CinemaBlind’s Review – 70%
The Flash and Aria from Pretty Little Liars get together in this sweet rom-com. The Freevee original film titled Puppy Love is directed by Nick Fabiano and Richard Allen Reid from a screenplay by Gregg Glienna, Peter Stass, and Kristen Guenther. Puppy Love is more enjoyable than a certain big-budget action movie with a stacked cast that came out recently but that doesn’t necessarily mean that Puppy Love is perfect it just means that the aforementioned action movie is that bad.
Puppy Love follows the story of Nicole (Lucy Hale) and Max (Grant Gustin). Nicole is a young independent woman who has put up guards to not let anyone in after a personal tragedy and Max is an extremely introverted man who doesn’t feel comfortable around anyone because of a betrayal amidst the pandemic, which isolated him even more. After a disastrous first date, Nicole and Max vow to never see each other again but Nicole’s dog Channing Tatum impregnates Max’s dog Chloe, which forces both Nicole and Max to face each other and become responsible co-grandparents.
Puppy Love has a unique plot that draws people in, but in its execution, the story falters many times. Except for Nicole and Max, there is not a single character who you can connect with because the writers haven’t put any of their efforts into exploring them. Even the main best friends of the leading duo Sid (Nore Davis) and Shay (Christine Lee) don’t have an arc and are just present to say their written lines. This isn’t a big complaint because in its short runtime, the film possibly couldn’t have explored every supporting character and most rom-com films do have these kinds of characters.
Despite all of the criticisms, Puppy Love is an enjoyable watch because of the performances put forth by Gustin and Hale, who portray their characters with incredible energy. Their characters also feel a bit relatable which helps the viewers to ignore the faults in the story and tell me who doesn’t love dogs and this Freevee film has some of the adorable movie dogs you will see. Another plus point of the movie is its music, which will certainly impress you.
In conclusion, CinemaBlind recommends Puppy Love to the viewers because of the chemistry between our leading duo and also the adorable dogs who will help you in ignoring the film’s faults. So, if you want to see the new Grant Gustin and Lucy Hale rom-com check it out on Amazon’s ad-supported streaming service Freevee on August 18. Find the trailer and the official plot synopsis for Puppy Love by Amazon Studios below:
“After a disastrous first date, wild child Nicole (Lucy Hale) and socially anxious Max (Grant Gustin) vow to lose each other’s numbers, until they learn that their dogs found a love match, and now puppies are on the way! The hilariously mismatched Nicole and Max are forced to become responsible co-parents, but may end up finding love themselves.”