As Netflix phases out its DVD mailing service and cuts off the ability to have a shared family account, the streamer is offering up a splashy new form of viewing that will surely make up for these huge losses. That innovative entertainment comes in the form of interactive specials, where watchers can “choose” the outcome of the story’s protagonist by selecting a button on their remote. Worth jumping over hurdles to log into a Netflix account amid their password-sharing crackdown? Perhaps not. But, hey, Netflix is trying to do something, anything, to make itself stand out from its streaming competitors these days.
On the heels of Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend, and a handful of kid-centric options comes Choose Love, Netflix’s first standalone interactive special made for adults. Choose Love is a romantic comedy where you get to call the shots in the leading lady’s love life. Well, kind of. Most of the decisions you make for Cami (Laura Marano) don’t actually have any lasting effect on the plot. But pressing a button to make the story move a little bit forward is fun, right?
The gist of the plot—which, again, really doesn’t change all that much based on your choices—is that Cami, a music producer living in Los Angeles, has to decide between three boys. The first option is her current boyfriend, sweet-but-cheesy Paul (Scott Michael Foster), who is looking to propose by the end of the week. There’s also “the one that got away,” Jack (Jordi Webber), a human rights activist who Cami lost touch with when he “went to go save lives in Guatemala.” (Saving the world begins in Guatemala?) Finally, Cami crosses paths with musician Rex Galier (Avan Jogia) and strikes up sexual tension with the overproduced diva.
The decision between these three men is difficult—not because it’s an enticing love triangle (or, instead, square), but rather because, remarkably, Cami has chemistry with none of these men. Her current boyfriend seems like the most obvious choice. What’s wrong with him? Nothing, whereas Jack has some weird savior complex, and Rex Galier (who is always referred to as his full name, as if he were Harry Styles) is an egomaniac with a penchant for playing “Truth or Dare,” as if he were a teenager.
The decisions the viewer has to make for Cami in this game are as simple as “Do you want the good news or the bad news first?” and “Do I tell my niece to fight back against bullies, or do I tell her to shake it off and move on?” Cami will stare at you as she asks what to do, breaking the fourth wall like a less inspired Netflix version of Fleabag. After choosing, you’ll get a minute’s worth of a different scene, but these otherwise don’t alter the movie in any way. Really, Choose Love feels less of a “Choose Your Own Adventure” special and more of a “Choose Which Deleted Scene You’d Like to See” compilation.
There are, however, a handful of plot-affecting decisions that swing in the opposite direction—they’re too big. Near the end of the movie, based on what you’ve seen, you’ll have to choose between Paul, Rex Galier, and Jack. After a handful of goofy “coffee or tea?” prompts, this big choice comes out of left field. Don’t worry about who you pick, though. Your final decision seems to have no actual influence on who Cami picks as her partner.
Whereas Bandersnatch and Kimmy vs. the Reverend’s game-like features were meaningful—the wrong choice could send you down a rabbit hole of mess—almost all of the options available in Choose Love lead you to the same final scene. (Netflix tells us that there is an “Easter egg” scene, along with other possible endings, to unlock at the end, if you make different choices while watching the film multiple times.) Every time I played, I ended up with the same guy; no spoilers for who’s the lucky fella. Choose Love wants you to feel like you have full autonomy over the storyline, but really, the film is too lazy to actually give you more than one option for Cami’s ultimate outcome. Give me the opportunity to see Cami elope with dangerous Rex Galier, save Guatemala with mega-creep Jack, or grow old with boring Paul!
As for the story itself, Choose Love offers up a somewhat lame, somewhat fun mix of cheesiness. The guys are all so bad that the movie becomes mildly humorous in the same vein as fellow Netflix rom-com Emily in Paris’ “so bad it’s good” qualities. Awkward scenes with a Tarot card reader, Cami’s boss, and goofy Rex Galier run-ins make the special feel fun and less serious. But nothing can excuse such a bland plot, lack of chemistry, and uninteresting lead characters
What Choose Love has going for it is its original concept. An interactive rom-com is certainly grabby, and even though this one fails at its execution, let’s give credit where credit is due—this was an exciting, unique idea. Next time (if there is a next time), Netflix should actually allow viewers to determine what happens to the characters. Further, would it be too much to ask for an inspired, original story and charming leads? I’d like to pick the option where Choose Love actually offers all of these aspects. Too bad Netflix has already decided for us.
