What’s it rated? PG-13
When? 2023
Where’s it showing? Netflix
Based on the novel The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, this Netflix rom-com follows two fated young people on a journey from New York to London. Hadley (Haley Lu Richardson) is on her way to her dad’s second wedding, an event she isn’t looking forward to. Oliver (Ben Hardy) is a British student heading home for a mysterious event. The two are thrown together at the airport and again on the overnight plane ride, and the chemistry is instantaneous.
Jameela Jamil serves as the film’s narrator and walks us through the statistical probabilities of Hadley and Oliver ending up together. The two are separated once the plane lands, but there is little doubt the two will find each other again. We learn more about Hadley and her complicated relationship with her father, whom she feels abandoned by. We also get a further glimpse into Oliver’s zany family and the precarious health situation of his mother.
Quirky and a bit sappy but overall just adorably sweet, this film presents a cheeky slice of life that gives the audience a chance to believe in the elusive meet-cute that lands two people squarely in love for the rest of their lives. (91 min.)
This article appears in Oct 26 – Nov 5, 2023.