My first movie back at the theatres post-quarantine, The Broken Hearts Gallery did not disappoint. I’ll be honest, I went into this movie with little to no expectations. But, left the theatre having laughed, cried and clutched my best friend’s arm overcome with emotions. It left a good taste in my mouth and is a movie I see myself going back to over and over as heartbreak creeps in and out of my friends’ and I’s lives.
I’ll be honest it was the love match up of Geraldine Viswanathan (Blockers) and Dacre Montgomery (Stranger Things) that initially piqued my interest in this movie and the performance from both made me fall in love with them even more. The fact that Selena Gomez is one of the movie’s producers didn’t hurt either.
The movie sees Lucy (Viswanathan) as she navigates her mid-twenties through all its trials and tribulations with her best friends (Phillipa Soo and Molly Gordon) in New York City. Lucy dreams of curating her own gallery but hits a snag after a disastrous speech seeing the guy she was dating with his ex at an important work event. Rushing out of the gallery and into what she thinks is the Lyft she ordered Lucy meets the bewildered Nick (Montgomery) who ends up driving her home.
An avid, some may argue borderline problematic, collector, Lucy keeps items of all sorts as memories of her relationships. It is with her ex’s tie that ‘The Broken Hearts Gallery’ begins and a grassroots movement, through the help of Instagram, flourishes from there.
The Broken Hearts Gallery is Canadian director Natalie Krinsky’s first feature and was a long time in the making. Kinsky told The Canadian Press that it was over a decade ago that she was inspired to pack up and move out of her apartment after a break-up.
If there’s one thing this movie gets right it’s the depiction of female friendship. The conflict in this movie isn’t between the trio as they remain constant supporters of each other, through ups and downs. Wardrobe was also on point and I couldn’t help but lust after all the amazing outfits the characters wore.
So if you’re itching to go to the theatre or stream a new movie from your living room — give The Broken Hearts Gallery a chance. Not saying this movie doesn’t fall into the typical rom-com tropes, but it comes as a comfort to viewers who anticipate the happily ever after.