Rom-com investigates true multiverse of madness through pollyanna response to true life crisis

Netflix has put a multiversal spin on its recent feel-good rom-com Look Both Ways, featuring fresh-out-of-college Natalie Bennet (Lili Reinhart, Riverdale). Reinhart plays the role of a typical romance lead, an ambitious young woman with a strict five-year post-graduation plan of moving to California with her best friend, Cara (Aisha Dee, The Bold Type), to pursue her life-long dream of animation. That is, until a one-night stand with close friend Gabe (Danny Ramirez, Top Gun: Maverick) shifts her path in a new direction… or not. Natalie and Cara end up in the bathroom of a sorority house in the middle of their college grad party, while she takes a pregnancy test. In one timeline, the test is positive, while in the other, it is negative.

The goal of the movie is to spread the message that everything happens for a reason, and it’ll all work out because of fate, a message that manages to be both completely unrealistic and a bit tone-deaf.

The movie does have an interesting premise, showing how someone can be just as happy with children as without, turning away from the idea that women aren’t whole without children. However, it completely avoids the topic of abortion, which stands out after the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade. This is especially surprising considering Natalie’s residence in Texas, a state with some of the most restricting abortion laws. Instead, pregnant Natalie happily, and almost immediately, decides to move back home with her parents - completely abandoning her prior desires. The plot had no conversation about her options, something that was very unusual for the driven, uptight character already established.

Both versions of Natalie are in incredibly privileged positions, with rare worries in their lives. The only problems that do arise are minor and quickly resolved with little to no effort. The Natalie “living the dream” in California has a hard time finding a job until an opportunity to be an assistant to her illustrator idol virtually falls into her lap. On the other hand, the other Natalie is back in her hometown, living with her parents. She continues to stay with them multiple years after her child is born, with them never once mentioning financial hardships, her finding her own place, nor her becoming financially independent from them.

The main conflicts they encounter are, strangely, only in their romantic lives. Of course, these are solved by the end of the movie, when they walk off with their respective partners. So much time is spent on their relationships, that everything else is pushed to the wayside. It seems the writers forgot about Natalie’s goal to be a successful illustrator until the end of the movie, where they featured the obligatory drawing montage, followed by a forced and out-of-place rise to prominence.

The Natalies’ social lives are also non-existent, with them only communicating with their love-interests, and in one case, her kid and parents. Their best friend, Cara, wasn’t shown in either of their storylines, even though she lives with one of them in California. That is, until the Natalie who had a child takes a trip to L.A. to spend the week with her. Even this is cut short by Natalie coming back home after only two days. Both even end up attending a get-together with people they know, but neither stay long due to feeling out of touch with everyone there.

The movie, while good, feels inauthentic because of the strong emphasis on romantic relationships. Even though it is a rom-com, it would have been stronger through leaning into other aspects of her life.

By Addison Isely

Published October 3, 2022

Oshkosh West Index Volume 119 Issue 1