Review of The Perfect Date (2019) by Thequietgamer — 01 Jun 2019

Brooks Rattigan wants it all. The perfect girlfriend, a sweet ride, and to go to Yale. The problem? He's broke. Luckily, there's an app for that. One that lets women go on fake dates with him where they get to customize his personality to their liking. Unexpectedly charming and hilarious antics ensue.

It doesn't deviate from standard teen rom-com mold much. Brooks neglects his friends, screws things up with a girl he's actually compatible with, and ultimately learns his lesson ending everything on a happy, sentimental note. The morals of finding out who you are, not becoming someone you aren't, and money not being anything are still relevant to teens today despite not being anything new. It's light, fluffy entertainment and that's not always a bad thing despite what you might here from people with their heads too far up their pretentious rectums.

Noah Centineo is really the main reason all of this works. The dude is just so incredibly charismatic. Managing to come off as your average, everyday relatable guy while still looking like he's been chiseled from marble. The supporting cast is all pretty great too. All very attractive and good in their roles. The absolutely adorable Odiseas Georgiadis being the standout for his non-stereotypical portrayal of a gay person. The dialog they're all given can be kind of unnatural. I've never met a single teenager with even half the verbal wit these kids have, although they've all been twice as snarky. It breaks the illusion a bit by revealing just how much the movie is trying to show us a picture perfect version of life, but whatever. I still laughed a bunch and despite all of the clichés think it's actually pretty exceptional at making these well-worn tropes feel fun again.