This past Tuesday, I had the opportunity to see an advance screening of the Amazon Prime original movie “Relationship Goals,” a faith-based rom-com starring Kelly Rowland, Method Man, and Robin Thede. The film follows exes Leah Caldwell and Jarrett Roy as they compete for the top position at a New York morning talk show.
I’ll start with what I liked– the gorgeous dresses, the fact that the film was set in New York, and the cinematography made it a very fitting Galentine’s watch. But above all, I enjoyed seeing female friendships portrayed wholesomely.
A lot of films underestimate the art of female friendship, and that is a shame. It is truly a wonderful thing to witness and experience, and it should be celebrated more on the big screen. Relationship Goals does that really well. In a world where female friendships are often depicted as shallow, catty, and disingenuous, seeing the pure, unadulterated love that Leah, Brenda, and Treese had for each other was positively heartwarming.
That’s not to say the film didn’t have its flaws, because it definitely did.
Recently, there has been a lot of talk about “slop” movies, or movies that intentionally oversimplify plots so people who are on their phones while watching can easily follow along. Designing films in this way strips movies of their magic. This was definitely a “slop” movie. The overacting, the unnecessary narrations, the characters stating the obvious. It made me want to pull my hair out.
Additionally, the faith arc felt very forced. I am a religious person, and I definitely believe relationships are a sacred thing; that hookup culture has destroyed what these deep, intimate bonds between two human beings should look like. I agree with all the themes the movie was trying to highlight. But the way it was done in the film just felt very preachy and one-dimensional. There’s not much commentary about love having a deeper meaning, something to be approached with maturity and commitment, other than emphasizing the importance of marriage after having been in a relationship for a certain amount of time.
All in all, I would give Relationship Goals a solid 5.5/10. That’s not to say it’s not worth the watch at all— it is super cute and lighthearted! Great for a girls’ night-in. Just maybe not my top choice.