Summary
The story is thin, the lines uttered by our characters are far too unrealistic, and most of the jokes fall flat. But it’s nice to look at.
After bringing some holiday cheer with the mediocre yet forgettable Falling for Christmas, Lindsay Lohan teamed up with director Janeen Damian for yet another Netflix endeavor. Set in picturesque Ireland, Irish Wish is the story of a woman who makes a titular wish while attending her crush’s wedding to her best friend. Things start getting complicated after said wish comes true.
Irish Wish Review: Soothing Predictability
Lindsey Lohan stars as Maddie, a book editor hopelessly in love with her star author, the handsome Irishman Paul Kennedy (Alexander Vlahos). On the night of Paul’s latest book launch, Maddie is building the courage to do something her mom, Rosemary (Jane Seymour), has been trying to get her to do; tell him how she feels. For some unexplained reason, Maddie’s mother knows about her crush, but she keeps it hidden from her two best friends, Emma (Elizabeth Tan) and Heather (Ayesha Curry).
To Maddie’s dismay, Paul meets and immediately hits it off with Emma. Several months later, Paul and Emma are about to get married at his giant family manor in Ireland, with poor Maddie stuck as a bridesmaid.
Upon landing in Ireland for the big wedding, Maddie’s luggage goes missing, and she gets into a tiff with photographer James. It’s your typical meet-cute, where Maddie and James don’t get along at first, but are actually made for each other. But more importantly, she’s heartbroken about not marrying Paul.
While taking in the stunning countryside, our protagonist meets Saint Brigid, who encourages her to make a wish while sitting on a magical wishing stone. You’ll never guess what Maddie wishes for. Well if you guessed “Marry Paul,” you’d be correct.
When she wakes up the next day, Maddie is shocked that her wish has come true. Now, she’s about to marry Paul, Emma is just a bridesmaid, and no one remembers the other timeline. But the question begs, will getting her wish make Maddie happy?
As Irish Wish was filmed in Ireland, it does boast some impressive scenery. Visually, it’s a good-looking movie, which can be credited almost in its entirety to its shooting locations. From the Cliffs of Mahor to the Lough Tay to the charming town of Westport in County Mayo, watching the movie might encourage you to check flight prices on your phone. Especially as the plot isn’t exactly gripping.
Should you give Irish Wish a shot on Netflix?
It’s hard to fault the performances of Lohan, Speleers, and co., as the cast does the best they can with the material they’re given. Sure, there’s very little chemistry between the two leads, and Lohan is a tad rusty when it comes to leading a full feature (Mean Girls was almost 20 years ago), but the performances are as adequate as they can be. That also applies to Jane Seymour, whose part seems to have been thrown into the script as an afterthought.
As far as predictable romcoms go, Irish Wish isn’t terrible. You know exactly where the plot is heading, and that can make for a soothing viewing experience. Add to that pretty shots of the scenery, and you’ve got the perfect lighthearted Friday night stream. If you’re a fan of Lindsay Lohan and nostalgic for romantic comedies of the 90s and early 00s, you’ll probably enjoy this one.
What did you think of Irish Wish on Netflix? Comment below.
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