No Stranger Than Love: A Dizzying Rom-Com with a Twist

Alright folks, grab your coffee and let’s dive into “No Stranger Than Love”—a film that kind of tickles both the funny bone and the gray cells, if you know what I mean. So here’s the dish: directed by Nick Wernham, whose name might not ring bells like Ingmar Bergman or Lars von Trier, but hey, he gives it a whirl.

Now, you’ve got Alison Brie, charming as a cinnamon bun in the morning, playing Lucy Sherrington, and the quirky Colin Hanks as a stuck-in-a-pit teacher. And let’s not forget Justin Chatwin, who’s got those puppy dog eyes. It’s almost like they all met at a midsummer’s party in Gotland but decided to solve their issues in a small American town instead.

Here’s what’s cooking: Lucy’s got this whole “strange hole in the living room” situation—it swallows up men confessing love to her. I mean, haven’t we all had that one apartment with weird vibes? Takes me back to that one time a rabbit just wandered into my living room during a storm. Never did find out how it got there!

The humor is there but sometimes as elusive as catching a fly with chopsticks. It’s quirky, like a vase on a leaning table, you feel that mix of curiosity and dread. But yet, there’s something sweet in its off-kilter charm that sticks. Or maybe it’s just Alison’s adorable antics, who can say?

Are there clichés? Plenty. But I reckon that’s part of its charm. A bit like putting lingonberry jam on a croissant—unexpected but somehow you’re not complaining. Underneath all the bizarre antics is a stab (albeit with a blunt knife) at the complexities of love and commitment.

In the end, “No Stranger Than Love” might not be the best love letter to the rom-com genre—but it’s that slightly awkward first date you look back on with an amused grin. Watch it if you’re in the mood for something as unpredictable as April weather in Sweden. Grab a kanelbulle and fizz, and enjoy the randomness of it all.

Check the trailer below