Fix: Post-college life, Sliding Doors, fluffy dramedy
Platforms: Netflix
Netflix Summary:
On the night of her college graduation, Natalie’s life splits into parallel realities after she takes a pregnancy test. What will life and love bring?
FYA Summary:
Basically, this is the Netflix version of Sliding Doors, but with pregnancy! So… yeah. Let’s open this can of worms, shall we?!!
Natalie is a super cute, talented artist who is about to head to LA with her bestie, Cara, to achieve their post-college dreams. But after having (protected) sex with her other bestie, Gabe (it was just a one time, senior fling kinda thing), she takes a pregnancy test—and then the film splits into two parallel lives.
In one, the test is negative, and Natalie and Cara blissfully head to Cali, where the former eventually gets a job as an assistant at a fictional version of Pixar (I can’t be bothered to find the name of it so I’ll call it Fixar). She and Gabe don’t keep in touch; instead, she meets Jake, a very charming dude who also works at Fixar, and they totally fall for each other. And then… life happens, but because this is a Netflix movie, it’s not a spoiler to tell you that things work out. Live, laugh, love y’all!
In the other, the test is positive, and Natalie decides to keep the baby, so Cara heads to LA without her, and Natalie moves back in with her parents in Austin. Gabe is incredibly supportive and wants to be a good partner, but Natalie refuses to make the relationship anything more than platonic. After she has her baby girl, she wrestles with her love for her daughter and the non-mom life she could’ve had. And then… life happens, but because this is a Netflix movie, it’s not a spoiler to tell you that things work out. Live, laugh, love y’all!
So, not to get too political over a fluffy “dramedy” BUT okay I want to so I’m gonna. You know what would have been a more compelling set of storylines? Natalie being pregnant in both scenarios, and then choosing to have an abortion in one of them. Otherwise, what is even the point of this movie? Based on Google search, I’m clearly not the only one asking:
I’m choosing to only associate myself with the people asking the second question, because the first question is just dumb.
But seriously, who’s running Netflix? The Supreme Court?!! (Too soon?)
Familiar Faces:
From left to right: Danny Ramirez, Lili Reinhart, Andrea Savage, a cute baby, Luke Wilson
Lili Reinhart as Natalie
I only watched the first few episodes of Riverdale but I remember liking Lili, and she’s lovely in this movie. As Natalie, she’s earnest and winsome, and you’ll definitely be rooting for her in both universes.
Danny Ramirez as Gabe
I liked Danny in both Top Gun Maverick and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and he’s solid if not exactly complex (I blame the script) in this film. I just wish he and Lili had more chemistry.
Andrea Savage as Tina (Natalie’s mom)
Andrea has been in a ton of stuff (including Veep and iZombie), but this role feels like… a paycheck.
Luke Wilson as Rick (Natalie’s dad)
I had to Google how old Luke Wilson is (50!) before I was willing to accept him as a father to a 21-year-old. But STILL, it’s weird because that means I am also old, and I hate it. Anyway, he’s very Luke Wilson in this movie except in a dad way which is actually pretty cute.
Aisha Dee as Cara
Aisha!!! FYA HQ has been big fans of this gal since her Sweet/Vicious days (and then on The Bold Type), so it’s great to see her again, particularly in such a fashion-forward (her eye make-up, y’all) and queer role.
David Corenswet as Jake
I spent this ENTIRE movie wracking my brain (no, I would not look at my phone because I believe in the sanctity of cinema, thankyouverymuch) trying to figure out where I had seen David before. Obvs I immediately hit up IMDB once the credits rolled: he was in The Politician! Anyway, he is insanely handsome in this role; like, sorry Gabe, I know you exist in a different universe but you should still be jealous.
Couch-Sharing Capability: Paging ATX FYA
In general, this is the kind of movie you should watch either by yourself or with your bestie, because it’s sweet and gentle and straight dudes will have NONE of it. But since I live in Austin (where much of the movie was filmed), I wish I had watched this with my FYA Book Club because SO many local sights! Which means there are bountiful opportunities to nit pick, like, there is no way two characters would walk from UT Austin to the pedestrian bridge just to have a serious conversation. Also, you don’t grab your SXSW badge at a freaking ticket window at the convention center but anyway, I saw the building where I live!
Recommended Level of Inebriation: Shots Both Ways
Natalie is a big fan of tequila, so it’s totally on theme if you want to have some handy. Also, both storylines require minimal comprehension so I recommend tossing one back every time you get irritated that this isn’t a pro-choice movie.
Use of Your Streaming Subscription: Fine Either Way
Obviously, I’m not here to tell you that you should watch this movie. I enjoyed it, in spite of my complaints as outlined, but in a parallel universe, if I hadn’t watched it, I would have been completely fine.
