Netflix has a brand new romantic comedy that is drawing viewers' attention and getting a mostly positive response from critics as well. Move over Purple Heart, it’s now Wedding Season’s turn in the spotlight.
Released last week (Thursday, August 4), Wedding Season has rapidly risen up the Netflix most-watched list. The sparkling rom-com currently sits in the No. 4 spot ahead of popular hits Persuasion and Red Notice and just behind The Gray Man and fellow new entry in the top 10, Carter.
What is Wedding Season about?
Wedding Season opens with Asha (Pallavi Sharda) breaking off her engagement, quitting her stable job as a banker and moving to New Jersey for a fresh start. But her mother isn’t quite as supportive of the idea, believing that Asha needs to find a husband as soon as possible if she wants to be happy.
Taking matters into her own hands, Asha’s mother creates an online dating profile in order to find her daughter’s perfect match. In steps Ravi (Suraj Sharma), whose parents had the same idea for their son, and have also set him up with an online dating profile in order to meet the ideal woman.
Asha and Ravi reluctantly agree to go on a first date at the behest of their eager parents. The date is a bust, but after realizing her relentless mother will not give up trying to find her a husband, Asha proposes a plan to Ravi that the duo pretends to be in a relationship in order to get through the upcoming wedding season.
What starts as a platonic agreement designed to hoodwink their meddling parents, soon turns into something more and through countless invitations, dances and dresses, Asha and Ravi slowly come to find they might have more common than first thought.
What do critics say about Wedding Season?
Critics appear to have taken to Wedding Season with the movie scoring a respectable 83% on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of writing. Its audience score is similarly solid as well currently standing at 77%.
Owen Gleiberman of Variety was impressed with the flick: “If the comedy here is mostly routine, the romance is another thing. It really does work, because the actors don’t just phone in the love story — they dance with it, commit to it, and own it.”
The Guardian’s Adrian Horton was also mostly positive in their review: “As churn-able Netflix content goes, Wedding Season is on the better end of the spectrum.” Similarly, Roger Moore of Movie Nation summed Wedding Season up by saying “it's just adorable."
The New York Times’ Natalia Winkelman wasn’t quite as complimentary, arguing that “Wedding Season” is mostly flavorless, but its interest in capitalistic success inspires a pucker of bad taste.”
Should you steam Wedding Season?
If you’re looking for a sparkling rom-com that will go down easy then Wedding Season is most definitely worth considering. As several critics have noted, it contains many established genre tropes but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. By most accounts, Wedding Season offers a well-balanced mix of comedy and romance that will easily win viewers over.
Netflix has a real penchant for romantic dramas, but it’s refreshing to see the humble rom-com getting some attention as well. With Wedding Season the streamer looks to have a real crowd pleaser on its hands. So, if you’re looking for a pick-me-up at the start of the week Wedding Season could be exactly the tonic you need.
