The Lovebirds

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

5.2	USER SCORE Mixed or average reviews based on 89 Ratings

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User Reviews

User score By date Most helpful

tropicAcesMay 22, 2020

I love Issa Rae, but she and Nanjiani can only do so much with a script that runs out of jokes at the halfway mark.

4 of 4 users found this helpful40

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SturmhardtMay 22, 2020

I like stupid comedies but this one just wasn't very funny. It was okay but really on the lower end. Watch only if you are REALLY bored.

3 of 3 users found this helpful30

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meinsouzaJun 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

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JLuis_001Jun 13, 2020

Even with its marked differences and blatant different characters, during all the duration this movie reminded me of Date Night with Steve Carell and Tina Fey.
And the truth is that it didn't amuse me

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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SAULTSHAKERMay 23, 2020

Big fan of Kumail Nanjiani in general, which is why I watched the movie. The plot was lacking, but I thought both leads put on a good performance. During quarantine, it's worth it. In theaters, probably not.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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Davrosdaleks1May 24, 2020

Lovebirds, is about a couple (Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani) whom after being mistaken for the culprits of a murder go chasing after the real murderer (Paul Sparks). This was a little hard to rate as the film equally has stuff I liked andLovebirds, is about a couple (Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani) whom after being mistaken for the culprits of a murder go chasing after the real murderer (Paul Sparks). This was a little hard to rate as the film equally has stuff I liked and disliked.

Jokes are hit-and-miss. The funniest parts are derived from investigating the mystery (we know who did it but not why.) Things can get dark, and it is at the sure unexpectedness of this darkness that the movie works best.

The jokes that don't work are often at the points that the focus is more on the personal lives of the characters, which isn't as strong. There is a conflict set up between the couple that never feels real enough. It doesn't help that the jokes are often stretched. So if you don't like one, expect it to go on for a while. There is a little too much observational humor and the characters overreacting to things.

Though they can't make the weak bit work, Rae and Nanjiani are good in this and have chemistry together.

I was on the fence about how I felt about this. I actually recommend you watch this because I feel that there'd be a good amount of people who'd prefer this more than me. Even if you don't like it, I think it's more likely to be a miss with you rather than something you outright dislike.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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eagleeyevikingMay 28, 2020

While the story is ridiculous and unambitious, the chemistry between Kumail Nanjiani and Issa Rae is what keeps "The Lovebirds" afloat. It's light tone, amusing moments, and brief runtime also make it an ideal Netflix watch.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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ProfessorfettJun 6, 2020

The Lovebirds a movie you normally would have to pay to see in theaters went straight to Netflix due to recent events. I can say for a Netflix movie it isn't terrible. I know that is glowing praise, but if I were to pay to see this inThe Lovebirds a movie you normally would have to pay to see in theaters went straight to Netflix due to recent events. I can say for a Netflix movie it isn't terrible. I know that is glowing praise, but if I were to pay to see this in theaters I would be less then generous to it. The Lovebirds is a romantic comedy where if you watch the trailer you have seen all the jokes basically. That is a huge problem that trailer had me thinking that this film was going to be a side splitting good time. Instead I got a passable comedy. I do mean it is passable due to the fact you will laugh at some of the jokes... but not many. The plot focuses on a couple who end up being accessories to a murder from a guy claiming to be a cop, and the comedy ensues. Some may find Kumail Nanjiani annoying due to how he is complaining the entire film. It didn't bother me, but be warned he is the exact character he was in Stuber. Issa Rae playing (his girlfriend) actually has the best jokes in the movie. These two are likable just the movie isn't that funny. If you have Netflix by all means still check it out for a movie you for the most part spend no money on it is worth that.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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Stream2BigScreeMay 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 boringThere 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

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OldAintDeadMay 23, 2020

The Lovebirds is ridiculous, but funny. No sensible humans would act like these two act, but if they'd been sensible there would be no movie.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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marcmyworksOct 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.