Fans of Lindsay Lohan and her work in the early aughts were thrilled to see her return to screens in 2022’s Falling for Christmas, and now the actress has re-teamed with that movie’s director Janeen Damian for a second Netflix rom-com — Irish Wish. Lohan seems to be having something of a renaissance, as she also made a surprise cameo in the Mean Girls musical, and critics are here for it — even if they’re pretty acidic toward her latest project as a whole.
Irish Wish, which is available to stream now with a Netflix subscription, was giving major 2000s energy in its trailer, with LiLo starring as Maddie, whose friend is marrying the man she believes to be the love of her life. While in Ireland to serve as a bridesmaid in the wedding, she wishes for true love and wakes up to find she is now the bride. Samantha Bergeson of IndieWire says that while Lindsay Lohan’s influence is felt throughout, Irish Wish lacks originality or the charisma of her previous Netflix movie. The critic gives it a C-, writing:
Irish Wish apes the much-better 27 Dresses almost beat for beat… And that’s fine! The rom-com genre lives and dies on its tropes, because we love them and they’re comforting, but the lack of originality smarts here. Irish Wish might be more at home on the Hallmark Channel — where it would really stand out — but in the land of Netflix, it just doesn’t shine the way Falling for Christmas did. We’re raising a pint to Lohan’s next Netflix film instead, and wishing for something better.
Coleman Spilde of The Daily Beast advises viewers to “Skip This,” and he doesn’t mince words as he calls Irish Wish a “pot of gold turds.” Lindsay Lohan is the only redeeming quality, Spilde says, in a movie that’s genuinely bad, even by streaming romantic comedy standards. LiLo deserves better, the critic says, writing:
Christmas movies are expected to have a tolerable level of kitsch. It’s part of their charm. But those low standards don’t apply to other seasonal fare, and certainly not to a love story released in time for St. Patrick’s Day. Irish Wish is bland, woefully flat, and entirely devoid of laughs, and is a vacuum of charisma when its star isn’t in the frame. Netflix might be a safe place for Lohan to get her groove back, but Irish Wish is merely proof that she has much more to offer than what the dearth of streaming can provide her.
Owen Gleiberman of Variety writes that Irish Wish is as formulaic as Lindsay Lohan’s previous Netflix outing, but her chemistry with Ed Speleers makes it watchable. He continues:
The movie is as frothy as the foam on a pint of Guinness, as formulaic as the last disposable Netflix rom-com. Yet these two make you believe that they belong together, and not every romantic comedy does that.
Mireia Mullor of Digital Spy rates the movie 2 out of 5 stars, calling it “enjoyably ridiculous,” as it embraces a worn-out romantic comedy formula and the magical silliness of past Lindsay Lohan movies like Freaky Friday and Just My Luck. Mullor continues:
Here's another entry for our precious list of ‘bad rom-coms we love to hate and then to love again’, also known as ‘bad rom-coms that make us happy while ironing or washing the dishes’. Nobody could get tricked into thinking Irish Wish is anything more than it is — an uninspired, middle-of-the-road romantic comedy that we'll forget as quickly as it takes for Lohan to film a new one. But sometimes that's what you want.
Maggie Lovitt of Collider is much more forgiving of the movie as a whole, rating it a 7 out of 10. The critic agrees that no wheels are being reinvented in the rom-com space with Irish Wish, but Lindsay Lohan may have found her forever home with Netflix in what is basically a grown-up version of a Disney Channel Original Movie. Lovitt says:
Irish Wish may not be Notting Hill or 27 Dresses, but it is a far cry better than most of the rom-com fare today—and yes, I am looking at Anyone But You, and all of the romantic dramas masquerading as rom-coms (like One Day) and comedies (like Upgraded) pretending to be rom-coms. There is a certain degree of comfort in sitting down to watch a film starring Lindsay Lohan, considering she’s been making people laugh and audiences fall in love with her for the better part of twenty-five years. And while she isn’t the bright-eyed ingénue she once was, she is still very much the LiLo we’ve always known. As long as you keep your expectations in check, you’re bound to have a good time with Irish Wish.
There’s no question that critics love Lindsay Lohan, so even though this effort may not be up to par with her capabilities, fans will likely want to add this one to their watch lists. Irish Wish is streaming now on Netflix, and be sure to check out everything else that’s new and coming soon to Netflix. You can also take a peek at our 2024 movie schedule to see everything else that’s hitting theaters and streaming soon.
