The Lovebirds

Name: The Lovebirds
Genre: Action, Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Comedy
Released: May 22, 2020
Duration: 86 min
Rating: 59
Cast: Andrene Ward-Hammond, Anna Camp, Barry Rothbart, Blaine Kern III, Catherine Cohen

2020

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Mixed or average reviews based on 34 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 88 Ratings

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5.2	User Score Mixed or average reviews based on 88 Ratings

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The Lovebirds

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Movie Details & Credits

Paramount Pictures | Release Date (Streaming): May 22, 2020 | R

Starring: Andrene Ward-Hammond, Anna Camp, Barry Rothbart, Blaine Kern III, Catherine Cohen, Issa Rae, Jaren Mitchell, Joe Chrest, Kelly Murtagh, Kenneth Kynt Bryan, Kumail Nanjiani, Kyle Bornheimer, Mahdi Cocci, Matthew Rimmer, Moses Jacob Storm, Nicholas X. Parsons, Paul Sparks, Robert Larriviere

Summary: A couple (Issa Rae & Kumail Nanjiani) experiences a defining moment in their relationship when they are unintentionally embroiled in a murder mystery. As their journey to clear their names takes them from one extreme – and hilarious - circumstance to the next, they must figure out how they, and their relationship, can survive the night.

Director: Michael Showalter

Genre(s): Action, Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Comedy, Romance, Crime

Rating: R

Runtime: 86 min

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Critic Reviews

Joshua Rivera

Jun 9, 2020

While it’s not big on declarations of love, comic misunderstandings, or many of the genre trappings, it understands that the best romantic comedies are ones where the two leads are always talking, with each other, at each other, or past each other, constantly trying to sort out their relationship, despite whatever chaos is around them. Read full review

Beandrea July

May 20, 2020

With a tightly structured script and Nanjiani and Rae’s raucous yet down-to-earth performances, The Lovebirds makes for a delightful and unexpected ride. Read full review

Leah Greenblatt

May 20, 2020

What feels freshest, maybe, is the mere fact of two leads of color taking on all the tropes of the genre and making it feel as modern as they do. Read full review

Mark Olsen

May 21, 2020

Rae and Nanjiani have a quicksilver chemistry, flashing from playful banter to genuine, hurtful arguing in an instant. Read full review

The Playlist Robert Daniels

May 20, 2020

Even if this rom-com never completely coalesces, Showalter’s The Lovebirds does ultimately deliver a worthwhile conclusion Read full review

Derek Smith

May 20, 2020

Once the film shifts into a broader comedic register, it no longer capitalizes on Kumail Nanjiani and Issa Rae’s gift for gab. Read full review

A.O. Scott

May 21, 2020

Rae and Nanjiani do their best, but neither the dialogue nor the direction serves their talents adequately. Read full review

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User Reviews

musicalmarvell

Aug 10, 2020

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I honestly thought I was tuning in for 1 hour and 27 minutes of pure stupidity and nonsense when I pressed the play button for "The Lovebirds". I was kind of wrong. To be completely honest, I actually enjoyed this film. The screenplay was decent. I thought the jokes weren't too cheesy; I actually found them funny. The chemistry between Kumail Nanjiani and Issa Rae wasn't the worst. I definitely enjoyed Issa Rae's hilarious performance! Yes, part of the movie is completely absurd (especially the part where they were gullible enough to trust a sketchy-a*s man who claimed he was police and then they just SAT THERE AND WATCHED HIM RUN OVER SOME POOR DUDE LIKE WHAT IN THE WORLD??). But, I just found it entertaining, enjoyable, funny, thrilling even. (not the murder part btw lol).

I'm honestly glad "The Lovebirds" didn't premiere in theaters because it would've flopped financially FOR SURE.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Nyreemuse

Jul 21, 2020

I loved it! Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiami had a quirky energy and chemistry that was delightful to watch unfold. It isn’t Casablanca or The Princess Bride, but it is entertaining and a fun and fanciful distraction from the real world.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Stream2BigScree

May 23, 2020

There is a typical comedy that seems to come out every summer that involves a couple in a rut, a strange turn of events, and its all resolved over the course of a crazy night out. Steve Carrell and Tina Fey romped through it as a boring married couple in Date Night. Jason Bateman and RachelThere is a typical comedy that seems to come out every summer that involves a couple in a rut, a strange turn of events, and its all resolved over the course of a crazy night out. Steve Carrell and Tina Fey romped through it as a boring married couple in Date Night. Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams joked about in it as a buttoned-up couple in Game Night. Now, we have Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani in the Netflix premiere of The Lovebirds trading barbs as a couple at the end of their rope on this fateful night. If you have seen one of these movies, then you have seen them all; in these action/crime/romance comedies the entertainment value, chemistry of the leads and the humor determine whether they are worth the time. Let’s see how The Lovebirds fares.

For The Lovebirds, the premise is pretty basic and set forth in the trailer. Rae and Nanjiani play a bickering couple who have run out of patience for each other and have lost the excitement in their relationship. On one evening out in New Orleans, a policeman commandeers their vehicle and proceeds to murder a cyclist. Was that a real policeman? Is this couple now accomplices in this crime? Are they in danger and how do they prove they aren’t the criminals? Hijinks ensue.

The Lovebirds is directed by comedy vet, Michael Showalter, who previously directed Nanjiani in The Big Sick, which is a more thoughtful comedy available on Amazon Prime. It is a face paced movie. The catalyst event happens in the first 10 minutes, but from there, it does get a bit episodic but it moves at a good clip. As the couple follows the clues to the next set piece, the comedy doesn’t really ratchet up anything. We meet new characters and there a few surprises near the end, but those characters aren’t very memorable as they are just breadcrumbs along the way. The movie needs more tension or a heightening of reality because otherwise it doesn’t set itself apart for any others in this genre.

The chemistry between Rae and Nanjiani is good though. Each plays a modern archetype. Rae is the image obsessed woman who works at a marketing firm and her boyfriend isn’t exciting enough for her. Nanjiani is the straight-laced, documentary filmmaker who’s jealousy bubbles just beneath the surface. There is a meet-cute between Rae and Nanjiani early on that doesn’t really show why they are in this relationship, but the back-and-forth between the two works and is funny throughout the film. Without these two, this film would have been boring noise just to play in the background. I can’t say that the film itself is funny, but the leads do their best to make the most of it.

Ultimately, if this movie were in the theaters, I would say wait until it is on some streaming service. In our current climate, since The Lovebirds has premiered on Netflix, it is a decent film to watch on a casual night at home. Grab a bowl of popcorn. Curl up with your boo and see if you would make it through this hellacious night unscathed. Besides it is less than 90 minutes, you have that time – I know you do.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

marcmyworks

Oct 6, 2020

A not so funny film about a couple caught up in a night of craziness. This film trope has been done to death and has never really worked. Well shot though.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

geewah

Dec 26, 2020

Rae & Nanjiani try their best to make this rom-com work, but a limited screenplay is what holds this movie back.
Average.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

meinsouza

Jun 15, 2020

this movie was so impossibly blend and generic that I fail to find redeeming qualities, and worse of all, Kumail and Issa Rae have zero..i mean ZERO CHEMISTRY...what a waste of time

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

MARCOS414

May 29, 2020

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Me and my fiance had to stop watching half way in. Horrible acting by the main actors. Instead of telling truth to cops or the lady they just make up random things...which makes it horrible to watch when they don't tell people they didn't kill bicycle.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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