REVIEW: Love Wedding Repeat Is Not Worth a Repeat

Ridiculous may be the most apt way to describe Netflix’s new romantic comedy, Love Wedding Repeat. While ridiculous can be fun and entertaining if executed well, this new film is not a good ridiculous. Starring Sam Claflin, Freida Pinto and Olivia Munn, the premise seems solid on paper. Claflin’s character, Jack, attempts to make his sister’s (Eleanor Tomlinson) wedding day as seamless and stress-free as possible. Tasked with keeping a wedding crashing guest hellbent on ruining the wedding away from the bride while trying to deal with his ex-girlfriend’s (Pinto) theatrics, all while making every effort to reconnect with the one who got away (Munn), Jack more than has his hands full.

Each of those scenarios holds promise solo, all together should be the basis for a humorous ride with a touch of romance. Instead, the writers can’t leave well enough alone and add in a couple alternate versions of how Jack handles the days. This results in a blundering, chaotic, unbelievable mess.

As a fan of romantic comedies, this has the potential to be a good one. A talented cast, great setting, and interesting storyline should be a recipe for success. Yet each of the pieces falls flat. There are instances when the pieces can fall flat and somehow still work, but not with this flick. The execution of the storylines were absurd, the characters not engaging, and at no point did I ever think any of this could happen at a wedding. Weird behavior and choices happen at weddings all the time, but everything about this movie was just too over the top.

While the cast itself holds talent, they had nothing to work with. Even their strong talent couldn’t have saved this movie. If you are interested in watching a romance movie with Claflin as the lead, I suggest you watch Love, Rosie or Me Before You. Both of them are more worthy choices than Love Wedding Repeat. The lone highlight of this over-stuffed mess is the setting, it’s absolutely gorgeous.

For those at home looking for something fun and romantic to watch this weekend, I would not recommend this one. Pick an old favorite or watch one of mine like Clueless or She’s All That (those staircase scenes are iconic)! Love Wedding Repeat will just leave you wondering what just happened rather than leaving you with that good, romcom feeling.

Grade: D