Missed Connections Review: Missed Connections is a romantic-comedy movie directed by Jelise Chung, produced by Anima Studios and UXS, Inc. and stars Miles Ocampo, Kelvin Miranda, Chienna Filomeno, JC Santos, Matet De Leon and Jericho Arceo, alongside others. The movie has a runtime of 107 minutes.
– Missed Connections Review Does Not Contain Spoilers –
Missed Connections follows the story of Mae, who gets enamoured by a chance encounter with a guy she accidentally met at a grocery shop. Looking to find love, she goes the extra mile and decides to stop at nothing to win his affection.
It’s actually really uncomfortable watching Mae from the first moment she appears on-screen. Maybe it was the point of the movie, but Mae is so over-the-top about everything that it’s painful watching her making these awkward facial expressions while throwing herself at an unknown guy at a grocery store. I actually immediately felt bad for this unsuspecting guy who is forced into a very awkward situation. I get that the over-the-top aspect is where the creators wanted to take the humour here, but it’s just so out there that it becomes unbelievable.
In that vein, Missed Connections‘s odd characters make it impossible for you to be invested in the storyline because you are not invested in the people. Sure, they have sad backstories and such, but from the first moment, the characters are so unstable and stalkerish that you feel uncomfortable instead of sympathetic. The cute music in the background might lull you into a feeling of safety, but there’s nothing safe or cute about any of this.
However, what I am disappointed about is that they made this movie into a rom-com, whereas it would’ve been so much better as a thriller or something. A movie that goes into Mae’s psyche and is darker than this. This is a mess; it’s very confusing about what it wants us to feel since we don’t feel bad for Mae, and we are forced to follow an unstable woman on her quest to make a man fall for her. It’s just so incredibly toxic.
Unfortunately, Mixed Connections is also incredibly predictable. There is not a lot unique about it, and the ending seems very convenient and rushed. I don’t believe for a second that anyone can get over the issues that Mae had after just a 5-minute conversation with themselves. And, that too, at the speed of light. It seems like things got resolved within a week which is not only impossible but simply a joke. I mean, sure, giving the audience a positive, happy and hopeful ending feels nice, but man, this is just not believable at all.
But, one thing I must mention here – the subtle hints that Mae’s mind is as messed up as the condition of her house and her constant need for love and approval are equal parts scary and sad. You don’t really relate to her plights per se, but towards the end, you pity her. So there’s that. But, of course, the movie breaks that down as well and gives tells us exactly why you are supposed to feel sad about Mae’s situation.
Miles Ocampo as Mae is fun and weird and does a good job with the odd character that she has been given. Other than that, Kelvin Miranda is every bit the awkward and uncomfortable guy caught in the crosshairs of instability, and he looks and plays the part. Other than them, we have Chienna Filomeno and JC Santos also play their roles well. Also, whoever did Filomeno’s hair and makeup did a fantastic job.
Missed Connections Review: Final Thoughts
This is such an uncomfortable film that just brushes every concerning thing under the rug like it’s no big deal. The film brings forth some concerning things in the storytelling that it doesn’t use well enough and gives us something that is disturbing and will leave a sour taste in your mouth.
Missed Connections is streaming on Netflix.
Personally, I didn’t think it was painful. I viewed it more as enlightening. People suffer from mental health problems and Mae is a perfect example. The movie was not a rom-com for me, it was about a girl who was at the verge of giving up on life and finally figured out how to pull herself out of the mess. That takes a lot of courage and strength, not many people with problems with hoarding, seeing/hearing people when they are not actually there, obsession, depression… this movie bravely showed the reality of some. It takes a very open mind to understand art.