Netflix’s new romantic comedy is stealing plenty of hearts. After finding massive success in the genre with the To All the Boys and The Kissing Booth franchises, the streaming giant took another leap into the foray when it debuted its Steven Tsuchida-directed film Resort to Love. Making its Netflix debut on Thursday, July 29, the film quickly shot to the top of Netflix‘s streaming charts.
Tagged by the streamer as “romantic” and “charming,” Resort to Love stars Christina Milia as Erica, an aspiring pop star who, in the wake of a music career meltdown, takes a gig at a luxurious island resort on Mauritius, only to find herself as the entertainment at her ex-fiancé Jason’s wedding. As she attempts to keep their past relationship a secret from his bride-to-be Beverly, and despite Jason’s brother’s attempts to keep them from falling back in love, Erica soon rediscovers her feelings for her ex, leading to the question of whether she will sing at Beverly’s wedding or her own. Along with Milia, Resort to Love also stars Jay Pharoah and Sinqua Walls.
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Following its debut in late July, the film shot to the No. 4 spot on Netflix’s overall chart for movies and series. It fared even better on the movies chart, where it quickly placed at No. 2. However, the film has since slipped to No. 9 overall just ahead of The CW’s The Flash and No. 3 among movies behind The Vault and The Losers. As with most of its original titles, Netflix has not released any viewership data for the film, so it is unclear just how many households have tuned in.
While the film is surging on the Netflix charts, and there are plenty of articles boasting the film as “the perfect rom-com escape” and, the film ultimately seems to have fallen flat for critics and audience members alike. Despite its success on the Netflix streaming charts, Resort to Love has only managed to secure a 33% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. It has, however, fared at least a little better among critics, who have given the film a 50% Tomatometer score, which is the percentage of critics who have given the film a positive review. In their review for Lyles’ Movie Files, critic Jeffrey Lyles wrote, “one major hang-up aside, Resort to Love checks in with good laughs, a charming cast and a brisk run time to make it worth a quick destination choice for your weekend viewing.” Screen Rant‘s Mae Abdulbaki added that the film “doesn’t do anything unexpected or exciting and, despite its overly saccharine silliness, it is entertaining enough to watch in passing.”
Netflix subscribers can watch Resort to Love on the streaming platform now. The Netflix library included numerous other romcoms, as well as several other films that are making waves on the platform. Stay tuned to PopCulture for the latest streaming updates!
