Netflix’s The Wrong Paris tries to merge the sleek spectacle of The Bachelor with the comfortable formula of a Hallmark romcom but fails on both counts.
Starring Miranda Cosgrove in her first significant romantic comedy lead, the movie offers a premise teeming with promise but falters in execution, from poor editing to a failure to spark chemistry between its leads.
The film is about Dawn (Cosgrove), a small-town student with big aspirations of studying at art school in Paris. Since her parents are not present, she maintains her grandmother (Frances Fisher) and sister Emily (Emilija Baranac). After spending her saved money for her grandmother’s medical bills, Dawn’s Paris fund comes up short of paying the $30,000 tuition. Enter Emily, a self-proclaimed fan of a dating show called The Honeypot, a Bachelor-esque competition in which contestants have the option to take love or money at the final. She persuades Dawn to try out, noting that the $20,000 appearance fee and complimentary plane ticket would be used to fund her aspirations.
A dating show twist
The hook? Dawn’s season of The Honeypot isn’t filmed in Paris, France, but Paris, Texas. Before the cameras start rolling, Dawn gets a meet-cute in a bar with Trey McAllen III (Pierson Fodé), a rugged rancher with abs and a cowboy swagger that echoes a budget Matthew McConaughey. Of course, Trey becomes the show’s lead. Although Dawn had envisioned getting thrown out quickly and collecting the cash, she is charmed by Trey, who has her passion for horses and small-town toughness.
Archetypes, satire and lost potential
The movie sprinkles in All-Star Bachelor-style archetypes: the princess contestant (Madeleine Arthur), the buff badass (Veronica Long), the nerd (Christin Park), the baby-hungry Christian girl (Hannah Stocking), and the influencer (Madison Pettis). Yvonne Orji, playing a wise producer, is game for jokes but wasted in a talent that’s beneath her.
Though it straddles the line between satire and real intent, the execution fails. Editing is rushed, at times cutting dialogue short, while cinematography appears oddly distorted, sometimes looking like iPhone portrait mode. Even when genre-building, the absence of visual polish works against the lightheartedness intended.
Chemistry issues at its core
Romantic comedies thrive and perish on the chemistry between their protagonists, yet The Wrong Paris never provides that essential spark. Though Cosgrove commits to the slapstick, slipping into pools, eating chicken wings, she doesn’t quite grasp the more genuine romantic moments. Fodé looks the part but brings little more than skin-deep charm. Their putative journey from begrudging partners to lovers is clunky, so the emotional reward is not earned.
A regressive arc
Most infuriating is Dawn’s character arc. She starts out as a strong, independent young woman who is willing to do whatever it takes for her family and determined to pursue her art school ambitions. By the end of the movie, she veers sharply in the direction of putting romance with Trey first and surrendering her goals. While romcoms do demand that characters make compromises, in this case the turnaround feels retrogressive, perpetuating a fantasy in which women sacrifice dreams for financial security through a man.
This option is particularly jarring in the current cultural context, in which audiences increasingly demand strong female protagonists. Rather than a progressive or mischievous spin, the film contentedly settles for a conservative fantasy masquerading as a fairy-tale ending.
A poor imitation of bolder formulas
At its worst, Hallmark romcoms give us comfort and whimsy, and The Bachelor provides us with spectacle and absurdity. The Wrong Paris tries to do both but takes only the worst of it: saccharine sweetness without taste, satire without bite, romance without passion.
Even with a promising premise, the film’s lack of energy, subpar production value, and unenthusiastic writing render it another failure for Netflix to create a romcom niche. For audiences looking for warmth, humor, or actual romance, the incorrect option may be just to click play on The Wrong Paris.
Jamie Wells has a knack for getting the inside scoop on Hollywood’s biggest stars and up-and-coming talent. With a sharp eye for industry trends and an ear for viral moments, Jamie covers everything from red-carpet events to behind-the-scenes drama in movies, TV, and celebrity culture.
