movie.
1. Quick review
The streaming platform’s latest release brings Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani together as an onscreen couple.
It adds a funny, high-stakes twist and a killer soundtrack. It is impossible to ignore that the trope has become a familiar narrative blueprint for this growing subgenre of mysteries.
However, what gives their story more dire stakes than Netflix’s very own Murder Mystery is the color of their skin. The automatic assumption through preset prejudices that they are suspects, no matter how innocent they really are.
2. Is it worth watching?
The Lovebirds doesn’t lean as hard into romance as it could. However, Netflix is already full of romcoms packed with yearning, dramatic races through crowds and proclamations of love.
The film would like to be a love story that doubles as a cheeky crime story where the laughs crackle with anxiety.
The more recklessly out there the situation becomes, the more it draws the two characters together. The Lovebirds quickly descends into the kind of synthetically plotted, a harmless-at-its-core caper that may remind you of a ramshackle Hollywood action-comedy like Date Night.
I. Plot
When we first meet Leilani (played by Issa Rae) and Jibran (played by Kumail Nanjiani), they’re riding the high of a great first date that bled into the next morning. They find reasons for the other to stay in their lives on the morning after.
As they spend the whole day together, each is besotted, peeking shyly at the other to see if their feelings are mirrored. Then we jump ahead four years where they have stared at each other for so long that they know every imperfection and then have stopped looking altogether.
While en route in what feels like a routine weekend at a friends’ party, they have a standard couple’s fights that suddenly escalates into a full-blown breakup. Spurred on by years of resentment and unhappiness, they are almost relieved that it is finally over. Yet before they can process what’s happened, their car hits a man on a bike.
A stranger claiming to be a cop immediately commandeers their car at the site of the accident. That man then hits the biker again and then backs up over the body in reverse. “Just to be sure.” As Jibran and Leilani watch the “cop” flee and stare down at a dead body, they suddenly go from recent exes to murder suspects. Unless. Unless They, as a proper noun, are the rare couple that can work together to solve the impossible situation. Not their relationship, because that’s already done for. No, they’re trying to avoid a different type of life sentence: in prison.
II. Music and visuals
Michael Andrews, who goes by the alias Elgin Park, is the music director of this film. He is an American producer, film score composer, and multi-instrument musician. This soundtrack is just as unexpected as the plot of The Lovebirds.
The film has plenty of romantic jams and pumps up anthems to accompany this normal couple on their dangerous adventure. A standout track is Katy Perry’s earworm Firework, which is so catchy it demands a sing-a-long from Jibran and Leilani amid all their chaos.
You know most of the beats that The Lovebirds is obligated to hit a long time before it hits them. But it hits them with such confidence. The stars are so clearly enjoying each other’s company, that this is a mostly enjoyable, sometimes very funny ride.
The Lovebirds’ twisted love story has been written by screenwriters Aaron Abrams, Martin Gero, and Brendan Gall. The film has been directed by Michael Showalter, who has a flair for slapstick violence.
3. Final thoughts
In place of the ongoing protests against racism, the inherent prejudices shown in the film has to be addressed. It can be seen that there are occasional nods to the reality of being a nonwhite couple in the United States.
Initially, they assume that a patrolman is giving them the stink-eye because he’s recognized them as suspects in a manhunt. Later, they sigh with relief as they realize he’s probably just a garden-variety racist. But for the most part, this is a showcase for witty banter and slapstick tomfoolery.
The Lovebirds is a gift that Insecure, Silicon Valley fans, and action-comedy lovers will surely love. Although it was supposed to be released in theaters, Netflix scooped up this Paramount Productions film to let viewers worldwide enjoy this comedy from the comforts of our homes.
4. Grade
Story: B
Cinematography/Animation: A+
Acting: A
Music: B
Direction: B+
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