Oh no, have romcoms somehow devolved back into the early 2000s? Because Amazon MGM’s romantic comedy Relationship Goals is like a throwback to when too many of these films were adaptations of self-help books. If you recall fondly that dreary period that gave us He’s Just Not That Into You and What to Expect When You’re Expecting, and too many TD Jakes adaptations to count, then chances are this glossy faith-based romance and its antiquated gender ideas will be for you.
On the plus side, Relationship Goals features the genuinely charming duo of Kelly Rowland and Cliff “Method Man” Smith. I can’t say I ever thought that one day the guy behind “Tical” and “Ice Cream” would be a romcom leading man, but it’d be a lie to say Method Man is out of his depth. The two musicians-turned-actors bring a certain amount of swerve to their roles as rival producers and former lovers competing for the same morning show gig. Rowland plays Leah Caldwell, who has been angling for years to become the first woman to run the highest-rated program in New York. Method Man is her cheating ex, Jarrett Roy, whose background in nightly news has earned him a chance at the same job.
The film is based on the book by megachurch pastor Michael Todd, who not only shows up playing himself, but also makes his work a key part of the plot. All of these self-help adaptations are, naturally, quite self-serving, as Todd uses the film to push his ideas and sell more books. Todd brushes off the effectiveness of social media when it comes to building relationships, and encourages people to date with intention. That’s not so bad. He also seems to encourage women to give those no-good cheating men a second chance, as sparks fly between Leah and Jarrett as they are forced to work together. That’s not so great a message to send. Todd is in this movie a lot…too much.
Leah is surrounded by a couple of zany besties (Robin Thede, Annie Gonzalez) who have their own issues with modern dating, but they mainly exist to drop mildly amusing one-liners. There’s even an extended dance scene where the gals get to brush all that dating angst off their shoulders. I’ll admit, I’m a fan of a good dance break. Relationship Goals is, at times, delightfully old fashioned. But it’s also by-the-numbers and just kind of coasts by without attempting much of anything. That’s disappointing given the talents of Rowland and Method Man, who I could see being even better in a film that’s slightly more ambitious.
Relationship Goals is streaming now on Prime Video.
