Netflix is full of rom-coms for Valentineâs Day weekend, and this new Indonesian film employs the time honored romance genre tradition of an enemies to lovers plot. Is it worth being in your rotation this weekend?
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL GIRL IN THE WORLD: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?
The Gist: Reuben Wiraatmadja (Reza Rahadian) is a rich playboy who doesnât take anything seriouslyâleast of all dating. His mother left their family when he was a child and he has a strained relationship with his father, who runs a low-brow TV network whose flagship show is a dating reality series called The Most Beautiful Girl in the World. When his father dies, he leaves him an ultimatum: in order to access his inheritance, he must find and marry the most beautiful girl in the world. Reuben takes this literally and decides to relaunch the show with himself as the bachelor at the center, enlisting the networkâs best producer Kiara (Sheila Dara Aisha) who is the only one that can speak her mind around him. Inevitably, they catch feelings, but can they bridge the gap between their two worlds?
What Will It Remind You Of?: The fake dating trope is tried and true, with films like Sheâs All That and John Tucker Must Die in its canon.
Performance Worth Watching: Rahadian at the center of the story displays a lot of restraint, as his performance alternates between brash and bratty rich boy and down-to-earth and romantic.
Memorable Dialogue: âWho doesnât want to marry Reuben Wiraatmadja?â Kiaraâs friend Dita asks rhetorically. âMe,â Kiara responds, as only his enemy-to-lover could.
Sex and Skin: This one is old-school: heavy on romance and low on sex.
Our Take: Enemies to lovers is one of the oldest romantic arcs in the booksâjust ask Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. Here, the trope is updated while still maintaining the friction that makes enemies-to-lovers so satisfying. Chemistry is the most important aspect of a story like this and Rahadian and Aishaâs tit-for-tat relationship hits the beats beautifully.
While the beginning of the film takes some time to find its footing, once Kiara is introduced, the film begins to hum. Rahadianâs work is the most impressive as we see him soften in real time primarily at the hands of Kiara who is molding him into a normal person for the camera and the women heâs dating via the dating show. Of course, some of the rich person details are heightenedâReuben doesnât know how to order food at a restaurantâit does a lot to build the trust between him and Kiara.
Without spoiling, what I loved most is that the ending doesnât necessarily whisk the two off down the aisle in an unrealistic happily ever after ending. Instead, the film goes for a more grounded ending that really ensures both partners are leveling up and being the person they want and need to be before entertaining a relationship.
Itâs cheesy, itâs fun, and itâs exactly what you want from a movie like this.
Our Call: STREAM IT. This Indonesian rom-com is a great Valentineâs Day stream.
Radhika Menon (@menonrad) is a TV-obsessed writer based in Los Angeles. Her work has appeared on Paste Magazine, Teen Vogue, Vulture and more. At any given moment, she can ruminate at length over Friday Night Lights, the University of Michigan, and the perfect slice of pizza. You may call her Rad.
The post Stream It Or Skip It: ‘The Most Beautiful Girl in the World’ on Netflix, A Rom-Com That Employs A Familiar Trope In A Fun Way appeared first on Decider.
