Sisterhood, Inc.

I adore Rachael Leigh Cook's movies; she's reliably warm and delightful, like the cozy sweater of rom-coms. But this one? This one felt like an itchy, overpriced wool turtleneck that you convince yourself will be cute, only to realize it's just suffocating and makes you break out in hives.

Let's start with Megan. She was tough to root for. She had a superiority complex that could probably be seen from space, and her dynamic with her sister, Izzy, was less of a loving sibling relationship and more of a cautionary tale. Izzy, bless her chaotic heart, was a full-blown train wreck, and instead of truly growing on her own, she just got steamrolled into becoming a watered-down version of Megan. And then went back to old patterns when the poo hit the fan.

Their mother, meanwhile, was an odd mix of neglectful and overly indulgent, coddling Izzy while keeping Megan at arm's length. Then, in a whiplash-inducing twist, she and Megan had a moment of reconciliation so rushed it was like the movie suddenly realized it was running out of time.

And let's talk about Megan and Dominic. Or rather, let's not-because whatever was supposed to happen between them barely qualified as chemistry. Watching them interact was like watching two strangers awkwardly make small talk in an elevator. The sparks were nonexistent, and their romance had all the passion of a lukewarm cup of tea that someone forgot on the counter.

I am that someone.

There were a few decent moments, mostly thanks to the supporting cast, who at least attempted to inject some humor into the script. But even their best efforts couldn't save this movie from being a cringefest of epic proportions.

Also, and I say this with love: Megan desperately needed therapy, especially after the death of her father. I can say this with full authority because my dad died, and therapy is, quite frankly, incredible. If only someone had handed Megan a business card for a good grief counselor, we all might have been spared this cinematic struggle session.

I don't think this movie, or the people involved with it, takes itself seriously. It is certainly different despite a few common tropes.

The biggest thing that makes it different from the usual Hallmark rom/com is that the typical romance progression that lead couples usually follow is instead the "romance" progression of the sisters. Antagonism. Cooperation on a project. Grow close. Conflict because of an offence by one of them. Grand gesture. Reconciliation.

There is a traditional romance between Megan and Dominic but it totally secondary to the story. It really makes no sense because it is rushed too much with too little screen time together.

There are a lot of random gags. Some are funny. There is nothing realistic from start to finish. It has a parody feel to it, but I'm not sure what it was making fun of. Perhaps it was a parody of a typical Hallmark rom/com.

If you are after lovable characters, you have to be patient. Megan is pathetic and shallow. Izzy is pathetic and irresponsible. Dominic is likeable and doesn't really have any faults.

Glad this isn't a miniseries or a longer movie.

Usually, Hallmark movies are little less bad when they get better-known actors / actresses to sign up.

Not in this case, unfortunately.

If I didn't know some of the other work by the actress who's playing the main character I would not believe she is good at her job.

And what's with her makeup and her weird facial expressions?

I recognized her by her voice.

Why would anyone want to make a movie without trying to get the best out of the cast?

My guess is she either needed money quickly or lost a bet and was forced to do this movie.

I'm typing this while I watch.

The storyline is run-of-the-mill bland, full of dumb stereotypes, cheap tropes and conservative propaganda as to be expected from Hallmark and its clones.

6.4 stars.

The story feels like it was AI generated. There is no theme, the plot goes in multiple directions, the narrative is scattered. As the theme is developing, we see much potential however, it veers off course and never returns.

It's the story of a successful and career driven woman who intervenes on behalf of her much younger sister, in order to bring balance and purpose to her life. Younger sister still lives with the parents even though she's 30, in addition mother coddles her, therefore older sister is not satisfied with the situation.

Due to some challenges in her own career, older sister has much more free time to aid in younger sister's transformation. Together they create a quasi-business model that focuses on a product that is basically a life coaching community. Her younger sister is the client, big sis and several professionals will be her life coaching committee.

Where the movie goes from this point is anyone's guess. The romance is fragmented, the point of the committee is blurred, big sister's career is in question, but we aren't certain. She seems to be making deals on the side, but she feels it is all for her younger sister's benefit, but it's not.

We have a great cast of characters that is completely underutilized.

Either this movie was way too short to provide closure or the writing was haphazard and amateurish, or it should've been made made into a miniseries. If it were a miniseries, I probably wouldn't watch it, and if it was a longer film, it would probably fail to entertain. This film was probably doomed from the start. It's too bad. I suppose they should have focused on making a miniseries that would appeal to a wide range of viewers, something like 'Emily in Paris'.