Love gets in the way of friendship in The Half of It, the latest from writer/director Alice Wu.
Ellie never really fit in. Shy and smart, the strongest connections she’s made are from doing other kid’s homework, but her business gets a little more personal when jock Paul asks her to write a love letter for him. He ends up needing way more help, and as she coaches him through the seduction, she falls for the girl as well. Complicated enough, but she also develops a genuine friendship with Paul, meaning she finally has what she wants but in the worst way.
This should be a home run for Wu, whose previous romantic comedy, Saving Face, set her up nicely for success here. And with Netflix snatching it up for worldwide distribution, its dedicated rom-com fans should check it out in droves.
Also getting a big bump is lead Leah Lewis, who’s been bouncing around television series for years but gets her first feature role here. Rounding out the love/friendship triangle is Daniel Diemer as Paul and Alexxis Lemire as Aster, their love interest.
With so many successful rom-coms under their belt, it’s nice to see Netflix continue to expand their offerings. Yes, this looks like a frothy fun, but it’s not straight, white frothy fun. And you know what? Everyone else wants in on that, too.
The Half of It is directed by Alice Wu and stars Leah Lewis, Daniel Diemer, and Alexxis Lemire. It will be released on Netflix worldwide on May 1st, 2020.
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