Love Hard is a delightful new romantic comedy coming to Netflix that tells the story of a writer named Natalie (Nina Dobrev) whose disastrous dating life provides for a comical column that her boss loves. When she thinks she finds her perfect match, it’s in part because they both agree that Die Hard is a Christmas movie. Speaking of movie debates that spark controversy, one of the Love Hard stars has shared an unpopular opinion that he says ‘may cause riots.’
In Love Hard, Natalie flies 3,000 miles to meet Josh (Jimmy O. Yang) and learns that she’s been catfished. Then she learns that Tag (Darren Barnet), the guy whose picture Josh used on the dating app, really exists and she might have a shot with him. One of the tests for both guys is whether or not they think Die Hard is a Christmas movie, because to Natalie it’s an irrefutable fact that it is. I spoke with the cast on behalf of CinemaBlend and was curious if they had any strong movie opinions that could ruin a relationship, and Darren Barnet’s is pretty serious. Here’s what he said:
I have an unpopular opinion that may cause absolute riots because every time I say it people are like ‘you’re not a real artist!’ I can’t get through more than like 25 minutes of The Godfather. I can’t. I’ve tried like ten times. I get bored every single time. I’m going to keep trying, but as if yet it’s not grabbed me.
Wow. Strong take, but I admire him for voicing it. Personally, I’m in the same camp as Darren Barnet, but whether I want to chalk it up to being born in the 90s and generally not into 70s film, it’s not something I go around mentioning at parties. I don’t have time here to really dive into the conversation of objective vs. subjective reactions and how not enjoying a film doesn’t mean it’s bad, but people just like what they like. It certainly doesn’t make Barnet any less of an artist.
Beyond the Die Hard debate, Love Hard is a lot of fun. It has sweet nods to classic holiday romantic comedies like Love Actually, over-protective parents, a small town, sibling rivalry, Christmas caroling and more. Nina Dobrev, Jimmy O. Yang, and Darren Barnet are simply excellent, along with the rest of the cast. This is sure to be a film I add to my yearly holiday rotation.
Love Hard begins streaming on Netflix November 5. Regardless of whether or not you believe Die Hard is a Christmas movie (it’s not), please watch this film and listen to Natalie’s argument for why it is, and then connect with CinemaBlend on social media to let me know if you agree.
