The Lovebirds is directed by Michael Showalter. It is a romantic comedy about a couple who is going through a rough patch but will have to work together to clear their names from a bizarre murder that takes place in front of them. It stars Kumail Nanjiani and Issa Rae. 

One of the latest theatrical release to be brought to our homes is The Lovebirds. This is Michael Showalter’s follow up to The Big Sick, a movie I really enjoyed. This is once again starring Kumail Nanjiani only this time, he is paired with Issa Rae for a full-on rom-com and not an emotional romantic drama like The Big Sick. Seeing this movie on Netflix comfortably at home made me realize how rare it is to see a good old-fashioned rom-com in theatres. With the rise of streaming services, it makes sense that rom-coms become a staple to watch at home for a movie-night with your partner, friends or by yourself. That being said, it’s rather sad that the idea of taking a day to go see a rom-com with friends or with a partner at an actual theatre is becoming less and less of a possibility. I say this because The Lovebirds is most definitely not a theatrical experience and there’s nothing wrong with that.

The Lovebirds is a good old-fashioned romantic comedy with a modern touch. We have seen this plot occur in many movies over the years. Just two years ago, Game Night a movie about a couple who is going through something get involved in a bizarre scheme did this exact same plot. On that note, The Lovebirds gives us a diverse couple made of an African-American and a Pakistani-American. I love how they actually adress this in the movie in a relevant matter. When they get involved in this murder, they don’t call the police and if you don’t know why, you’re living under a rock. I appreciated it because they didn’t make a big deal out of it so it felt natural, after all this is a romantic comedy. However without that new persepective, The Lovebirds would really be another version of Game Night or Date Night, if we’re going further. That being said, it doesn’t do a sloppy impression.

When it comes to movies like these I expect to chuckle a few times but The Lovebirds is genuinely one of the funnier movies I’ve seen in recent memory. I laughed out loud several times and that is due to the great comedic skills of Rae and Nanjiani. From the line delivery even to the physical stuff, I don’t feel like there was a single joke that didn’t land and that honestly surprised me. With that in mind, it goes without saying that they are the best part of the movie. If it weren’t for their electric chemistry, this would be just another rom-com but it’s not. I feel like because of their chemistry and comedic performances that this rises above the average rom-com.

The only real flaws I have with the movie is that the plot is so used but again since the leads make it work, I’m not mad at it. The movie is super short, it’s only an hour and twenty-seven minutes, including credits. The movie is paced fairly well, it does drag a bit in the second act but it picks up rather quickly. The mystery the movie tries to present got a bit hard to follow for my taste. I mean, it asks the viewer to pay attention when all we really want to do is just turn our brains off for an hour and a half but thankfully the movie doesn’t focus a lot on it. My advice to you is to actually give this movie a watch. Heat up a bag of popcorn, get all comfy on your couch and get ready for an entertaining and surprisingly hilarious hour and a half.

Overall, The Lovebirds benefits from having two charismatic leads with some truly great chemistry to make their overused premise. To the movie’s credit, the story doesn’t get boring and the leads are captivating the entire time. It is short, sweet, hilarious and it’s on Netflix. What do you have to lose?

RATING: C