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Big screen comedy ‘The Lovebirds’ gifted to Netflix viewers

| June 2, 2020 1:19 PM

By TYLER WILSON

Coeur Voice contributor

Outside of the VOD releases of children’s fare “Scoob!” and “Trolls: World Tour,” movie audiences have been starved for new big screen content since theaters across the country shuttered in March.

At least now we have “The Lovebirds,” a comedy initially scheduled for theatrical release in April. Paramount Pictures sold the film to Netflix, which then released the film on its streaming service last week.

Movie studios have pushed big budget tentpoles like “Black Widow” and “Fast & Furious 9” several months down the release schedule, as those movies need buffo box office returns in order to turn a profit. Low and mid-budget films, however, could profit by skipping the theatrical window and moving straight to VOD, though that move punishes movie theater chains looking for fresh content as they slowly begin to reopen across the country.

Another would-be theatrical release,“Trolls: World Tour,” debuted at home in April as a premium rental priced at $20. Universal Pictures reported record returns for their animated sequel, netting at least $100 million in the first three weeks of release. It’s unclear whether movies aimed at adults can perform as well using that model. Spending $20 to entertain a houseful of kids might seem like a better value compared to a single person or couple paying the same price for a movie that will eventually be available to rent much cheaper.

Which is why you might see more studios looking at streaming services to buy their riskier, adult-skewing titles. Case in point: The R-rated “Lovebirds” fits nicely in Netflix’s extensive library of comedic movies and stand-up specials. “The Lovebirds” has the polish of a movie intended for theaters too, elevating it above some of those woeful “Netflix Original” Adam Sandler flicks.

“The Lovebirds” stars two powerhouse comedic talents - “Silicon Valley” and “The Big Sick” star Kumail Nanjiani and Issa Rae, star of “Little” and the acclaimed HBO series, “Insecure.” They play a once-happy couple on the verge of a breakup. On the way to a dinner party, they accidentally smash into a frantic person riding a bicycle. When the man flees after the accident, a “cop” suddenly hops in their car and begins pursuing the man, which begins a day of violence, blackmail, and conspiratorial intrigue for the exasperated couple.

Directed by Michael Showalter (“The Big Sick,” “Wet Hot American Summer”), “The Lovebirds” isn’t an especially original concept (Tina Fey and Steve Carell basically did the PG-13 version of this with “Date Night”). Still, the comedic (and romantic) chemistry sparks between Rae and Nanjiani, two gifted actors and writers capable of elevating even the most uninspired content. It’s just fun watching them riff together, and the 90-minute movie never finds itself slogging through its numerous plot turns.

“The Lovebirds” won’t go down as either Nanjiani’s or Rae’s most creative work, but it’s a solid enough flick considering the usual standard of mid-budget studio comedies.

Since Netflix rarely shares its viewing metrics, it won’t be easy to measure the overall success of “The Lovebirds. It will be interesting to see how another meant-for-theaters studio comedy, Judd Apatow’s “The King of Staten Island” with Pete Davidson, performs with its VOD release on June 12. The Jon Stewart-directed political satire, “Irresistible” with Steve Carell and Rose Byrne, will follow the same model and release on June 26. How these two perform may inform whether other studios push for the VOD model vs. attempting to sell their movies outright to a streaming service.

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Tyler Wilson can be reached at twilson@cdapress.com. He’s been writing professionally about movies since 2000 and is the co-host of Old Millennials Remember Movies, available everywhere you get podcasts and at OldMillennialsRemember.com.