Picture: Netflix
Released on the premium Valentine’s Day slot, Players is the newest try from Netflix at a star-driven romantic comedy after 2023’s critically panned originals You People, Happiness For Beginners, The Perfect Find, & final yr’s Valentine’s Day providing Your Place or Mine.
The movie is co-produced & stars frequent Netflix collaborator Gina Rodriguez (Someone Great, Spy Kids: Armageddon) as Mack, a New York sports activities author who has spent years devising hook-up “plays” along with her finest buddy Adam (Damon Wayans Jr.) and their crew.
While it has led to numerous one-night stands over time, following their playbook comes with a strict set of floor guidelines – chief amongst them: you’ll be able to’t construct a relationship from a play. When Mack unexpectedly falls for her newest goal, charming battle correspondent Nick (Lucifer star Tom Ellis), she begins to rethink the sport totally. As the strains between work, enjoyable, friendship, and romance start to blur, Mack should be taught what it takes to go from merely scoring to enjoying for retains.
Alongside Rodriguez, Wayans Jr., & Ellis, the forged options The Kissing Booth star Joel Courtney as Little, Augustus Prew (The Morning Show) as Brannagan, & Liza Koshy (Work It) as Ashley.
Players marks the fifth characteristic from Grammy-winning music video director Trish Sie, whose profession was launched by her wildly creative movies with alt-rock/energy pop band OK Go earlier than touchdown franchise movies with Step Up All In & Pitch Perfect 3.
Based on the unique script from former Marvel’s “Daredevil” government story editor Whit Anderson, this sometimes sports-influenced film acts like a typical incidence in lots of NBA video games: a story of two halves. The first half is a lighter affair with extra “com” than “rom” and a singular angle with the crew of mates operating hook-up “plays” for one another to get laid within the hard-to-get Big Apple. These playful gambits peak when the goal will get larger within the type of Pulitzer Prize finalist & author Nick Russell, the hook-up goal turned likelihood at a real grownup relationship for Mack. Along along with her gifted crew of efficiency artist mates/newspaper co-workers, Mack creates some genuinely creative & entertaining maneuvers to slowly win the affections of Tom Ellis’ Nick.
However, the second half is a special story. Once Mack is elevated to real-date standing with Nick, the film loses momentum in an enormous means. While some it’s deliberate as to show the issues in sure facets of the budding relationships within the movie, the remaining is extra as a consequence of a heavier reliance on the chemistry between its leads and much much less on the more practical ensemble.
Gina Rodriguez & Damon Wayans Jr. don’t get a ton of solo display screen time and after they do, the romantic entanglements depart a lot to be desired. Wayans Jr. fell prey to this in his final Netflix rom-com, Love Guaranteed, as he and co-star Rachael Leigh Cook hardly ever felt like they have been in the identical film, not to mention burgeoning romantic companions.
Add in a late-stage play to make Tom Ellis right into a snooty, self-absorbed know-it-all (an actual bummer for Lucifer followers), and you’ve got a recipe for a flat story dismount. While the ultimate minutes attempt to save themselves from the much less participating earlier 45 with one final “play,” the story has already lulled us into its predictable touchdown.
Picture: Netflix
For the extra die-hard rom-com followers, the messaging could be extra appreciated, no less than. Consider what you need or deserve earlier than coming into a relationship with somebody who appears nice on paper or because the film paraphrases as “caught up in ‘could get’ without considering ‘should get’”. The unlucky irony is that the movie creates a really weak “should get” to offer us a really benign fortunately ever after.
Overall, Players is precisely what you would possibly suppose it was from the trailer, the outline, or the actors inside a secure, easy, generally enjoyable, generally bland rom-com that doesn’t have the identical chemistry, power, or compulsion that it could from a extra charismatic set of leads, a brisker, extra balanced script, or a livelier tempo. The supporting forged of Prew, Courtney, & Koshy do every little thing they’ll to offer the film life when referred to as upon, however these moments are too few & too fleeting to offer the film the required verve to maintain its viewers engaged all through. Rodriguez & Wayans Jr. are properly suited to the enjoyable & pleasant moments of the movie, however much less appropriate for the extra dramatic & romantic entanglements that the movie requires, particularly within the 2nd half. An common movie that will look higher when held as much as the lesser Netflix rom-coms of final yr (outdoors of Love at First Sight … underrated!).
Watch Players on Netflix If You Like
- Someone Great
- Love, Guaranteed
- Lucifer
- Hitch
- Set It Up
MVP of Netflix’s Players
The “Players” Crew
While the romance & relationship drama felt extra pressured & flat, the chums/co-workers that buoyed the extra free-flowing & gratifying comedic moments gave the film a particular taste & bounce when it wanted it most.
Headed by on-screen brothers Brannagan & “Little” Ryan (carried out by Augustus Prew & Joel Courtney), the crew appeared to have a good time hatching schemes, researching potential prey, & carrying the occasional goofy disguises. Office secretary turned “Little” love curiosity Ashley (performed by Liza Koshy) turned the video games up a notch in a scene-stealing efficiency as the required messy feminine buddy.
It is healthier than most of Netflix’s latest rom-com output with the enjoyable hookup “plays” angle & stable supporting forged, however the lack of magnetism & allure within the 2nd half of romance led to a extra pedestrian movie total.