SummaryOn the night of her college graduation, Natalie's (Lili Reinhart) life diverges into parallel realities. In one life, she becomes pregnant and must navigate motherhood as a young adult in her hometown and in the other she moves to LA to pursue her career. In both journeys, Natalie experiences life-changing love, pursues her dream career as an ar... Read More
Directed By:Wanuri Kahiu
Written By:April Prosser
Look Both Ways
Metascore
Mixed or Average
49
User score
Mixed or Average
5.1
My Score
Drag or tap to give a rating
Hover and click to give a rating
Not available in your country?
ExpressVPN
Get 3 Extra months free
$6.67/mth
Top Cast
Metascore
Mixed or Average
49
18% Positive
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
55% Mixed
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
27% Negative
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
Aug 19, 2022
75
Fueled by the smart and knowing script, the sure-handed direction and a true star performance by Reinhart, “Look Both Ways” is a comfort-viewing experience with authentic and likable characters.
Aug 17, 2022
60
Look Both Ways feverishly whittles itself down to ensure that it keeps a wide berth from anything unsavory or controversial. The dishonesty that comes along with that timidity is a much tougher pill to swallow than the truths that might have arisen otherwise.
User score
Mixed or Average
5.1
27% Positive
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
47% Mixed
7 Ratings
7 Ratings
27% Negative
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
Aug 19, 2022
7
Emotional, sentimental, and related for the early 20s! This movie is about pregnancy, marriage, and career issues in early adulthood. It’s really good to describe “anxiety, fear & distrust” issues to become parents and a married couple after college. They were a best friend with very different life: a) the girl is a strong academic planner and ambitious animator wanna-be, meanwhile b) the boy is not an academic planner but an ambitious drummer. The narration is well-made by creating two separate stories throughout the entire movie. The first story is about a condition if they were a parent but not a married couple because of an unexpected pregnancy. The second story is a condition if they weren't a parent, not a married couple, and no one gets pregnant. The best thing is both of the stories are narrated at the same time to keep us looking both ways. Easy to understand and related stories for the early adults (age 20s) are the main pros. Two separate narrations that run at the same time is another pro. The moral lesson is well-delivered through emotional and sentimental moments. Besides that, everything is just standard. The acting performance, music, visuals, and set are just typical. Personally, nothing special except my main motivation to see Lili Reinhart (Riverdale actress) and a lil bit of motivation to see Danny Ramirez (Top Gun: Maverick actor) as the main cast. Nevertheless, this movie is fun to watch, sentimental, and has a lot of moral lessons but don’t expect too much. It's suitable for everyone in the early adults, age 20s. But, it can also be suitable for anyone who wants to feel nostalgia about the drama of age 20s. As always, I didn’t expect anything before watching. Enjoy this movie on Netflix and nothing to lose. Fresh from the oven! Just released on the 17th of August 2022!
Aug 9, 2023
6
My daughter and I watch lots of rom coms together and this is one of the better ones. The writing is remarkably good as it lends truth to parallel storylines - one involving young parenthood, and the other involving a young animator's career. There is a dizzying amount of switching between these storylines, however the film is rewarding if you can keep up. It also has a strong message about there being no bad decisions at critical junctures in life, as you never know where the future will lead.
Aug 17, 2022
60
Its affect is warm and reassuring, its methods for affirming that everything’s gonna be all right are cozy and tame, especially in regards to young motherhood.
Aug 17, 2022
50
Look Both Ways has a couple of things going for it, namely a compelling premise and the charm of Lili Reinhart (“Riverdale”) in the lead role. But the whole movie is a lie, and once you figure that out, the realization cuts into a lot of the pleasure.
Aug 17, 2022
40
Though leading lady Lili Reinhart does her best, Look Both Ways struggles to make a lasting impact with either of its dueling timelines.
Aug 23, 2022
38
Look Both Ways has nothing meaningful to say about any of the subjects it’s supposedly addressing. Even when the filmmakers get little details right (Natalie’s animation references are spot-on and very convincing), the movie is playing the supportive friend to its audience, patting viewers on the back and talking about how everything happens for a reason, and it’ll all turn out great.
Aug 17, 2022
30
Never mind that Look Both Ways seems to posit that, for women, child rearing and a career are in relative opposition — when Natalie comes to a fork in the road, the movie hardly lets her look both ways. It bulldozes her down one path, and then the other.
Oct 30, 2022
5
It was okay. Decent performance with a generic plot but not bad at the way it was presented. You’ll have a decent time with this but easily forgettable.
Aug 25, 2022
5
Lili Reinhart is competent as a leading actress, if not necessarily outstanding. However, little of what is shown along the way has any noteworthy emotional resonance.
I mean, the sentiments of what it tries to explore are adequate and you can easily empathize, but the execution is too basic for you to actually care. Of course it doesn't seek to be special, but its purpose as a content filler is all too noticeable.
May 31, 2026
3
Look Both Ways has an interesting premise, exploring two alternate versions of a young woman's life based on a single pivotal moment. Unfortunately, the execution feels shallow and predictable. The parallel storylines lack emotional depth, and the characters are not developed enough to make either path particularly compelling. While the film has a few charming moments and a positive message, it struggles to create meaningful drama or tension. In the end, it comes across as a forgettable and overly simplistic take on a concept that deserved much more.
Aug 20, 2022
1
Absolutely boring and unrealistic. It was just a waste of time. Never ever i watch it again.
Sep 5, 2025
0
Really? The reason she has a happy ending whether she is pregnant or not is… In both scenarios she ends up partnered with a man. Not because she succeeds in her art. Which she does. But because she won a man. Give me a break. Worst romcom ever.
Production Company:
- Catchlight Studios
- Screen Arcade
- Small Victory Productions
Release Date:Aug 17, 2022
Duration:1 h 50 m
Rating:TV-14
Tagline:Wherever Life Takes You. Let Love Guide You.
