Movies—you either love them or hate them. Unfortunately, in recent years, I have seen a trend of movies getting worse and worse. Think of Emilia Perez or all of the Disney live-action remakes.
Those movies are huge and critically acclaimed, yet they fall flat in all aspects. Most of the time, casting, script, and directing are all lacking. Even within this horrible movie discourse, I always find a way to enjoy a movie. On my weekends, I spend countless hours both watching movies and trying to find the next movie on my binge.
But, instead of binging objectively good movies, like Parasite or Inception, I tend to look for movies that are not popular. Movies that fit my own tastes. Often, these movies fall into one specific category most people aren’t aware even exists: Wattpad movies.
These movies seem as if they were written on Wattpad. They are cringe-worthy romances with twists and turns. Sometimes, it’s pure romance, sometimes with drama, sometimes with action. Whatever it is, as long as it has a little bit of cringe, I’m game.
Unfortunately, these movies are not good movies. Not at all. Some of my favorites of this specific genre include the My Fault movie series, Cruel Intentions, The Duff, and Beautiful Disaster. They have loveable aspects that pull me in, and even when I cringe I just cannot look away.
So, each of my movie reviews will follow that format; A review of an objectively bad movie from my perspective.
First up is a new Netflix original movie starring Sofia Carson and Kyle Allen, The Life List. The movie begins showing Sofia Carson’s character, Alex, and her family relationship. She is very close to her mother, but soon her mother dies from complications with cancer. Alex and her brothers go to their mother’s lawyer to find out their inheritance. They all expect Alex to get the best things since they were so close. However, Alex is surprised to receive nothing except for a DVD. She complains to the lawyer Brad, played by Kyle Allen, and he assures her that her mother had done it for a reason, a reason he could not tell her yet. When she watches the DVD, her mother is on the screen. She reveals that as she was cleaning, she found a list that Alex had created when she was young, a list of things she wanted to do in her life. She tells Alex to start living and dreaming, instead of settling. So, her task is to finish everything on the list before the end of the year. Only then, will she receive her inheritance. Spoilers for the movie are ahead, so if this description interests you, please go watch the movie. It will not disappoint.
After watching this movie, I was pleasantly surprised. I love Sofia Carson as an actor, I’ve seen her in Purple Hearts and even Feel the Beat. Her acting is wonderful, but not perfect. I find that her emotion lacks just a bit when she says her lines. Kyle Allen’s performance is fantastic. I have always said he is an underrated actor. I loved him in The Map of Tiny Perfect Things, and I sincerely hope he gets cast in more things after this. He gives off such a sweet vibe, and he is the perfect love interest in anything he is in. In addition, the chemistry between these two leads is palpable. As we watch Alex complete the items on her list, she and Brad get closer, become friends, and then more.
There is a side plot that I have a grievance with, though. Alex develops a relationship with a co-worker, Garrett, who happens to know Brad. And Brad is in a relationship with a woman named Nina. As we go through the motions of a classic rom-com, Brad and Alex are both in relationships. Their interactions are platonic, however, as the viewers we know they will end up together. Garrett is self-centered and is not the best for Alex, however, Nina does nothing wrong. When Alex and Brad kiss for the first time, viewers have no idea that Brad and Nina had broken up just hours before. This irks me. If it feels like the characters are cheating, then it is cheating. It feels wrong, and even though I was rooting for Brad and Alex the entire time their kiss still felt off. Even so, I loved the development of their relationship. I love the fact that it was not the central plot point and that most of the movie revolved around Alex navigating the list.
The best part, in my opinion, was Alex fixing her relationship with her dad. He was not always there for her and seemed to not support her as much as he supported her brothers. But as she tries to mend their bond, they both realize the hardships are not worth losing each other completely.
In conclusion, the movie is a cringe romance with deeper elements tied to grief and becoming your best self, and it even made me reflect on some things. Maybe I should write a life list.
Cringe Factor: 4/10
Acting: 8/10
Story: 7/10
Romance: 8/10
Overall: 7/10