Missed Connections is a romance film centered around Mae who has a meet-cute with a boy but what starts as harmless becomes an unhealthy obsession. The film is available on Netflix.
Story
Mae is a hopeless romantic and aspiring businesswoman who makes her own t-shirt designs and sells them online. When she comes across a guy at a supermarket, she falls for him and seeks him out through an app that connects people who have had chance encounters.
They connect through “Missed Connections” but it turns out that he was actually looking for someone else from the supermarket. They do end up working together as the guy, Norman, is a web designer who helps her with her website.
Mae slowly falls in love with Norman but it isn’t reciprocated as he eventually finds the other girl he was looking for. Mae is determined to be with Norman but slowly realizes the hard way that you can’t always get what you want in life.
Performances
Miles Ocampo’s performance as Mae is grating and annoying in the first half as she portrays a lovesick puppy but as her delusion sets in further, her performance improves drastically.
Kelvin Miranda perfects the awkwardness of Norman but he isn’t charming enough to be the center of attraction in the film. It is an adequate effort at best.
JC Santos as Mark being an extension of Mae’s conscience is entertaining in the little time that he’s given.
Positives
This isn’t a typical boy meets girl love story and it is always fun when filmmakers choose to explore a different perspective when it comes to certain genres. Mae’s journey is ultimately optimistic even if it undergoes some serious lows.
The various one-word t-shirts that Mae wears usually hint at where she is mentally and that’s a clever and subtle detail to point out.
Negatives
Despite having a good idea, the story doesn’t have enough depth in it. Mae’s personal life and her break-up with Mark aren’t explored enough or even explained to the audience for better context.
The film as whole moves along quite briskly as she has one drunk night to ruin things between Julia and Norman, then one dinner for the truth to come out, and then an unclear amount of time for her redemption. It’s all a little bit disappointing.
Verdict
Missed Connections is a story about learning to accept things as they are and move on from the past rather than hold on to it. There are some valuable lessons being put forth in the movie but the filmmaker doesn’t take enough risks or be bold enough to tell a truly impactful story.
Also Read: Missed Connections (2023) summary and ending explained
