The release of The Lovebirds is more interesting than the film itself. After plans for a theatrical release in April and a SXSW premiere in March…well, take a guess what happened. Since then, Paramount sold the film to Netflix.

In a way, Netflix is the perfect place for the film. The service thrives on forgettable background noise that will play in the background on TVs and laptops. And while The Lovebirds has two great comedy stars, it’s bogged down by poor comedy and writing, making it a bit of a bore.

The Hottest Stars

One of the biggest selling points of the film were its two stars. Kumail Nanjiani, fresh off The Big Sick, and Issa Rae, of Insecure fame, are some of the most talented comics working today. Thankfully, director Michael Showalter, also of Big Sick fame, knows this.

A loose comedy version of Bonnie and Clyde, where a couple witnesses a murder, then goes on the run after appearing as if they were the culprits, there’s decent chemistry between the two leads. Their bickering results in some of the funniest moments, and both actors utilize their talents well. Nanjiani’s sarcasm and Rae’s one-liners are entertaining, and lead to some of the funniest moments. It’s clear the two actors had freedom to ad-lib, and it does seem like the best lines came off the top of their heads.

Generic Scripting

Of course, with every good line of dialogue, there’s a lot of duds thrown into the mix. The biggest problem with this comedy is how few and far between the laughs are. The film is structured in a way where each sequence is its own comedic set piece. The inciting incident, which sees the actual murder take place, has plenty of great lines and visuals, which got me hyped up for the laughs to come. Yet in the end, even when the film goes into crazy directions, it doesn’t really excite or cause much laughs. Sequences are either overlong, relying too much on snappy dialogue, or just aren’t very memorable.

It’s frustrating, because it’s clear the film wants people to laugh. It goes absolutely ridiculous at points, and the actors are giving their all. But whether it be mediocre jokes in the script or a lack of clear direction, it doesn’t land. And there’s only so much Nanjiani and Rae can do to make it worthwhile.

To Sum Up…

There’s something frustrating with The Lovebirds. With a Big Sick reunion, as well as two fantastic comedians, there was a great chance for hilarious fun. But instead, it’s nothing more than a generic, forgettable blip on Netflix’s ever-growing catalog. Comedy movies have gone through a rough patch nowadays. A combination of poor box office and adherence towards midbudget theaters have made studio star-driven comedies more of a rarity than ever. But if the genre wants to stand out, they need to actually be worthwhile and not focus on lazy gags and piss-poor comedy.

Read some of my other Netflix reviews here