Netflix’s recent satisfyingly safe rom-com

Amidst the recent hoards of murder, cult and war documentaries Netflix has been releasing, a romantic comedy is a friendly face to see around Valentine's Day. “Your Place or Mine”, starring Reese Witherspoon and Ashton Kutcher, placed number one for Netflix’s top 10 movies this week. Enough people are watching this film to make it a must-watch — however, the critics are not so pleased and have mostly deemed it not worth the time.

This rom-com stars Witherspoon as Debbie, an organic, down-to-earth single mother, and Kutcher as Peter, a city boy with a serious lack of ambition. These two best friends, who happen to be total opposites, switch lives for the week so Debbie can take a master class in New York City while Peter watches her son back in Las Angeles.

Like most rom-coms, the plot is pretty foreseeable, but that’s not to say it isn't a good one. If the movie hadn’t gone in a predictable direction, I would have felt a bit cheated. Netflix movies, specifically romance films, can tend to be pretty cheesy, even to the point where you're cringing on the couch by yourself.

The comedy in this movie is genuinely funny, especially given it doesn’t leave you questioning whether a third grader wrote the script in their ‘secret’ diary. The plot keeps you engaged, unlike some movies nowadays that you put on and soon become background noise while your attention slowly sways towards something your mind deems more worthy.

The lineup of the cast was strong thanks to Witherspoon, whose acting always lives up to expectations no matter what role she plays. Accompanying Witherspoon are Zoe Chao and Steve Zahn, both are talented in the art of comedy and spark the majority of the laughter from the audience.

As far as overall ratings go, Rotten Tomatoes critics weren't impressed, nor were their audience scores. Proceed with caution when going off the Rotten Tomatoes review because most critics think they’re some kind of movie rating gods. Most of the high ratings go to movies that are basically cinematic masterpieces, and although this movie is nothing compared to “Avatar 2” or “Paddington”, it’s still worth a watch.

The next time you're scrolling through Netflix in need of a feel-good movie less than two hours long then pick “Your Place or Mine.” It was placed in the top ten for a reason. Who doesn’t like a Reese Witherspoon movie? Her “Legally Blonde” attitude has stuck with her acting ever since, and it succeeds in everything you could want in a character.