Look both ways (2022) is a romantic dramedy based on the life of a career-oriented college student whose reality splits into two after she takes a pregnancy test on the night of her graduation.
Story
After hooking up with Gabe, Natalie starts experiencing Nausea and takes a pregnancy test. The reality splits into two as she gets a positive result in one timeline and a negative one in another.
While the positive result disrupts Natalie’s five-year plan to move to Los Angeles, in the other timeline, Natalie sets on her journey with her best friend to pursue her dream of becoming an illustrator.
The pregnant Natalie deals with the challenges of motherhood and her complicated dynamic with Gabe. The other Natalie struggles with her job in LA and explores her relationship with Jake.
Natalie in LA presents her portfolio to her boss who calls her work uninspired. She later gets into an argument with Jake over his priorities who, in turn, dumps her. After being rejected by Natalie, Gabe gets engaged to Miranda. The pregnant Natalie gets upset seeing Gabe move on with his life.
Both of them turn to illustration and start working toward their dream.
Performances
Adding to its execution aspect, the cast amplifies the feel-good factor of the film and adds depth to its writing.
Much like her role in Riverdale, Lili Reinhart engages the audience through all the cringy scenes. She effortlessly switches from her role as the moody and pregnant Natalie to the hardworking Natalie in LA.
While the character of Gabe is extremely simple on paper, Danny Ramirez portrays his repressed feelings for Natalie solely through his expressions and adds greater depth to their dynamic.
Jake, played by David Corenswet, is pretty much like the typical romantic movie lead.
Regardless of her negligible involvement in the actual storyline, Aisha Dee as Cara is iconic in her role and in portraying her bond with Natalie.
Positives
The resolution of the movie is simple yet cathartic. Using the common anxiety of ‘what if, Natalie’s story gives hope about the current reality to its viewers.
The pacing between the scenes is even and allows its audience to invest in both the story at the same time. The bright color palette of the film adds to its magical effect.
Despite the overused romantic tropes, the movie excels at the execution and the feel-good factor.
Negatives
The movie does not explain the motivation behind its character decisions or their consequences. Natalie justifies her choice to keep the baby by admitting she just feels it would be the right choice for her which seems too incongruent to her character and leaves a lot of questions unanswered.
The pregnant Natalie timeline chooses the complete fantasy path while Natalie in LA struggles with her plans and success in a more realistic sense.
Verdict
Despite its plotholes, the movie gives its viewers a comforting feeling. It is a must-watch just for the sake of the hope it gives.
Look Both Ways
Director: Wanuri Kahiu
Date Created: 2022-08-18 17:50
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Also Read: Look Both Ways ending explained: What happens with Natalie in both timelines?