Where are my Rom-Com lovers at? I’m pretty much going to shout this from the rooftops: Always Be My Maybe is the kick-off to summer romantic comedy you’re going to love. And it’s on Netflix, so you don’t even have to put pants on to go see it. But is Always Be My Maybe ok for kids? You know I’ve got that covered in the Always Be My Maybe Parent Movie Review.”
Like all good things on Netflix, I found this one thanks to social media.
Friends watched it over the weekend and when Sunday ended up being a dreary and rainy sit-on-the-couch kind of day, I knew just what would lift my soul. Gimme a Rom-Com!
Always Be My Maybe on Netflix came highly recommended so I cleared out the kids and sat down to watch. It’s rated PG-13 and since it’s on Netflix, I wasn’t sure just how far they pushed that rating. Is Always Be My Maybe safe for kids? I’ll give you the Always Be My Maybe parent movie review to let you know what ages this movie *might* work for.
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About Always Be My Maybe on Netflix
Reunited after 15 years, famous chef Sasha and hometown musician Marcus feel the old sparks of attraction but struggle to adapt to each other’s worlds.
Starring: Ali Wong, Randall Park, James Saito
Rating: PG-13
Run Time: 102 minutes
(warning- there’s language in the trailer!)
Always Be My Maybe Review
Pretty much everything about this movie made me smile.
The actors are delights, the story is sweet, and the fact that Keanu Reeves has a small but hilariously awesome and amazing cameo was the icing on the cake.
I’m just going to say this now: he doesn’t have a huge role, so this movie isn’t about him. But- a big ol’ sidebar here: Keanu is going to have an amazing summer. John Wick 3 is killing it at the box office (still!), he’s a scene stealer here in Always Be My Maybe, I have a feeling he might do the same as Duke Caboom in Toy Story 4, ANNNNDD… there’s talk that he might be cast in the Marvel’s Eternals.
Summer of Keanu, yall.
Anywhoo- back to the movie.
Rom-Coms can be formulaic and crappy- or formulaic and wonderful, and this one falls under the latter.
After interviewing Oscar-winning filmmaker (Bao) Domee Shi about the importance of food in the Asian culture, I was curious to see if those themes repeated in Always Be My Maybe since Ali Wong’s character is an Asian chef.
Sasha’s early cooking influence came from her neighbor and best friend’s (Randall Park as Marcus) mom and you see that form quickly in the movie. But then it kinda gets lost and forgotten during the middle of the movie and I wondered if we’d get back around to what was some of the sweetest moments of the film.
Not going to spoil it here by giving details, but I’ll say my appetite for this storyline was sated.
This is the way to kick off your summer, friends!
Go ahead and Netflix this one- you won’t be sorry.
No-Guilt Fangirls Podcast Always Be My Maybe Review
When Can You Pee During Always Be My Maybe?
Whenever you want- cause it’s Netflix and you can pause this sucker!
But I’d suggest going before the dinner date scene because I almost peed my pants over where Keanu takes us. Uber Pool, Keanu? Did you REALLY? I cackled!
Are There End Scenes In Always Be My Maybe?
No, but there is a super amazing perfectly written song during the credits that is its own payoff.
I howled and it just made the whole movie even more delightful for me.
Always Be My Maybe Parent Movie Review
Alright- you loved it, Patty, but can my teen watch this one?
It is rated PG-13 and that’s fair.
Casual talk of smoking weed and getting high is a running joke throughout the film.
There’s one quick butt shot (not during sex FYI) of Park but other than that no nudity.
There is a lot of descriptive discussion of sex as well as two sex scenes (appropriately PG-13). But my real issue was the language here.
Could this movie have skipped all the language and still been great? Yup. I think it could have. Oh- and a finger gesture that’s definitely not you’re number 1!
But it gets a pass from me because this one isn’t marketed to or for kids; it’s definitely an adult storyline and should appeal to older audiences, so while I don’t think it was completely needed (Wong goes on an expletive rant over the phone at one point- though maybe the dude deserves this one!) I don’t think they were dropping words in for shock value.
Buttt… at the same time, they could have made this one clean, gotten a PG rating, and I would have liked it just the same.
I’ll say stick to the 13 and up on this one, and that’s only if you don’t mind hearing a lot of the S word. Cause that seemed to be the favorite.
Rating: 8/10
Patty Holliday is a parent movie reviewer, writer, and podcaster living in the Washington, DC area. Her goal is to bridge the gap between casual fandom and picky critic with parent movie and television reviews. As a lifelong fangirl and pop culture connoisseur, she’s been creating online since 2009. You can find her work at No-Guilt Disney.com, No-Guilt Fangirl.com, No-Guilt Life, and as host of the top-rated No-Guilt Disney Podcast.