My Review of 'Always Be My Maybe'

I didn't think I'd want to go back to Netflix until I saw some of the trailers for Always be my Maybe. I'm a fan of Ali Wong, and I didn't think that she would actually have a starring role in a movie. A lot of comedians have been getting acting roles so I'm not terribly surprised.

So this movie is about two childhood friends Sasha (played by Ali Wong) and Marcus (played by Randall Park). Sasha came from a home of neglect. Her parents were always working in their business throughout her childhood.

Marcus on the other hand grew up with two supportive parents. He would invite Sasha over to their house all the time for dinner and to play. They were next door neighbors after all. She's over all the time, and she basically becomes part of the family.

Without giving too much of the story away, something happens that has the two hook up later in their late teens. The hookup may not have been at the right time and place, so there were some arguments and the two lose track of each other. This movie picks up years later when Sasha is a highly successful chef.

There are a ton of laughs and fun in this movie. I don't know if I find it extra relatable, because I'm Asian, but I don't think they particularly cater to Asians in the film. If I were to pick between Crazy Rich Asians and this movie, I would have to choose this movie. It's not so in your face with the Asian identity and all that junk.

They accurately portray some of the things that Asian Americans have to deal with as they're growing up, and even today. They're just like everyone else and it's treated this way in this movie.

I was a little bit worried that they'd get into the awkward humour that a lot of comedies really like to explore nowadays. They do in a sense get into that type of humour, but it isn't to the point that you feel sick like a lot of comedies that I see. It's subtle and over with quickly. They don't linger on too many things for too long.

The pace of the movie was really good. I don't think I felt bored at any part of the movie. The story flies at a steady pace, and the jokes hit at a moderate pace.

The acting for the most part was adequate. I know Ali Wong isn't an actor and it shows. She does okay for her first try, but there is a cringey crying scene that I was like wow this is bad...

Randall Park is fun as usual, but I think this guy needs more range. He always seems like the same person every time I see him on screen. I know his characters are all different, but he always plays them so similarly that I think they're the same person.

So the acting isn't the greatest in this movie, but the pacing of the movie makes up for these scenes, because they quickly go to the next scene after any awkward acting moments.

At the heart of the movie, it's about childhood love and egos that get in the way of their love. It's a fun and charming movie, and they wrote in a ton of charm for each of the characters.

If anything I would give the writers an added bonus for this movie, because it makes it easy for some of the actors to get away with some of their performances.

Overall, I enjoyed this movie. It was intriguing enough to get me back to Netflix. Would I say it was worth it? I'll have to say yes, because I discovered a whole bunch of other Netflix exclusives that peaked my interest. As a movie, I would have to give Always be my Maybe a seven out of ten. For some the acting may actually be a little jarring. I thought it was okay, but not absolutely the worst. I think this movie is a fun time if you need something to watch.