User Reviews

The BEST rom-coms have a dark edge ("Destination Wedding", "Meet Cute", "Always Be My Maybe", "Palm Springs", etc) but some with NO edge get by (just) on the 'charm' of their leads (without which they'd be Hallmark sludge)... like "About Fate". Emma Roberts & Thomas Mann are likeable twenty-something strangers who on New Years Eve Eve (warning: it's a festive movie) are SUPPOSED to get engaged to their respective ill-suited partners Lewis Tan & Madelaine Petsch... but 'fate' (or 'serendipity'? - no, THAT rom-com had more edge too) has other plans for this perfect pair. It's soft & schmaltzy fare, but for the right audience, it is passable.

I absolutely loved this movie.

In 2022, it is very hard to find a story like this.

The story is very character driven, there is no unnecessary subplots to confuse the viewer and there is no exploring side-character's stories unnecessarily.

Absolutely zero mention of THE MESSAGE.

(This is why this is a rare find in 2022)

In this movie, the just the lead actors telling their story how they meet on a fateful night and how they keep meeting for some reason is explored. It's just lead actors telling their story and the supporting actors are supporting the leads' story to progress.

Seven out of ten because there are some goofs and mishaps in the movie that make the viewer feel like deceived but it does not hurt the story's continuation.

A must watch if you love rom-coms which has the new year's eve theme bound to it.

IN A NUTSHELL: This romantic comedy is a tale of two people who believe in love, but seem to never be able to find its true meaning. In a wild twist of events, fate puts each in the other's path on a stormy New Year's Eve, as comedy and chaos ensue.

The film was directed by Marius Vaysberg, and is based on the play "Happy Steam-Bathing! Once On A New Year's Eve." Apparently, this is an American remake of the Russian movie from 1975 called "The Irony of Fate or Enjoy Your Bath" which is considered to be a holiday classic there. Quite a few negative comments from that Russian cast have been made about this remake. Another remake was made in 2015 called I Love NY.

THINGS I LIKED: I like Emma Roberts and want her to do well in her career. Her famous aunt, Julia Roberts, must be proud.

The true standout of the cast, for me, is Thomas Mann. I'd like to see more of him. He's charming and humble and perfectly awkward. I thought he and Emma Roberts had good chemistry.

Other cast members include Britt Robertson, Lewis Tan, Cheryl Hines, Madelaine Petsch, and Wendie Malick.

I loved the orange candle trick during the wedding scene.

That carnation pink coat is pretty cute and meaningful in the story. I love it when details overlap in stories.

The last scene was super sweet.

The story is very cliched, but if you don't mind, you'll enjoy the goofy romance.

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: I really like the actress Britt Robertson, who has played the leading lady in quite a few rom-coms of her own. Unfortunately, the character she plays in this movie is so self-absorbed and demanding that she is unlikeable.

Some of the dialogue is pretty lame.

All of the women in the movie are "EXTRA" and a bit psycho. The men are mostly clueless and incapable of handling their wacky women. None of the characters seem realistic at all.

Much of the humor doesn't land. Nothing made me laugh out loud.

The setup of the leading man accidentally ending up in the leading woman's bed because he thought it was his apartment is completely ridiculous. How did he get in? Didn't he recognize all of the different furniture?

There are so many rom-com tropes from other/better movies, making the movie entirely predictable.

The background music is super sentimental, telling you exactly how to feel at every moment.

TIPS FOR PARENTS: Lots of alcohol and drunk people A woman is high Some kissing "Mild" profanity A fight scene between men

THEMES: Fate Romance & true love Forgiveness Breakups Wedding Being flexible Hope

A modern day movie that's worth watching without all the agenda laden nonsense. At least, it wasn't as noticeable. A normal picture show with normal people and normal families. Emma Roberts looked amazing in this rom-com with her hair down because I didn't recognize her from the picture shown here on IMDb. This movie had so much potential and could've been so much more if it wasn't for the corny fight scene at the wedding. That scene almost lost me and it should have been a little more believable but it was so fake and why have a fight scene at all if you're not going to go all out. Another example of how one can make a great motion picture without all the profanity and sex.

If romantic comedies are your thing, go for it. But if not, you might have a hard time with this one. Most romcoms are unrealistic, and this one certainly pushes the boundaries into fantasy land. Yet it retains and transmits an inherent sweetness that saves it, barely. I almost turned it off twice, once during the chance carriage encounter with the couple played by Ricardo Pitts-Wiley and Rose Weaver, and once during the scenes when Thomas Mann's Griffin meets Lewis Tan's Kip at the wedding. This would be a 3 or 4 if not for the convincing chemistry between Emma Robert's Margot and Thomas Mann's Griffin. These are two good actors, and they had chemistry on screen and conveyed an inherent kindness and positivity that saves the film and makes us walk away happy.

An old style movie without the presumption to be a "neorealism movie" like those that win awards but nobody watches. I really enjoyed it. In a world where people confuse feelings with suffering, illness and other "real" things, well, watching this movie is like fresh water. Acting is fine, the story is clear since the first scene but who cares? We all need to dream, to love, to connect with our heart without constantly thinking about our real problems. We all live our days surrounded by anger, poverty, inflation, Covid, cancer, war, toxic relationships and a movie like this (as in the past) is a blessing.

Roberts is a really good actor who seems to get better as time passes. The film was light hearted without vulgarity nudity with a half decent storyline. Nowadays it's almost impossible finding anything even partly worth watching so this was pleasant. All the characters did a good job. It's more of a 7 than a 10 yet gets the high score due to the unfair rating on here. The story was actually interesting as you initially get the feeling that it's been done before yet then your pleasantly suprised. It also doesn't have the typical cliches most romance films have which gave it a nice twist. Watch for a cool sweet romance to make you smile.

This is not really a review, it should be taken more as a collection of impressions of the film.

I imagined a terrible, classic and very boring love film that also wanted to pass itself off as a comedy and instead I found a more than acceptable film that manages to entertain very well and even if it does not add anything to the now overcrowded genre of romantic comedies. The film is very good above all because it does not have many pretensions and even if it makes some classic slip in the usual dynamics of a poor romantic comedy, the film is still valid. Last small flaw, the ending is too slow and the film would have been better keeping the fast pace of the first part.

Unrealistic and cheesy movie. Strange for such decent actors to play in a movie like this. Painful to watch, and yet I somehow made it through. Visually it was well made. The actors did a fair job with what they were working with. Those are the only compliments I can give. The script/writing is poorly done. It's like a mix between a Hallmark movie and a big production, wanna be romantic comedy. The whole time I was wishing for it to be over. I'm surprised by the people that think this is such a well-made, quality film. The movie could have been done so much better! Too over the top and entirely not relatable.

Maybe I can't be objective about this movie since I love Emma Roberts but I am grateful that she decided to make this film since I jumped to watch it because she is on it, calling this as fate that I watch this film and definitely is already my favorite romantic movie of 2022. The charming script possess a vibe from the 80's and even the 90's, having that kind of unforgetable moments. Thomas Mann was a good call since he makes great chemistry with Emma Roberts where both are like complementary of each other but also sharing key elements such as same favorite movie, same kind of pet, for not saying cool surprises. It's set on New Year's Eve so it's an excellent choice to watch on xmas season but I can tell that it's totally fine to watch anytime of the year. Highly recommended.

It was good movie. It was not slow and I didn't even know that I have gotten in hour and ten minutes mark until I checked. I thought I was at half or somewhere there. But still it was perfect length for me. Not too short nor too long. Sweet and kind of bizzare with all those similarities. I might say I expected something a bit more maybe something on About Time style but it didn't disappointed me. Original idea and really interesting how it's put in three days and still is interesting. I will say there were parts you can laugh on but surely don't expect comedy you will laugh at whole evening..

This is kind of a strange movie. Forced coincidences and fabricated fate don't make for a memorable romantic movie.

Being a remake of a 1976 romantic-comedy Soviet TV Film (called "The Irony of Fate", which I don't think you can watch for comparison purposes).. does certainly not make it original, and the clichés don't help! But it has been modernized, for better or worse.

Considering this has been planned and worked on since 2006 leaves a lot to be desire, be it dialogue or general script-quality..

But I quite like Emma, and thought she was really quirky and charming, enough for me enjoy watching her throughout. She just fits the role well and wished she got better parts.

The rest of the cast have fitting roles, make for decent moments and interactions. Ultimately, I'm not sure if the Direction is the problem, or a lack of interest for what is ultimately a streaming film. Being based on "the style of the film The Proposal (2009)" probably tells you more than you need to know. Like it or hate it, it's okay and probably too bland to recommend!

These kind of films don't find a place in anyone's recommendation lists, but it's a guilty pleasure for most individuals to watch such movies. It's a great experience to watch path breaking and award winning movies, but it does get a bit tiring if you keep watching just dark and heavy stuff. I always look forward to watching sweet and simple films like 'About Fate' because it puts a smile on my face and acts as a great escape from the horrors of reality.

Although I was intrigued to watch this film after watching it's trailer, but I do wish that I hadn't watched it because the trailer spoils the initial few minutes of the film. 'About Fate' starts in a very unique way and presents something rather unexpected in front of you; I just wish I was unaware of the twist, because it was a good one. Even though the movie is set in present day, it has the feel of the kind of movies we used to see in the early 90's. With an adorable lead pair and a concept that always succeeds in putting a smile on your face, 'About Fate' gets it perfectly right as far as the settings and the atmospherics are concerned. Where it doesn't quite succeed however, is in it's screenplay, because it doesn't have as many layers as I had hoped to see.

I wish the movie had more humour because that would have really uplifted the rather simplistic screenplay. Even the action sequence placed at the end with the intent of making us laugh did not come across as funny at all. Things were happening at a quick pace but it felt like nothing was happening because quite often the screenplay had nothing to offer. For example, the relatives of Margot (Emma Roberts) loved Griffin (Thomas Mann), but adding some context to that would have really added a lot of weight to those sequences. Why was everyone becoming a fan of Griffin? If only the creators had added some conversation sequences showing us how he impressed everyone, those scenes would not have felt so hollow.

'About Fate' has a beautiful sub plot involving an old couple riding in a chariot and I loved the way it was integrated into the main storyline of the film. It's rare to see this kind of romance being depicted in the movies nowadays, so it was quite heartening and satisfying to see love being depicted in its purest form. In my honest opinion, some more interesting encounters and adventures involving Margot and Griffin would have proved to be quite beneficial for the movie.

The casting team nailed it perfectly by casting Emma Roberts as Margot and Thomas Mann as Griffin as both actors were fabulous in the film. Thomas Mann, who looks like a young Gary Oldman, was extremely grounded and nuanced in his portrayal of Griffin. It's been so long since he acted in the amazing Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (2015) and yet for some reason he continues to be an extremely underrated actor. I really hope this performance doesn't go unnoticed and more opportunities open up for him because he truly deserves it. Emma Roberts is such an amazing actress that you can't help but fall in love with her every time you see her. Emma looked quite healthy in this film and that made me very happy. I remember watching her in It's Kind of a Funny Story (2010) where she looked extremely gorgeous but with the passage of time, she started looking very different indicating a deteriorating health, which had me worried, but in this film she looked as beautiful as ever and in the pink of health as well.

While watching 'About Fate' you do get a sense of where things are going, but you still wish to be a part of this journey because the protagonists are extremely likeable and you care for them. The movie ends in the same way as it begins, in a very unique and unpredictable manner. You expect things to end on a high, but a twist follows and then you are left wondering as to what kind of end has this film planned for you. 'About Fate' is not an Oscar worthy film, it won't even be counted amongst the best romantic comedies out there, but if you give your critical lens some rest and give this film a chance, then you might just be able to appreciate the beauty of this sweet and simple film.

This one reminds me of Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan classics! I miss movies like this, it makes you believe in humanity again. All those fake Netflix romcoms are nothing compared to this film. There's actual chemistry between the leads, there's actual humor and plot twists, there's actual magic that you feel while watching this movie - which is the whole point of romcoms! Yes, it does stick to the formula and, yes, you know how it's going to end, but it's the journey that matters. This film feels fresh because the writing is witty, dialogue pops, characters are believable and there's an emotional climax at the end that money just can't buy. Beautifully shot , well paced and tastefully scored this film gives out the classic holiday vibe. It is an audience pleaser and there's no shame in that, personally, I got way more than my money's worth.

Thomas Mann's glasses reminded me of Superman. At first I didn't recognize him, but when he took off his glasses, I realized he was that kid from Me and Earl and the Dying Girl! The bath house scenes with Griffin's Russian friends seemed bazaar and out of place, until I read this was a remake of a Russian movie. Those scenes were funny and helped make Griffin a likeable character. Was it overly sentimental? Yes, but I still enjoyed watching it. Both Griffin and Margot deserved the right partner, and there was no denying fate.

The last scene felt like it needed to be re-done. It worked, but something about it seemed abrupt. I found this movie because I was searching for Emma Roberts. It was a nice surprise that Britt Robertson was also in the movie.

This is a run of the mill romantic comedy with very few funny moments. It´s major plus is that it inspired me to watch the original Russian movie from 1975. I will make a separate comment on that movie, but suffice it to say it was much better than this one.

In defense of the director and writers, it is clear from comparing the two movies that modern comedy has it´s hands tied behind it´s back because there are so many things that are no longer considered appropriate for comedy in a woke agenda. So it is very hard to produce a comedy that deserves more than a luke-warm review. Hence my rating of 5 stars.

Technically it seemed fine. The general level of acting was like the movie, unimpressive. So my recommendation would be to give this one a miss and watch the original instead.

With a sting of breakfast at tiffanys, serendipity and every romantic x.mas/new year romantic romcomdramas that exists out there on the silverscreen heaven.

An ultimately well åplayed and acted fateitional story that everyone might feel a hint of when youre as old as and grumpy man like me. Sefredipity is the true magic of life and if you want to relive awkward and revivable moments of love in life this is a major recommend. Seeing this film in september might be a flaw cause this is a holiday featuredrama, but nevertheless, you wont get disapointed if your the romantic kind of guy like me...

How pathetic.

When you need to have your characters say the word "fate" every ten minutes (while it is actually in the movie title), you clearly gave up on being subtle.

Acting is disappointing, pace is akward, humor falls flat, romance is not credible.

And why do we need a colored-british accent female character ? Not enough sisters around, you need to import them frol Albion?

The last straw was a griffin tatoo from college popping-up at the end... seriously? Was that necessary? How much more in 'in your face' do you need be?

Oh, simple things where have you gone?

Spare yourself a disappointment, watch the original.

I'm a big fan of Emma Robert's work, and familiar with Thomas Mann's work as well. When I saw they would be staring in a holiday rom-com together I had to watch! Both did a great job in this movie, specifically Mann who has always had hilarious comedic timing. His character is also genuinely kind that warms your heart, something that is usually disingenuously forced in your face with other rom coms. The story was entertaining and engaging enough to keep me glued to the screen. The supporting cast did a great job as well. Was it predictable? Yeah. However, it's the best holiday rom-com I've seen of the 2022 season. I recommend!

Emma Roberts deserved better. Instead, this movie is an abject failure. From the music in the opening scene, which is cringe-worthy, to the lead actor, Thomas Mann, who is utterly un-photogenic to put it mildly, this pedestrian rom-com never makes it out of the gate. As a fan of rom-coms, it feels like the Director should apologize for these scenes in every single way possible, whether it be the lighting, the editing, the sound, to the actual filming itself. Nothing to see here. I am saddened that the likeable and quirky Emma Roberts was drowned in this disaster. Sorry. Nothing good to say about this. Just a waste.