You could argue that the newly released Miranda Cosgrove romance movie, The Wrong Paris, which arrived on Netflix last week, could have been a Hallmark movie. As someone who covers a lot of streaming and television content, I’ve watched at least 100 Hallmark movies over the course of my career, and the plot of The Wrong Paris, at least on paper, is the perfect Hallmark film.
In it, a broke artist named Dawn (Cosgrove) applies to a dating show, thinking it takes place in Paris, France, but to her surprise (and the surprise of every other contestant), it’s actually filmed in Paris, Texas. And as much as Dawn wants to get kicked off the show after being duped, she reluctantly falls in love with the chiseled bachelor of the show, Trey (Pierson Fode).
Hallmark movies almost always follow a similar arc: The likeable protagonist’s life gets shaken up, she meets a guy with whom she shares initial tension, and ultimately, there’s a happy ending for everyone. What sets The Wrong Paris apart from Hallmark is the fact that it’s got a little bit of bite. While Hallmark films never show anything beyond kissing, and there are never any genuine conflicts or physical fights, The Wrong Paris features lingering shots of Trey’s abs, some suggestive bull-riding and women wrestling in a muddy pig sty, just to name a few. Hallmark. Would. Never.
While there’s not one type of Hallmark movie, they do tend to vary wildly in quality and tone. Some are genuinely funny rom-coms, others are sentimental drivel, and there’s plenty of in-between — but as a rule, they never veer from a predictable formula that includes a happy ending for the central couple who seem to exist in a universe devoid of vice or sex. (I’d say about 90% of these films end with a couple’s first, very dry, closed-mouth kiss as the credits roll, so as not to have to even address what could happen between them next.)
That’s why I love this Netflix take on the Hallmark-style movie: It’s taken the general, kind-hearted romantic formula, but then they let the characters swear, be gross and silly, or even express a desire for sex.
The Wrong Paris, which is trending in Netflix’s Global Top 10, is the latest in a long line of Netflix romances that mimic Hallmark’s style, adding star power and a little bit more edge to appeal to a bigger audience. Our Little Secret had Lindsay Lohan, La Dolce Villa starred Scott Foley and the country of Italy, and Hot Frosty had Lacey Chabert falling for a buff snowman. What more do you want?
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Miranda Cosgrove, like Lohan and Chabert before her, has been acting since childhood, and her roles in iCarly and the Despicable Me films have made her a huge star. She carries the movie as the small-town, down-to-earth Dawn. While her chemistry with Pierson Fode is obvious, there are a few added elements that elevate the film beyond just a one-note romance, like the satirization of the reality dating genre, as the cameras follow Dawn and her romantic rivals battling for Trey’s affection. (To add a little wink to the audience, the film even features a cameo from Too Hot To Handle’s Jarry Jowsey.)
To their credit, Hallmark movies exist in their own wholesome universe, so pure and positive. And while that’s sometimes a form of satisfying escapism, I would rather watch The Wrong Paris any day.
