Over the last few years, Netflix has swooped in to bring audiences quite a few romantic comedies, filling the void that other studios left behind. Always Be My Maybe and To All the Boys I've Loved Before top that list when referencing the rejuvenation of the genre. But not every romcom is going to be a memorable one, even while they can still be enjoyable for what they are. Resort to Love has all the trappings of a Hallmark-esque holiday romance, but minus the excess fluff and Christmas cheer. Rather, the romcom takes a bit of a detour, relying heavily on the wedding vacation destination as the setting of its romance-fueled shenanigans. Resort to Love doesn’t do anything unexpected or exciting and, despite its overly saccharine silliness, it is entertaining enough to watch in passing.
Erica Wilson (Christina Milian) is an aspiring singer whose career, on the verge of a breakthrough, is completely derailed when rapper Cre (Kayne Lee Harrison) refuses to release his latest album on which she collaborated on a song. Thanks to her best friend Amber (Tymberlee Hill), who does social media marketing, Erica lands a singing gig at a resort on the East African island of Mauritius. However, Erica wasn’t just hired to play evening gigs, but was expected to sing at weddings, too. This doesn’t go over well since she still isn’t over her ex-fiancé Jacob King (Jay Pharoah) leaving her before their wedding. Things take a surprising turn when she learns Jacob is booked at the same resort and that she will have to perform at his wedding to Beverly Strattford (Christiani Pitts). It gets even more complicated when Erica starts falling for Jacob’s estranged brother Caleb (Sinqua Walls), who was conveniently out of the picture the entire time she and Jacob were together.
The film doesn’t do anything with its story to remain memorable after watching, nor are its characters fully developed beyond their purposes for the plot. Yet, somehow, there are a handful of humorous scenes that are enough to keep the film afloat despite its mediocrity. What ultimately stands out about Resort to Love are not its romances, but the friendship between Beverly and Erica that blossoms over the course of the film. It is so easy to get trapped in the stereotypes about women being in competition with each other over the affections of a man, but Resort to Love creates an environment of open communication between Erica and Beverly that feels genuine.
Gone is the catty relationship that has cropped up in other romcoms — be it to add a dash of melodrama or to force audiences into hating one woman over the other unnecessarily. Thankfully, Resort to Love manages to avoid these outdated notions, opting for a bit more depth (or as much as there can be in a surface-level film like this one). Beverly, for example, isn't immediately jealous of the fact that Erica and Jason know each other and Erica isn't trying to push Beverly out of the way. It's a testament to Pitts’ acting and scene stealing presence, in particular, that makes the audience want to root for Beverly instead of hoping Erica and her ex-fiancé reconcile.
This is also helped along by the introduction of Jason's brother Caleb. Erica is still hurt by Jason's actions, but the narrative doubles down on her having to move on and that the wedding isn't a reason to go back to the way things were, but to finally have some closure. Erica isn’t punished for wanting to have a career in music, either, and Jason’s feelings aren’t prioritized over her own to the point of him gaining more sympathy, especially since their relationship is positioned as them simply wanting different things. These are the refreshing aspects of the film, which more often than not falls back on the genre’s typical story beats. To that end, it doesn’t necessarily offer much else beyond a comforting, if predictable, storyline.
Resort to Love isn’t trying to do anything particularly memorable beyond being a somewhat enjoyable romcom. The film is indeed more enamored by its gorgeous location than its characters — a plethora of aerial shots of the white sandy beaches, palm trees, and the peacefulness of its crystal blue waters are testament to that. It could have also used a whole lot more development for everyone, including a better romantic evolution of Erica and Caleb’s relationship, which doesn’t get the attention it deserves as she is more focused on getting past the fact that Jacob is there. All that said, however, Resort to Love is exactly what audiences have come to expect from these kinds of romcoms. It doesn’t take itself too seriously and it’s entertaining enough to be enjoyed so long as expectations remain low.
Resort to Love is now available to stream on Netflix. The film is 101 minutes long and is rated PG.
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