Puppy Love Review
By Sioph LealSet in a post-Covid world, wild child Nicole (Lucy Hale) and socially anxious Max (Grant Gustin) find themselves with a new dog in their different lives. Max has the quiet but comforting Chloe and Nicole has the sloppy but lovable Channing Tatum. Going on a date for their dogs, it’s a disastrous time for the two who vow to lose each other’s numbers, until they learn their dogs are in love and puppies are on the way. The mismatched pair are forced to be responsible for their dogs but grow in ways they did not expect.
Romantic comedies have a trope of being cliché, having the female lead as a stereotyped career-driven, emotionally closed-off hard-ass woman or a geek that rarely combines the qualities, with her male lead being a womanizing, judgmental, overconfident, and charming man with a great smile. Puppy Love doesn’t reinvent the genre, but it breathes new life into a tired cliché. The two romantic leads don’t try to change each other; instead, they grow into each other and make room in their lives for each other, albeit for the impending puppies, but that doesn’t make it any less adorable. It is one of many things that makes this a refreshing addition to the tired trope of people changing to fit into the coupling.
Max and Nicole aren’t without their cliches. Instead of being enemies to lovers, the two feel more like annoyances to lovers, but the excellent pacing and storytelling make their transition from acquaintances on a first date gone terribly wrong to something that brings a calming, encouraging force into their lives, something believable. The two have their moments, but it is refreshing to see a romantic comedy couple without the clichéd, toxic traits that have overshadowed the genre for many years. For a romantic comedy, it is very calming, even in moments of chaos, due to their relationship and growth feeling natural.
Lucy Hale is no stranger to taking on romantic roles, and she is paired brilliantly with Grant Gustin. After his success in many franchises, ranging from Glee to CW’s The Flash, the internet was ready to see him take on a romantic lead. He does not disappoint in any way. From his budding romance with Hale’s character to his comedic timing with Syd (Nore Davis), he is a standout in this movie. It is a role he effortlessly fits in and finds a perfect balance of awkward and charming that carries the movie. He is almost painfully relatable. It’s a post-Covid world and seeing him adjust to the world and struggle is almost too real but doesn’t take away from the comedic elements of the movie. It’s a modern rom-com and Gustin taking centre stage proves he is worthy of the leading man title.
Moments that take away from the movie are few and far between. They don’t affect the overall vibe of the film and what’s more, it doesn’t take away from the comedy or the two leads. The scenes with Max’s therapist didn’t quite fit the movie with jokes that don’t land and can come off as nasty rather than funny. The only other issue is, at first, the vet can be quite annoying instead of comical but as his scenes continue, he fits more into the movie and creates his own memorable yet hilarious moments.
Puppy Love is a heartwarming romantic comedy about going out of your comfort zone, but not losing or changing who you are for a romantic partner. It’s a refreshing take on a tired genre, embracing modern themes and keeping the comedy. Allowing the characters to grow into a more confident version of themselves without a significant partner being the goal will make for a great rewatchable movie.
Puppy Love is available to watch 18th August on Amazon Freevee.