By Kumail Nanjiani teams with Issa Rae and re-teams with his The Big Sick director for a madcap black comedy, now streaming on a Netflix near you.
The Lovebirds is one of the many cinematic casualties of the coronavirus pandemic. The film was set for a cinema release last month, but things being as they are, Paramount decided to sell the film to Netflix. From seeing the film itself, Netflix seems a good home for it, as it is not too far away from the types of comedies the streamer has been producing themselves, and that’s not necessarily a compliment
The plot follows Jibran (Nanjiani) and Leilani (Rae), a couple on the brink of a break-up after seeing each other for four years. That discussion will have to wait as a car accident sees them become unwittingly embroiled in a murder mystery that only becomes more bizarre the deeper they look into it.
The Lovebirds is not dissimilar in premise or approach to humour as the likes of Date Night and Netflix’s own Murder Mystery. All three films involve a couple going through a rough patch and who are thrown into a situation where they’re in way over their heads, with much of the comedic beats and action set pieces getting mileage out of their fish out of water, normal couples struggling to keep up. Where The Lovebirds differs is in the flavour that comedy takes. Both Date Night and Murder Mystery go for bigger action, more slapstick and a goofier sense of tone. The Lovebirds gets a bit weird with it.
Full review over at THN, originally published May 22nd 2020.
Andrew Gaudion 