Look Both Ways
Netflix ’s late original movieLook Both Wayshas a comparatively unproblematic premiss : A vernal woman finds herself at a crossroads and two different life spread out before her . This is a concept that has been explored across various mediums , and arguably for good cause . It ’s an beguiling medical prognosis , imagining all the way a person can be affected by certain instant or decisions . However , Look Both Ways , guide by Wanuri Kahiu , does n’t chase after this idea to its fullest potential . Though leading lady Lili Reinhart does her best , await Both Waysstruggles to make a lasting encroachment with either of its dueling timelines .
Aspiring animator Natalie ( Reinhart ) is on the verge of graduating from college and moving to Los Angeles when a potential life-time alteration stop her short . A recent , poorly - moot hookup with her full friend Gabe ( Danny Ramirez ) might ’ve develop her fraught . From there , two paths unfold . In one , Natalieispregnant and set LA aside to lift her child alongside Gabe in Texas . In the other , motherhood is n’t in the cards , and she gets to jump justly into her vocation alongside BFF Cara ( Aisha Dee ) . As both Natalies live out their lives , it becomes readable that some matter are really meant to be , no matter of anterior circumstances .
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However , as the flick settles into its two separate rhythms , the initial charm bear off . There ’s a lack of urgency fence in the game , which could be attributed to either drowsy pacing or simple staging . Each dance step in Natalie ’s two journeys feels placed out of obligation , rather than because it is a vital part of the story . Each arc is predictable as well , but that is n’t necessarily a bad thing ; there ’s something to be said about a familiar story told well . However , withLook Both Ways , there is a trenchant sentiment of escape opportunity . Kahiu and Prosser could ’ve used Natalie ’s opposing lives of maternity and a ( supposedly ) grueling life history to really press the character into unique place . Natalie stay rather one - note , though , and the supporting cast of characters around her are even less specify .
That is not due to any faults with the cast . As Natalie , Reinhart — best known for playingBetty Cooper on The CW’sRiverdale — successfully slips into both versions of the type . Whether she is yell on the couch while overwhelmed with the demands of being a mom or valorously crusade through a creative setback , Reinhart handle every vista of Natalie with ease . Ramirez brings a sweet earnestness to Gabe that make him endear , and Dee is delightfully charming as Cara ( though one really care she had gotten more to do ) . As Natalie ’s parents , Andrea Savage and Luke Wilson are equal turns shady and warm , and David Corenswet give a unanimous turn as Natalie ’s carbon monoxide - worker - turned - beloved interest group . at long last , Nia Long bugger off in a fun role as Natalie ’s mentor Lucy . However , most of the supporting performance require to put in the extra work to give deepness to their character .
expect Both Wayshas its charm , but at last it plays out in just the fashion one would expect . With a sure ingredient of fervor lose , the picture misses out on some of the delight that typically comes from a slicing - of - life tale like this . Those who are pull back to childlike , blithe movies might find some comfort in Natalie ’s story , and with Reinhart at its center , this is take a hop to pull in an interview . However , there is little inLook Both Waysthat is bound to stick with viewers long after the credits roll .
Lili Reinhart and Danny Ramirez in Look Both Ways
attend Both Waysis streaming on Netflix as of August 17 . The film is 111 bit long and is rated TV-14 for substances , language , and indicative dialogue .
In Look Both Ways , Natalie ( Lili Reinhart ) stars as a college student set to calibrate from the University of Texas . After a romantic evening with her protagonist Gabe ( Danny Ramirez ) , Natalie feel ill and takes a pregnancy test - an event that separate her life into two parallel reality that play out over the film . In one world , Natalie ’s test is negative , and she moves to Los Angeles with her friend to focus on her career and fall for a valet de chambre diagnose Jake . In the second reality , Natalie becomes pregnant , has a daughter with Gabe , and rejects his offer to live with him , commence an all - new romantic conflict . attend Both Ways put both world into perspective and testify the " what if " scenarios of both lives Natalie could have lead . However , the celluloid ’s focus is that no matter the option made , somehow , somehow , there ’s always a means to make the good of it , and there is no one " right " way .
Lili Reinhart in Look Both Ways
David Corenswet and Lili Reinhart in Look Both Ways
