A doting mother sends her daughter on a mission to complete her childhood bucket list, after she dies of cancer. Quite the plot, I’d say. But when it started out, I assumed that ‘The Life List’ on Netflix would be a cliché story of a manic pixie girl who had lost her original charm and would go on a theatrical quest to find it again. But the movie surprised me with one of the quite well-written lead characters in a rom-com. Sofia Carson’s character, Alexandra, I think is one of the most genuinely profound female leads I have seen in this genre. She isn’t exactly manic pixie; but she is charming, actually funny and full of life nonetheless. Other than her character, there are few other elements that I loved in ‘The Life List’ that makes the movie stand out for me amidst all other rom-coms I’ve watched.
Alex or Alexandra is surrounded by a family that knows genuine bonding and support. Her brothers and sisters in law offer a cushion for her to fall back on and that was heart-warming and refreshing to watch. The family element is simple and strong in this movie and that was one of the highlights for me.
Through the process of completing her life list, Alex doesn’t necessarily undergo a drastic character development – and that’s a good thing. She was already a cool person – her mother just helps her rekindle that spirit of hers. The movie doesn’t attempt a dramatic transformation or a revolutionary journey for the lead character – it simply let’s her uncover her hidden true self. I loved that calm, centred energy of the film. And every item on the list is completed by Alex in a rather new and unexpected way, which made me admire the writers because they’ve truly provided a fresh take on all the traditional rom-com elements.
Of course there’s a love rectangle (lol). Alex goes through three romantic interests through the span of the movie and ends up with the hot lawyer as expected. However, the obstacles on their path to togetherness were removed rather easily for my taste. Her other love interest, Garret, who was seemingly perfect is suddenly villainized. The hot lawyer (Brad, played by Kyle Allen)’s girlfriend simply leaves him out of the blue. I think that part of the movie could have been a little more convincing; but I’ll take it because Sofia Carson and Kyle Allen make such a perfect pair and their chemistry is so on point: they’re the one couple I hoped were dating in real life too.
A rom-com stood out to me after a long time. The Life List is rather fresh and somewhat more well-rounded than traditional rom-coms. It doesn’t try too hard anywhere and doesn’t shy away from introducing other relationships that are steadfast alongside the lead romantic duo. I certainly am a fan.
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