Today’s Prayer Focus
MOVIE REVIEW
The Lovebirds
also known as “Die Turteltauben,” “Dos tórtolos,” “Gołąbeczki,” “Los tortolitos,” “Os Pombinhos,” “Szerelemben, bűntényben,” “Um Crime para Dois,” “Τα Πιτσουνάκια,” “Любовнички,” “ラブバード”
MPA Rating:
for sexual content, language throughout and some violence.
for sexual content, language throughout and some violence.
| Moral Rating: | Very Offensive—Not Recommended |
| Moviemaking Quality: |
|
| Primary Audience: | Adults |
| Genre: | Romance Comedy Crime Mystery |
| Length: | 1 hr. 26 min. |
| Year of Release: | 2020 |
| USA Release: |
May 22, 2020 (Netflix / Theater release skipped due to Wuhan coronavirus) |
Relevant Issues
Fleeing the scene of a serious crime
Breaking and entering
Torture
Immoral U.S. Congressman
A sex cult secret society that conducts anonymous orgies
Blackmail
Bad police who protect evil people
An unmarried couple in a 4 year sexual relationship
Breaking up
PURITY—Should I save sex for marriage? Answer
TRUE LOVE—What is true love and how do you know when you have found it? Answer
What is LOVE, for a follower of Christ? Answer
SEXUAL LUST outside of marriage—Why does God strongly warn us about this? Answer
What is SEXUAL IMMORALITY? Answer
CONSEQUENCES—What are the consequences of sexual immorality? Answer
Learn how to make your love the best it can be. Christian answers to questions about sex, marriage, sexual addictions, and more. Valuable resources for Christian couples, singles and pastors.
About murder
About death
| Featuring |
Issa Rae … Leilani Kumail Nanjiani … Jibran Paul Sparks … Moustache Anna Camp … Edie Kyle Bornheimer … Brett Nicholas X. Parsons … Bicycle See all » |
| Director |
Michael Showalter |
| Producer |
Quinn's House 3 Arts Entertainment See all » |
| Distributor |
“All they wanted was a quiet night out”
Here’s what the distributor says about their film: “On the brink of breaking up, a couple gets unintentionally embroiled in a bizarre murder mystery. As they get closer to clearing their names and solving the case, they need to figure out how they, and their relationship, can survive the night.”
- Vulgar/Crude language: Extreme— • f-words (70-80), including “All the girls want to f*** him,” “She f***ed him,” “Motherf****r” • “Back of the ambulance sex” • “d*ck pics” • “d*ck” • s-words (35+) • “a**hole” (3) • “a**” (2) • “Date rape McGee” • “p*ssed” • “Don’t pee down my back and say it’s rain” • “B*tch” (2)
- Nudity: Very Heavy to Extreme— • Orgy sequence, includes full front and rear female nudity, and male rear nudity (sexual activity is widespread and obvious but not graphic) • Woman in bra (repeatedly)
- Sex: Very Heavy— • Discussions about orgies • Couple making-out in a restaurant • Orgy sequence • Sexual comments • Promise of “freaky sex” at a prearranged time • “Intercourse with Leilani at 10:42, super sexy.”
- Profane language: Very Heavy— • “G*d-d*mn” • “Holy sh*t” • “Oh my G*d” (couple dozen) • “My G*d” • “d*mn”
- Violence: Heavy— • murders • bicycle and automobile crash (bloody) • car drive repeatedly over bicyclist • guns, murders, shooting • threatening to throw hot bacon grease into a person’s face • fights • attack by horse •
See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.
PLEASE share your observations and insights to be posted here.
Secular Movie Critics
…Funny and fresh… trusts its audience, and its leads, enough to avoid overwhelming us with low-brow silliness, leaving ample room for quietly reflective rom-com beats. The well-calibrated balance of these different tones and notes is what makes the film work…
Beandrea July, The Hollywood Reporter
…It’s a turkey… this rom-com caper never takes flight… frantic and lazy…
A.O. Scott, The New York Times
…Staunchly average… a film that left an impression as lasting as footsteps near the sea shore… This is a film designed to be watched while performing a menial task — folding the laundry or washing dishes…
Angelica Jade Bastién, The Vulture, New York
…It’s hard to care about anything that happens… The pair’s banter is as stiff as a high back chair; for two people supposedly enthralled by each other’s presence, they don’t really seem like they listen and respond as a couple. …[½/4]
Oliver Jones, Observer (NYC)
…Watching Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani riff off each other is intermittently fun, but that's all there is to recommend The Lovebirds, a dark, somewhat chaotic romantic comedy. …
Brian Lowry, CNN
…Bits and pieces of the movie are funny… misfires…
Owen Gleiberman, Variety
… antic arguments, crosstalk/trash talk and occasional almost-funny zingers… [1½/4]
Roger Moore, Movie Nation
…feels a little too familiar… There are some amusing twists, turns and wardrobe changes as the night gets weirder and more dangerous… Their hijinks are all a bit too random to fully get on board with the journey, and if you stop for a moment to actually think about what is happening and why, the whole thing might just unravel before you. …[2½/4]
Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press
…a meh comedy duo… Showalter’s characters behave so naively, like the Ohioans of “The Out-of-Towners,” but Jibran and Leilani are savvy urbanites played by intellect-based humorists. Acting like idiots makes no sense. …[2/4]
Johnny Oleksinski, New York Post
…hectic, loony… relies almost wholly on the charisma and chemistry of its stars to carry all that absurdity… What feels freshest, maybe, is the mere fact of two leads of color taking on all the tropes of the genre… [B]
Leah Greenblatt, Entertainment Weekly
…not entertaining enough… the action is too preposterous for the laughs to make much headway… Nanjiani and Rae are gifted comedians who have their moments, and you’d probably root for them if you thought the stakes meant anything. But the film rushes to get to the next fistfight/chase scene/orgy…
Steve Pond, The Wrap