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Stars: Josh Gilmer, Kate Durocher, Jack Menzie and Ana Ming Bostwick-Singer.
Director: Alex Magaña
Distributor: Indie Rights

“We haven’t gone out in forever…”

Opening with a variation of cute, loved-up couples during a romantic night in the city, we see what love looks like during the opening titles. Throughout the next 90 minutes, five stories of love transcend from good to bad, extravagant to ridiculous, and so on. No doubt, you will find yourself comparing your own relationship to those in What Love Looks Like.

The first couple we really move in with consists of total d*ckhead Owen (Josh Gilmer) and attention-lacking Nicole (Kate Durocher). Owen is the ultimate contemporary – always on his phone. His reasoning being that it’s always work-related, Nicole is undeservingly shoved to the side. But is it really work-related? For all we and Nicole know, Owen could be sleazing around… It’s the neglect and uncertainty that kills, and thus the darker, more tragic elements of love are present in What Love Looks Like. What should Nicole do? What would you do?

Like love itself, plenty of humour is present within What Love Looks Like. Can there, however, be too many comic reliefs in a rom-com? Yes, definitely. Within What Love Looks Like, there is a clear standout for the comic relief role: Jack Menzies’ Theodore, an awkwardly shy on-looker in the park and dog walker, but certainly no dogger. His cringe-worthy actions throughout manage to eventually convince you to cheer for him as he chases his dream of having a girlfriend. The minor issue to comprehend, however, is that in What Love Looks Like exists another comedy couple. If you find Theo and Bailey (Ana Ming Bostwick-Singer) frustrating, then you’ve no chance with Finn (Kyle Meck) and Penelope (Taylor Alexa Frank) as the former presents a humour at unbranded diet cola levels compared to Theo’s full fat Coca-Cola.

For audiences, What Love Looks Like can provide an exciting array of viewing capabilities. It is the gem of a rom-com where couples and individuals can relate to the actions of the characters in the vein of, “Remember when I was like that?”, but can also have the pleasure of sitting back and enjoying a harmless film also. Cliches are present, obviously, but in this range of film, it is to be expected, and thankfully doesn’t provide any disappointment or cause any disarray to the overall enjoyment of What Love Looks Like.

Writer-director Alex Magaña successfully interweaves varying storylines all throughout, leading to heart-warming, feel-good conclusions. Fantastically organic. Maestro Magaña’s story provides plenty of bittersweet occurrences, timely mixed with relatable sorry. Combining both realism with potential fantasy is a risk, but one taken nobly, and paid off with great riches. Ultimately, What Love Looks Like is a VOD delight with plenty of love on demand, now available on Amazon Prime.

Many thanks to Indie Rights for the pleasure of this film.

4 Stars

Dom.

For John.

This article’s featured image: By Source, Indie Rights, Fair Use https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9651918/mediaviewer/rm2670825473