Five Blind Dates Movie Review (2024)
A light romantic comedy about a woman who learns that she will meet her love before her sister’s wedding, Five Blind Dates is incredibly cliché with a few hidden depths.
Not all romantic comedies are the same. There are the great ones (like Crazy Stupid Love and About Time) and others that are cute, but not particularly memorable (like The Map Of Tiny Perfect Things). But the simple films are important. They help us forget a bad day or distract ourselves, so if a movie isn’t too awful, sometimes it’s kind of enjoyable.
Five Blind Dates is about Lia, a young woman from a traditional Chinese family who has moved to the big city to open a traditional tea shop in memory of her grandmother. Watching the shop struggle, she and best friend, Mason, return to her hometown to celebrate her sister’s engagement. While there, a psychic predicts that she will meet the love of her life during one of her next five dates and before the wedding. Each of her parents, her sister, and her best friend set her up on blind dates, hoping that the one they choose will be “the one.”
This movie has all of the rom-com staples. There’s the drunk dancing montage, the waking up in a stranger’s apartment moment, the awkward, “did we have sex??” conversation, the “planning the next steps with your bestie” montage, the makeover montage, the very critical mother, and the gay best friend. Plus, you basically know what is going to happen from very early in the movie.
The music choices are excellent, with a constant vibey feeling, playing one banger after the next. I didn’t know any of the songs, but they are all upbeat and mostly keep you in that space while you’re watching.
While most of it is silly and surface level, Lia’s dedication to her grandmother’s memory, tradition, and her tea shop are deeper. You see her desire to make something of incredibly special memories and culture, and there is a lovely tea-making scene that emphasizes that care.
Also, there is a moment of reconciliation among the family that is remarkably sincere and touching. It made me cry. Believe me, I was as confused as anyone that this movie touched me, but it did, for just a moment.
Five Blind Dates is a simple film with a simple narrative, but it is entertaining enough. Look for the “pink party” where guests all dress as a pink figure – it’s one of the best scenes in the film, if only because you’re checking out everyone’s costume. And really, this movie hits that realm of being so silly that it knows what it is and leans into it. So, somehow, it kind of works.
Runtime: 84 minutes
Motion Picture Rating: Not Rated
Languages Spoken In The Film: English and Mandarin with English subtitles
Should You Watch It? Yes, if you need something mindless
Did I Cry? I did cry during one scene
My Rating: 2.5/5 Stars
Available: To rent on Prime Video or may be available for free on other streaming platforms
