'Irish Wish' Is the Best Chapter of Netflix's Lohanissance So Far
Something shifted when The Corrs' "Breathless" kicked in during the trailer, so I knew 'Irish Wish' would be a fantastic time.
Irish Wish is everything I could wish for in a sweet yet wistful and wacky Netflix romantic comedy. Lindsay Lohan’s involvement with this movie caught my attention upon its announcement, but the trailer ran away with my heart as soon as The Corrs’ “Breathless” started playing. That needle drop made this 2024 release feel like the golden age of rom-coms that many new additions try and sometimes fail to emulate. Irish Wish doesn’t necessarily live up to those extremely high expectations, but it doesn’t need to in order to be a joyful watch.
Starring and executive produced by Lindsay Lohan as part of her two-picture deal with the streamer after 2022’s Falling for Christmas (The third is another holiday flick, Our Little Secret), this romantic comedy never pretends to exist in anything other than a magical world. That framing embraces the cheesiness that comes from the female main character’s wish to marry Paul Kennedy (Alexander Vlahos), a famous and selfish writer who is actually engaged to marry her best friend, Emma (Elizabeth Tan). Irish Wish introduces Lohan’s Madeline Kelly as a lovestruck book editor who doesn’t speak up for herself in her personal life or her workplace. Her arc is predictable from the moment Maddie steps out of the taxi and gets turned around when it whisks away with her scarf trapped in the door.
But isn’t that predictability part of a romantic comedy’s charm and nostalgia?
That’s why I sat up straighter when Irish Wish used an opening title sequence (Prime Video’s Upgraded did, too!), but I deflated a bit when the soundtrack didn’t live up to that perfect choice in the trailer. Nevertheless, this Netflix film is acutely aware of its audience — romance fans and Lindsay Lohan fans. Irish Wish takes elements of Lohan’s iconic turns in Freaky Friday (2003) and Just My Luck (2006) and combines them with the charm of Leap Year (2010).
The Freaky Friday ties are thin, but they are greatly appreciated. During an interview on SiriusXM’s “Andy Cohen Live” in March, Lohan confirmed a sequel. “And we’re [Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis] both excited,” she said. “I’m gonna speak for Jamie.” Little did I know that while I was writing, Curtis would share a photo of herself and Lohan on Instagram that heavily insinuates that the Freaky Friday sequel is on its way to being in production. The caption “DUH! FFDEUX!” hints at the new movie, while the tags tease its potential home — Disney+. Then, news broke that Nisha Ganatra, who directed 2020’s High Note (one of my underrated favorites), will be directing Freaky Friday’s sequel.
The Leap Year connections come through the basics—filming on location and casting actors who aren’t actually Irish. The beautiful Lough Tay and its legendary “wishing chair” are far more magical in their actual setting than if Netflix had digitally created the entire scene. The same is true for the Cliffs of Moher. Janeen Damian’s direction gives that gorgeous view its own introduction, which is significant to the movie’s visual appeal and the leading lady, Maddie. Her appreciation and connection to the Cliffs of Moher exist throughout the movie as a source of inspiration and love. A pivotal location like that should feel authentic and tangible, and you can’t always get that through green screens.
Romantic chemistry is equally special, and Irish Wish has it with Lohan and Ed Speelers. Sure, Irish Wish makes the characterization a little too obvious when Lohan’s Maddie and Speelers’ James are on the tour bus, and she’s gripping Paul’s book while James fiddles with his camera. Nevertheless, the actors’ banter eases out those rougher edges. Their chemistry pulls Irish Wish through most of its rockier times. In all transparency, this rom-com’s cheesiest moments are not its downfall. One of its most unfortunate drawbacks is that sometimes its characters feel paper thin when Irish Wish so visibly wishes to have the alternate effect.
This rom-com misses the allure of its pivotal wish without proper build-up to the magical moment that starts a domino effect for the female lead. Irish Wish doesn’t make all that substantial effort to underscore what Maddie would see in Paul. Instead, it quickly defines his less-than-charming qualities, specifically concerning Maddie and his disrespect for her work. Then, Irish Wish loses the momentum for what could be an interesting B-story about friendship because Maddie and Emma don’t seem to be all that great of friends — until Maddie apologizes to Emma for liking (and almost marrying) the man that Emma likes.
Irish Wish makes a bit more effort with Maddie and Heather’s friendship. Perhaps a lot of the bubbly energy surrounding that dynamic comes down to Lohan and Ayesha Curry’s preexisting friendship. Curry is even the godmother to Lohan’s son! The pair did a lot of promotion for the movie, including getting nearly every answer right during Netflix’s BFF Challenge. Lohan and Curry’s chemistry translates well on screen, so it’s a shame that Irish Wish doesn’t utilize it even a bit more. For instance, Emma and Maddie’s plans to get drinks are thwarted by a life-altering wish, but a scene like that would have greatly benefited their dynamic.
Still, the casting goes beyond Curry and Lohan’s friendship to become a family affair. Lindsay Lohan’s younger brother, Dakota Lohan, appears in the movie as a groomsman named Finn. The brother-sister pair also teamed up for the movie’s promo tour. The story they share about the Get a Clue set is incredibly nostalgic. Plus, Lohan’s husband, Bader Shammas, is an executive producer on the movie; Lohan’s younger sister, Aliana Lohan, sings the end-credits song “Comin’ Home.”
It’s clever that Irish Wish’s promotion taps into nostalgia, like in the “Lindsay Lohan Interviews Lindsay Lohan” video Bustle released with her fantastic profile by Samantha Leach. As a die-hard fan of The Parent Trap (1998) and Nancy Meyers, I find it easy to wish one Lohan had a British accent in that brilliant marketing tool. Lohan even mentions being a long-time Meyers fan in the profile, saying, “[Her movies] are so clean, beautifully shot, and set dressed. She’s fantastic.”
Meyers’ movies understand that a rom-com’s supporting cast of characters is part of the winning formula. The Holiday’s Arthur immediately comes to mind. Prime Video’s Upgraded does this well, too. Irish Wish could improve with a sequel because this movie certainly leaves one yearning for a follow-up.
Irish Wish did pull bigger numbers than Lohan’s first Netflix rom-com, drawing “1 million U.S. households in the live-plus-two-day window over the weekend. That was up 3% from Lohan’s last Netflix release, Falling for Christmas, which averaged 989,000 households in the same release window.” So, there’s some behind-the-scenes incentive to revisit these characters. Irish Wish’s story supports it, too.
Maddie and James don’t take steps toward a romantic relationship until the movie's final scenes, which isn’t entirely rare for a romantic comedy. However, it is unfortunate that Irish Wish sees Maddie and Paul as a couple, albeit a fake one. Still, all it delivers with Maddie and James is solid build-up and one cinematic kiss in an alternate reality. Nonetheless, James is the superior love interest from the beginning. He immediately challenges her — and her him. His charming yet cheesy line “I’d hardly call having a voice at your own wedding being difficult, would you?” is in the trailer, and it sticks the landing in the movie. Maddie constantly doubts herself, her opinions, and her writing. James repeatedly reminds her that she shouldn’t make herself sad or small to be with someone else.
That bar is so low, yet I can’t help but swoon when James says, “I read your book,” and “I know what I said,” when Maddie questions the first sentiment. The almost emotional intimacy (James doesn’t open up easily, of course) that translates to physical intimacy during the darts scene is so good. I will admit that Ted Lasso conditioned me to believe a darts scene can be the most endearing and romantic thing in the world. It gets even better because that scene exists within the forced proximity trope. After all, inclement weather traps Maddie and James at the pub.
All that romance that genuinely worked for me made me think of author Kennedy Ryan’s appearance on the Balanced Blak Girl Podcast, where she responded to the question: Do romance novels create unrealistic expectations?
“Is it unrealistic — is fidelity an unrealistic expectation? You know, is that really an unrealistic expectation? Is a man who sees you as an equal — is that really an unrealistic expectation? Is a man who esteems your career and your ambitions and your dreams and your goals as important as his — is that really an unrealistic expectation? Or is that a bar that you don’t want to step over? Is that a bar that you don’t want raised? You know what I mean?”
Ryan, unsurprisingly in all her talent, put into words why the romance in Irish Wish works for me. Sure, James says everything I would expect a romantic lead to say. He’s a “cheeky” textbook main male character, and it works because he raises the bar from what Paul Kennedy sets and Maddie believes she deserves. All the while, Maddie pushes James, too, to take professional risks and be more open personally. They compliment each other, and they raise that bar. Those elements result in a positive rom-com viewing experience for me. Because Lohan keeps raising the bar from Falling for Christmas, which I also liked, to Irish Wish, I can’t wait to see what her third Netflix romantic comedy has in store.
💌 Shelby
*Featured photo courtesy of Netflix
loved this!