The Acting: A Masterclass in What Not to Do
Let's address the elephant in the room: the acting is awful. It's rare to watch a film where every line delivery feels like a first table read. For instance, in a scene where Abel is supposed to express his love, Omar Sy's delivery is so flat that it's hard to believe he's even trying. Still, French Lover manages to make even simple dialogue sound unnatural and forced. The chemistry between the leads is so nonexistent that you'd think they were filming their scenes separately, hoping the editors could create some connection in post-production.
The performances lack authenticity, warmth, or any emotional depth. Romantic scenes that should make you swoon instead make you cringe. When the two leads are supposed to be falling in love, it feels more like watching two strangers awkwardly fulfill contractual obligations. There's no spark, no tension, no reason to believe these people would even like each other, let alone fall head over heels.
A Rom-Com Without Romance
Here's the fatal flaw: French Lover truly lacks romance. For a genre that thrives on evoking emotions, this film is remarkably effective at leaving you feeling nothing at all. Or worse, making you feel uncomfortable.
The script seems to confuse "quirky" with "creepy" and "persistent" with "romantic." Abel's behavior throughout the film crosses lines that would send red flags flying in any real relationship. He's cast as irresponsible, selfish, and immature, and his actions stray from goofy to truly objectionable, making it nearly impossible to root for him. Instead of a lovable romantic lead, we get a protagonist whose behavior makes you want to warn the waitress to run in the opposite direction.
When a romantic movie makes you feel actively anti-romance, something has gone terribly wrong.
Why Are People Watching This?
The most puzzling aspect of French Lover is its massive viewership despite overwhelmingly negative reactions. Some critics have gone so far as to call it "an insult on all the senses" and warned viewers to "avoid this movie at all costs". Yet here it sits, dominating Netflix's global charts.
The answer might lie in Netflix's algorithm and the power of prominent placement. The streaming giant's homepage real estate is prime advertising, and once a movie starts trending, curiosity drives more clicks. The premise, a famous actor falling for a regular waitress, is inherently appealing. The poster looks romantic. The thumbnail promises European charm. By the time viewers realize they've been duped, they've already contributed to the view count.
There's also the hate-watch factor. In an age of social media commentary, sometimes terrible movies become cultural moments. People watch specifically to understand what everyone's complaining about, to join the conversation, to craft their own scathing review.
The Comparison That Haunts It
French Lover has been compared to Notting Hill, which is both fair in concept and devastating in execution. Both films center on the collision between celebrity and ordinary life, though French Lover flips the script with the famous person being the man. But where Notting Hill gave us Hugh Grant's bumbling charm, genuine vulnerability, and that iconic "I'm just a girl, standing in front of a boy" moment, French Lover offers, well, nothing remotely memorable.
The comparison only highlights how much French Lover gets wrong. Notting Hill worked because it understood that romance requires vulnerability, chemistry, and characters worth rooting for. It built tension, earned its emotional moments, and created a love story that felt both fantastical and genuine. French Lover has the setup but none of the substance.
A Missed Opportunity
The frustrating thing about French Lover is that it had potential. The premise isn't bad. Paris is inherently romantic. The idea of exploring celebrity culture and genuine connection could have yielded something interesting. Instead, we got poor execution at every level, from the script to the performances to the direction.
The film falls into disappointing screenwriting pitfalls, relying on tired tropes without effectively executing them. It's lazy filmmaking that assumes the genre will do the heavy lifting, assuming the "rom-com" label is enough without actually delivering romance or comedy.
The Verdict
French Lover is a perfect example of how not to make a romantic comedy. It's a film that fundamentally misunderstands what makes the genre work, confusing stalking with courtship, and featuring acting so wooden that it could be used for furniture. It's a disconnect that's hard to ignore.
If you're looking for romance, chemistry, or even basic entertainment, look elsewhere. If you're looking for a case study in how to drain all the romance out of a romantic movie, then congratulations, you've found your film. Just don't say you weren't warned.
