How did Netflix's Look Both Ways manage to be inspiring and confusing at the same time?

Source: Sportskeeda

Before delving deeper into the movie one thing that needs to be addressed is the direction of the film. Wanuri Kahiu took the audience on a journey with seamless transitions between the two paths. Wanuri also uses animation beautifully as a segue while hopping from one timeline to another. Talking about the different timelines, in the reality where Natalie gets pregnant, she decides to keep the baby and moves back with her parents Rick Bannet (Luke Wilson) and Tina Bannet (Andrea Savage). The father of the child who wants to support and co-parent with her is her friend Gabe played by Danny Ramirez. The couple is not in love with each other yet supports each other for the sake of the child. 

In the alternate timeline where Natalie is not pregnant, she moves to LA with her best friend Cara played by Aisha Dee. Natalie has worked hard toward becoming an animator and after moving to LA she tries desperately to find a job in animation. It’s about time fate kicked in and Natalie meets Jake and both of them instantly hit it off. Coming back to the prowess of the director, she has used colors to distinguish between the two realities. A cooler color tone with a blue palette was used to show life in Austin whereas life in LA was portrayed with vibrant warm colors. 

Source: The Guardian

With the story so far you might think it is one very predictable film. Well, I thought the same too. But you will be fascinated by the fact that the director still managed to surprise us from time to time. But what worked the best for me was the chemistry between Natalie and Jake and Ramirez both. This was something I was not expecting mainly because Natalie’s relationship with two men is completely different. The characters put small nuances into their performance which let me connect with the characters better. Ramirez is a very expressive character which lets me read him and his feelings for Natalie easily. Whereas Jake is more restrained. This makes sense as Natalie and Jake hit it off because they are so similar and in the film, we saw many times Natalie holds herself back instead of expressing herself. 

Lili Reinhart’s performance also cannot be overlooked. In essence, she had to play two characters. Her portrayal of an ambitious career-oriented woman was a treat to watch. In contrast, her portrayal of a newly pregnant lady was rather difficult to watch. It was the end of all her dreams and ambitions and you could sense it through her performance. 

Source: Glamour

Watching the timeline where Natalie gets pregnant, reminded me a lot of the film Juno. One major similarity that I can think of is Natalie didn't have to defend her decision of keeping the baby. But a little more on-screen discussion with her parents wouldn’t have hurt. The film by itself is very ambitious and wanted to portray the challenges faced by women of the modern age while having a hopeful message. But like many others the film also let me down with its simplistic approach and also the film failed to convey the consequences of unplanned pregnancy as well.

The film is an easy watch with stunning performances by the actors. I would not want to tell you the entire story of the film. As an audience, you will be rather intrigued to see how the story unfolds in each timeline, but I would advise you to keep your expectations in check. If you are expecting a strong message on strong female identity then there is a good chance you will be disappointed. 

So would you watch this film? And if you have already watched the film, comment down below your thoughts.

Who does Natalie end up with in Look Both Ways?

In the universe where Natalie becomes a mom, the film ends with her returning home to Austine and enjoying the success of her animation film, The Night Owl, which she based on her daughter.

In the final scene of the film, she goes for a walk with her daughter’s father, Gabe. At this moment they decide to give their romance a go, sealed with a kiss, and they come across her old college house where she took her pregnancy test. Look Both Ways actress, Natalie walks around the college house before returning to Gabe and walking away with him. 

Back in her child-free universe, Natalie’s story wraps up with another career success, her short film is featured at a festival and her on-again-off-again boyfriend Jake surprises her by leaving the film he was working on in Nova Scotia to see it. 

Then Natalie and Jake go for a walk and end up at Natalie’s sorority. Similarly, as with Gabe, this version of Natalie enters the house before returning to Jake and walking away with him.

In both of these scenes, Natalie reassures herself that things work out as she looks into the mirror. That’s it! This is Look Both Ways ending, yes of course there are many scenes I didn’t explain,  because I don’t want to tell the whole story. 

The film is an easy watch with amazing performances by actors. As an audience, you will be rather intrigued to see how the story unfolds in each timeline, but I would suggest you keep your expectations in check. If you are expecting a strong message on strong female identity then there is a good chance you will be disappointed. 

So would you watch this film? If you have already watched the film, comment down below with your thoughts.

Frequently Asked Question 

Q. What is the message behind the Look Both Ways film?

The Look Both Ways film sends the message that neither path is better than the other. Look Both Ways is a film that talks about the idea of what-ifs and how one could regret their decisions. The movie discusses the ideas of regret and anxiety as well as how our lives could be if we made a certain choice. 

Q. What does the Look Both Ways review suggest?

When it comes to Look Both Ways reviews, you’ll find both kinds of audience, one who’s generally praising its charming premise, engaging storytelling, and Lili Reinhart's performance, Other have pointed out a lack of originality and predictable plotlines in the film. 

Q. What are the movies about pregnancy on Netflix?

Here are 10 movies about pregnancy on Netflix that you might like: 

1. Anchor Baby
2. Blue Valentine
3. Roma
4. The Birth Reborn
5. Baby Mamas
6. Obvious Child
7. How It Ends
8. Sarah's Key
9. Some Kind of Beautiful
10. Visions

Q. What is the Look Both Ways movie about?

The movie tells the story of Natalie, whose life on the eve of her college graduation, diverges into two parallel worlds:  one in which Natalie becomes pregnant and must navigate motherhood as a young adult in her Texas hometown; the other hand in which she moves to LA to pursue her career.