Last year was a big one for romantic movies, with high-profile titles like the Colleen Hoover adaptation "It Ends with Us," the Florence Pugh-led "We Live in Time," Anne Hathaway's rock-star romance in "The Idea of You" and the sporty threesome antics of "Challengers."
But there's one 2024 romantic comedy you (probably) haven't watched but should: "Between the Temples."
A low-key, mumblecore dramedy, "Between the Temples" features surprising May-December chemistry between leads Jason Schwartzman, as a grieving Jewish cantor, and the nearly three-decades-his-senior Carol Kane, as his grade-school music teacher that he unexpectedly falls for.
The warm, sweet flick is currently available to stream on Netflix, and here's why you should add it to your next watchlist.
What is 'Between the Temples' about?
A year after his wife Ruth suddenly died after slipping on a patch of ice, cantor Ben Gottlieb (Schwartzman) is dealing with both grief and a crisis of faith, not to mention the joys of moving back in with his Jewish moms Meira (Caroline Aaron) and Judith (Dolly de Leon).
However, things begin to change for Ben when he encounters Carla Kessler (Kane), his former music teacher in elementary school, who wants to complete a late-in-life bat mitzvah ceremony, a rite of passage she didn't get a chance to achieve as a young girl. With sign-off from the synagogue's rabbi (Robert Smigel), Ben agrees to tutor Carla ahead of the ceremony.
As the pair commences their lesson, an unlikely yet moving connection begins to blossom between them, leading to some confusion and criticism from their respective families, especially as Ben's mothers have been trying to set him up with the rabbi's daughter (Madeline Weinstein).
Why you should stream 'Between the Temples' on Netflix
"Between the Temples" doesn't have the racing-through-the-airport grand gestures and love song-laden montages that you think of when you hear the phrase "rom-com," but it's got both heart and humor in spades.
Directed by Nathan Silver ("Thirst Street", "The Great Pretender") and co-written by Silver and C. Mason Wells, the Jewish-themed indie is lovely and lively, wrenching laughs and relatability out of the messiness of old pains and new beginnings.
Leading it all is the offbeat and ever-entertaining duo of Schwartzman and Kane, the latter of whom was nominated for Best Supporting Performance at last year's Independent Spirit Awards. As for Schwartzman, "Between the Temples" capped off a banner year that included appearances in Francis Ford Coppola's "Megalopolis," Gia Coppola's "The Last Showgirl" and a scene-stealing turn in Luca Guadagnino's "Queer."
Together, the actors build a bond between Ben and Carla that feels as electrically charged as it is emotionally needed.
"Immeasurably elevated by the chemistry between Carol Kane and Jason Schwartzman, 'Between the Temples' uses engrossing, character-driven dramedy to explore deeply relatable aspects of the human experience," reads the critical consensus over at Rotten Tomatoes, where the comedy-drama boasts a solid 85% approval rating from 111 reviews.
Watch "Between the Temples" on Netflix
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