The countdown to Christmas is just around the corner, and what better way to welcome in December than by watching Netflix’s new festive rom-com, ‘Love Hard’.
Directed by Hernán Jiménez, the film features Natalie (Nina Dobrev), an unlucky-in-love LA journalist who earns a living sharing her awful online dating experiences with her readers. However, things seem to be looking up when Natalie stumbles across her dream man, Tag.
After a long montage of the two getting to know each other from the comfort of their mobile phones, Natalie takes the plunge and travels across the country to Tag’s hometown to surprise him for Christmas – where she is met with Josh (Jimmy O Yang), the dorky family misfit…and Tag’s catfish.
The plot, somewhat, thickens when Natalie sees the real Tag (Darren Barnet) in a local bar and together Natalie and Josh make a deal – helping Tag fall in love with her, in exchange pretending to be Josh’s girlfriend in front of his family.
Filled with plenty of crude jokes, cliché moments and the type of humour that makes you mad at yourself for laughing, it has all the components of a cheesy romcom.
A modern take on the controversial “Baby it’s cold outside” song gave a refreshing feel which would be unfair not to credit Jiménez for.
Although Love Hard certainly doesn’t win many points for originality – with the predictable message that we shouldn’t pretend to be someone we’re not, and that beauty is from within (blah blah blah).
There is a warm appealing feel to it that makes the film incredibly hard not to love, even if you try to.
While it might not leap to the top of your Christmas films hit list, it will still entertain and get you in the mood for the festive season – even if it’s just as background noise for wrapping presents.
Featured image from Netflix’s Love Hard official trailer.
