I’m officially in my fall goblin-mode era, which means I’m hibernating with rom-coms and 2000s shows. Thankfully, Netflix is stacked with fall releases guaranteed to emulate all the cuddly romance vibes you need for this upcoming season, including its newest release Love at First Sight.
Love at First Sight premieres on Netflix on Sept.15 and it’s the perfect meet-cute romance love story. This new romance flick plays into the Wattpad-esque trope of falling in love on a plane with a person you’ll never see again, and I’m totally obsessed. Hadley, played by Haley Lu Richardson, and Oliver, played by Ben Hardy, are both on a plane ride to London. Over the course of the seven-hour flight, they fall in love. However, all flights must come to an end. With the fateful connection still weighing heavy on their hearts, they try to reunite after they land. Can their love story beat the statistics of ever seeing each other again?
If a serendipitous airport love story wasn’t enough to draw you in, let the star-studded cast be the winning factor for this rom-com. Here is how you know the familiar faces in Netflix’s Love at First Sight.
Haley Lu Richardson, who plays Hadley, has had her fair share of heart-touching romance roles.
When she isn’t being totally iconic as a Jonas Brothers fangirl and appearing in their music video, you might recognize Richardson from her roles in coming-of-age movies that tug at the heartstrings.
The 2016 movie Edge of Seventeen tells the story of high school junior Nadine (Hailee Steinfeld), who is dealing with the growing pains of high school, awkwardness, and family drama. She feels even more alone when her brother starts dating her best friend, Krista, who is played by none other than Richardson.
After gaining recognition for her best friend role in Edge of Seventeen, Richardson moved on to an even more heartbreaking coming-of-age movie, Five Feet Apart, where she is the main character. In this movie, 17-year-old Stella, played by Richardson, is a cystic fibrosis patient, who spends the majority of her days in a hospital. Her days often feel mundane as they are filled with tests, boundaries, and medical routines, but this gets shaken up when she meets Will, played by Cole Sprouse. Will has the same illness as Stella, leading them to create an unbreakable bond (and some flirtation). As the bond intensifies, the pair are tempted to break the rules of having to be five feet apart from one another for their health. It’s a heartbreaking young love story that still makes me tear up when I watch it.
Switching gears a little, you might recognize Richardson for her role in the eerie thriller Split. Split is about Kevin, who deals with multiple personalities. One of his many personalities has an evil mission to abduct three teenage girls, among the group is Claire, who is played by Richardson. Richardson has had her fair share of notable roles from teen romance movies to psychological thrillers, including a role in the comedy Unpregnant as well.
Love At First Sight’s Ben Hardy might be familiar due to his biopic feature.
Before playing the swoon-worthy Oliver in Love At First Sight, Hardy was a notable character in the beloved biopic Bohemian Rhapsody. The 2018 Oscar-winning film tells the story of Freddie Mercury, the lead singer of the iconic British rock band Queen. Hardy plays Queen’s highly acclaimed drummer, Roger Taylor.
Though Hardy’s musical performance was one to be remembered, you might also recognize him from his appearance in the 2016 movie X-Men: Apocalypse. This action-packed movie tells the story of a God-like mutant who has awakened and brings other mutants along with him on his journey to create a new world order. The team of X-Men attempts to stop their nemesis from ruining mankind. Hardy made his feature film debut as a mutant named Warren Kenneth Worthington III.
Love At First Sight might be his first romantic movie, but Hardy has been in the industry for a long time, appearing in other features, such as 6: Underground and Pixie.
The narrator, Jameela Jamil, has recognizable features in hit TV shows.
Jamil narrates the adorable love story of Oliver and Hadley, but also plays the role of the flight attendant. Before being a matchmaker, Jamil had a prominent role in the hit show The Good Place. The Good Place is a comedy series that follows Eleanor Shellstrop as she navigates the afterlife. Jamil plays Tahani Al-Jamil, a good place resident who is known for her charitable acts, high-society experiences, and successful career highlights in the real world. Tahani helps Eleanor as she tries to come to terms with how she ended up in the good place.
Marvel stans might also be familiar with Jamil thanks to her role in She-Hulk: Attorney At Law. She-Hulk is a series about Jennifer Walters, a 30-something attorney who just so happens to be a 6-foot-7 tall hulk. With every superhero comes a rival villain, and in this case, Jamil plays She-Hulk’s villain, Titania. Jamil is a versatile actress, who can star in any genre from action to comedy, and now romance.