Love Life is the new Anna Kendrick-led rom-com currently streaming on Stan. It’s helmed by the director of Bridesmaids, Paul Feig – but to be honest, even with him + Anna behind it, I was skeptical.
Turns out, that skepticism was unfounded. Love Life is my favourite show right now, and while I semi hate that it’s being released in three-episode blocks weekly, I also kind of love the fact I can’t devour it in one day and then feel sad it’s over.
The premise is this – Anna plays Darby, who is basically like Anna Kendrick in all movies. You know, cute, a bit quirky, funny, etc. She lives with her best friend Sara Yang, played by Zoe Chao who I will now be following from TV show to TV show coz she is just fucking brilliant. Sara’s boyfriend Jim also lives with them, they’re New Yorkers, you get the gist.
Each episode focuses on one person Darby dates. Through the episode we watch their relationship blossom into whatever it’s going to be, and then die off the way most relationships do. We’re basically following Darby through the years as she figures out who and what she wants in life.
The episodic nature of the series sounds annoying but it actually works so, so well – probably because Feig just does a bang-up job of making us actually give a shit about these relationships Darby has, and Anna does a bang-up job of making Darby likeable. You WANT this woman to find love, you know?
Somewhat annoyingly, there’s a voiceover – it sounds like Gillian Anderson but it’s not. I hate voiceover-led TV series with a passion, but for some reason it doesn’t bother me as much in Love Life. I could definitely take it or leave it, but I’ve sort of tuned it out for the most part now.
There are currently six episodes live on Stan, and honestly each is better than the last. And that’s because the team have done a brilliant job of NAILING the kinds of relationships we’ve all had in the 2010s.
There MIGHT be a few tiny spoilers from here on out, just warning you.
I have legitimately dated every one of the guys Darby has dated so far. I’ve had the one night stand with an absolute wanker just coz he was hot and it was spontaneous. I’ve had the relationship where reasons beyond your mutual feelings for each other prevent you from being together, but then the dude moves on in record time and you’re like… hmmmm what the fuck.
Basically, the relationships Darby experiences aren’t cliche – they’re just painfully accurate, and it makes the show infinitely better for it. I’m sure I’d still have enjoyed Love Life if Darby just dated cookie-cutter people like “daddy issues guy!” and “emotionally unavailable bro!” but there’s something refreshing about seeing the realities of dating life in a TV show. It’s a bit Girls-esque, I suppose, without as much personal messiness – for all Darby’s searching, she’s got her life pretty sorted – she’s a good friend, she progresses at her workplace steadily, and so on.
Anyway, I’m obsessed now – if you’re looking for a new show to binge, you’re in luck. You’ve got six episodes of it already there, baby!
Love Life is streaming on Stan.
