It’s fair to say I am a sucker for Rom-coms. From the “Kissing booth” to “To all the Boys I’ve loved before,” both series have brought back the “trend” of rom-coms lately. “Love Guaranteed” released September 3, 2020 on Netflix. After watching the trailer I thought it was very interesting, because it had a very different and unique plotline, compared to most other Netflix films. However, “Love Guaranteed” is a colossal disappointment, and provided a lamentable experience.
“Love Guaranteed” follows Susan (played by Rachael Leigh Cook), an attorney with a small firm, who gets hired by Nick (Damon Wayans Junior) to sue a dating site: “Love Guaranteed.” Not to mention this guy’s been on a 1,000 dates.
What really drew me to the trailer was Rachael Leigh Cook. She played Abigail Lytar in the famous comedy-drama show, “Psych.” Even though she was a recurring character throughout some seasons of the show, she really portrayed Abigail quite well. So, I was excited to see her in “Love Guaranteed,” but there was just some connection missing between the audience and her character. For example, when she played Abigail from Psych, I actually felt bad for her character at some very intense scenes. In this film there were intense scenes, such as Susan crying in the car, and I didn’t really feel bad for her. The whole film, I was just thinking about how the trailer looked nothing like the film. Sure, there were a few comedic lines and scenes here and there, but nothing made a huge impact. It just made a dent, just barely.
“Love Guaranteed” wasted exactly one hour, 31 minutes of my time. There was no coherent plot line, and the movie just rushed from one scene to the other. There was nothing giving the audience room to breathe— especially in a particularly tense moment or scene. One minute, there was a romance that started between Susan and Nick, but in another scene it was about Susan’s sister and her assistants at the law firm. Honestly, it was hard to follow and catch up to the plot. If I didn’t watch the trailer, I probably wouldn’t have even known what was going on in the film. There were more detailed moments with Susan and her assistants than really herself and Nick. Those were the scenes that took way too long, and made the first 30 minutes of the movie so boring.
Another downside was, the film failed to live up to the expectations the trailer gave: a trailer that grabs the attention of an audience, a trailer which gives off a good, fun-loving vibe. Again, an innocent love. I mean, I was thinking in my head, “Could this be a great, exciting enjoyable rom-com, with possibly a good story line, and just maybe, just maybe gives no dissapointments?”
However, I made wrong assumptions. There was nothing exciting about the film. The part where I was most dissatisfied was the courtroom scenes. In my free time I love to debate in Mock Trial, however, watching the courtroom dialogue, I was very upset, and, well, disappointed. Where was the adrenaline rush within the lawyers, the objection battles and the intense questioning given to the witnesses? The filmmakers could have taken more time and effort for them to actually attempt to make it seem more realistic.
I love watching a good rom-com, being so invested in a film where to the point I am yelling at the characters. To the point where my eyes begin to widen at the TV screen. To the point, there’s just that indescribable spark and feeling along with each and every scene, each character and the journey each character goes through. “Love Guaranteed” failed to give me this. It didn’t guarantee any good, quality content that it showed in the trailer. So, if you want to watch a 0.5/5 film (in my opinion) go for it, no one is stopping you. But, watch it at your own risk.