Everything feels dumbed down. The dialogue mentions everything the characters are thinking, prohibiting the audience from making any inferences, and breaking the general rule in filmmaking “Show, Don’t Tell.” For example, they repeatedly and painstakingly reiterate Anna’s backstory about 4 times throughout. The writers do not allow any of the characters to make any choice and face the repercussions of their decisions. There’s a lack of silence throughout allowing the audience to process what they’ve seen or to soak up the visuals. Instead, potential moments to breathe must have a song or voiceover overlayed. It’s as if they think you’ll be checking your phone throughout.

There’s a lack of authenticity. The story doesn’t hint at any social commentary on the potential interracial “couple” especially when black people are seen vastly different in foreign countries than in America. There are hardly any emotional stakes as the tension of the potential love triangle and the love interest’s Italian family fall apart through one line of dialogue towards the end making you realize the plot could’ve been avoided if Anna just talked things out. There’s a quick throwaway joke which feels cringeworthy once you realize the writer and director aren’t black. It feels too safe and unearned. In other words, it feels like a film intended for streaming.