Five reasons why I loved Nobody Wants This
I have just finished Netflix’s new romantic comedy series Nobody Wants This and I absolutely adored it. Give me more!
It stars Kristen Bell as Joanne, an agnostic serial dater who documents her escapades on a sex and relationships podcast with her sister Morgan (Justine Lupe). Her life is flipped upside down when she meets a hot rabbi named Noah (Adam Brody) at a dinner party and they fall utterly in love, to the horror of his Jewish family.
Here are five reasons why it’s the best:
Adam Brody
To be honest, his name on the bill was reason enough for me to tune into this. I have had a crush on him since 2003 – as Seth Cohen in The O.C. – and will watch anything he’s in. He’s my most enduring celebrity crush and he’s still got the goods. Brody has often resisted romantic lead roles and this baffles me because he’s so damn good at them. Noah is hot, open and honest and he doesn’t play games. If you don’t fall in love with Noah (and Brody at the same time) then something is up with you!
The chemistry between Adam Brody and Kristen Bell
When Bell got the script for this, she knew Brody was perfect for Noah because they had already established their chemistry on previous projects. She was right – their chemistry is on fire. You believe they’re in love simply by the way they look at each other. You want them to be together. Their first kiss was so satisfying because it had been earned and you knew how badly they wanted it. They built up to it slowly and the anticipation was intense! Also, there’s the added nostalgia layer of seeing Seth Cohen and Veronica Mars dating. This is perfect for those who were teens in the early 2000s.
The writing
Amazing chemistry and performances from your two leads can only take you so far – they need good writing to sink their teeth into. The script is so good – funny, smart, emotionally intelligent and full of witty pop culture references. The religion dilemma could have been handled badly in the wrong pair of hands but it is dealt with in a nuanced and mature (but still hilarious) way, probably because creator Erin Foster based it on her own marriage.
The supporting characters
In every romantic comedy, the leads must have a funny best friend – or sibling in this case. Lupe and Timothy Simons are the “loser siblings”, Morgan and Sasha. They are hilarious and they complement their on-screen sibling so well. I love how Lupe and Bell bicker and call each other out on their shit but are each other’s best friends at the end of the day. I also wanted to give a shout-out to Jackie Tohn as Sasha’s wife Esther, who has an anti-Joanne agenda. But this is treated with maturity and intelligence – she is not a 2D villain, nor is Noah’s ex Rebecca (Emily Arlook).
Romantic comedies are back, baby!
There is something so comforting about watching two people fall in love and overcome all these obstacles together. I love many different genres of film and TV but rom-coms will always have my heart. They aren’t always executed this well so I’m thrilled that Nobody Wants This was as good as – no, better than – I expected it to be.