Love at First Sight

Hadley Sullivan (Haley Lu Richardson), a 20-year-old American student, narrowly misses her flight to London due to her chronic tardiness and a nearly empty phone battery. Nevertheless, she secures herself a ticket for the next flight. At a phone charging station, she encounters Oliver Jones (Ben Hardy), a 22-year-old British statistics student from Yale, who generously lends her his charger. They decide to grab a meal together, during which Hadley reveals she's en route to her father's wedding in London. While Oliver's purpose for the trip remains initially undisclosed, Hadley suspects, based on his attire, that he's also attending a wedding.

When they're called to board, they rush to the gate and arrive just in time. Initially seated apart in different classes, fate intervenes as a broken seat belt leads Oliver to end up sitting next to Hadley. During the flight, Oliver displays a compassionate side, comforting Hadley amid her fears of flying by engaging her in distraction. They watch a movie together, finding solace in each other's company. Their laughter echoes through the cabin as they jest about Oliver's curious choice of sleep attire, creating a bond amidst the airborne journey.

Upon landing in London, the two had planned to meet again after Oliver had given Hadley his number, but fate takes a mischievous turn as Hadley's phone, with Oliver's contact details, malfunctions. Despite their intentions to reconnect, circumstances prevent them from doing so. They part ways at the airport, not knowing each other's last names, setting the stage for a serendipitous reunion.

Now onto my thoughts about this movie. First and foremost, this film was a delightful surprise for me. I hadn't heard anything about it beforehand (shame on you, Netflix marketing) and spontaneously decided to give it a watch. But I just had to review it after realizing how much joy it brought me. The film excels in evoking emotions, bringing me both an abundance of laughs and a bit of tears. This is primarily because of its exceptionally well-rounded and beautifully written script that exudes warmth and allows the audience to be deeply engaged with these wonderful characters. The two leads are portrayed wonderfully and share fantastic chemistry on screen. There are countless beautiful, emotional, meaningful, and profound sequences and conversations that kept me wholly invested and thoroughly charmed. Every supporting character contributes significantly to the overall feeling of warmth and comfort this movie provides to its viewers. The film is also complemented by a lovely modern soundtrack that elevates each scene it’s in.

Despite the story being somewhat obvious and slightly predictable, there are twists and turns that I found appealing. My only issue stems from the role of the narrator. Even though I understand the choice stylistically, the narrator unnecessarily spoils parts of the story and feels tacked-on to storylines rather than seamlessly integrated. 

Nevertheless, Love at First Sight is a heartwarming romantic comedy. While it may not embody the typical characteristics of a classic Christmas film, it felt right to watch it during this season as it perfectly encapsulates certain Christmas elements: love and forgiveness within families, friendships, and the importance of timing. The film culminates on an emotional note with a wonderful ending that truly leaves no questions unanswered, neatly concluding a beautiful movie.

8/10