New Netflix original movie, “Your Place or Mine,” was released Feb. 10 and has since remained in the top 10 trending movies on the streaming service. The film was written and directed by American screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna, who famously wrote movies such as “The Devil Wears Prada” in 2006, “27 Dresses” in 2008 and “Annie” in 2014. 

McKenna has returned to writing for the silver screen, but for “Your Place or Mine,” she also sat in the director chair. “Your Place or Mine” is currently the third trending movie on Netflix. 

“Your Place or Mine” is a film about finding love later in life, straying from the stereotypical romantic trope of young couples with the perfect “meet-cute” and happily ever after. Debbie and Peter’s story, played by famous actors Reese Witherspoon and Ashton Kutcher respectively, is one that developed over multiple decades, where at first they blossomed as more than friends, remained just best friends for the most part, but then both encountered a romantic spark for one another. 

Peter and Debbie, who live across the country from each other, decide to switch homes for a week so that Debbie can enroll in a master’s program. While Peter watches Debbie’s son, Jack, they begin to realize what the other truly means to them and whether or not their feelings for each other are mutual or something more. 

The cast of “Your Place or Mine” is filled with experienced and acclaimed actors. In addition to Witherspoon and Kutcher, the film also stars Jesse Williams as Debbie’s short-term flame Theo, Zoe Chao as Debbie’s newfound New York friend, Minka and Tig Notaro as an old friend of Peter and Debbie, Alicia. The cast meshes well together, and although Witherspoon and Kutcher are strong leads, a majority of the spirit, fun and humor comes from the relationships and interactions that Peter and Debbie have with the quirky and unique supporting characters. 

McKenna takes an interesting approach to the direction of the film, seeing as for a developing love story, the main characters, Debbie and Peter, actually interact the least throughout the duration of the film. As the plot revolves around the idea of Debbie and Peter swapping homes for the week, they each meet new people and develop their own character before coming together at the end of the film. 

This intentional element, although unique, does occasionally take away from the chemistry between the characters. Most of the communication and interaction between the friends to lovers, Debbie and Peter, is via FaceTime, which definitely plays into the support of dating and relationships in a digital age. 

“Your Place or Mine” is a movie that is geared towards an adult audience, as it incorporates themes revolving around parenthood, lifelong friendship, love and career aspirations. Jack is a main vessel in helping Peter learn about not just his life but Debbie’s life as well, instilling ideas of family and love into the film. However, a large portion of the movie builds onto the idea that not everything is as it appears to be, as both Debbie and Peter learn that the other’s life is not as perfect as it may seem over the phone, both having made assumptions about one another’s lifestyles. 

“Your Place or Mine,” although not the most riveting or dynamic movie of the year, is an amusing film that can satisfy the friends-to-lovers rom-com admirers who enjoy a lighthearted and charming movie. 

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