Is the Netflix Movie ‘The Wrong Paris’ So Bad It’s Good … Or Just Good?
Netflix is no stranger to being roasted over its original movie offerings. For every Roma or The Irishman there’s a My Oxford Year or Uglies, testing the limits of human decency.
There are bound to be duds when the goal is quantity over quality. (The streamer released roughly 140 original movies in 2024 alone.) In that vein, a skeptic might accuse The Wrong Paris of being trashy as well. It’s not about regret, loneliness, or domestic workers in 1970 Mexico City. It is a romantic comedy about a bubbly young woman who has never seen a contract she didn’t read, and thus winds up on a reality show in Paris, Texas, instead of Paris, France, as she had expected. It is corny, contrived, and definitely not about Irishmen.
And yet, it has become one of Netflix’s most well-received original movies of 2025. Is that because it’s so-bad-it’s good? Or is it just … good? Let’s get to the bottom of this.
1. It embraces silliness.
Where a so-bad-it’s-good movie might treat the conceit of “reality show set in Texas” as a set-up for an introspective, 3-hour-long delve into the meaning of love, reality, and Texas, The Wrong Paris chooses to be a frothy, uncomplicated confection. Sure, the movie’s fictional and somewhat unethical reality show would probably be cancelled immediately in 2025, but The Wrong Paris doesn’t care about logical inconsistencies. Instead, it speeds through to the jokes, visual gags, and romantic sparks, a.k.a. the things that we’re here for.
2. The chemistry is real.
A shirtless Pierson Fodé would be enough reason to watch this movie. Now, would I immediately assume that he’s a nepo-baby Wall Street himbo-douche if I ever saw him shirtless in a gym? Yes, but as soon as he started talking, I’d fall in love. Also, his chemistry with Miranda Cosgrove is so effortless as to spawn off-screen romance rumors. (It hasn’t yet, but it could!) A good rom-com needs a believable romance, and The Wrong Paris shines in that regard.
3. It pokes fun at reality TV.
A lot of the fun in watching The Wrong Paris is to see how it tackles reality conventions, specifically those related to The Bachelor. Anyone who has seen a dating competition will instantly recognize the kooky side characters, comically elaborate romantic setups, and stilted dialogue. Now, does The Wrong Paris have Unreal-levels of cultural commentary regarding reality TV? No, but The Wrong Paris isn’t aiming for that, either. In this movie, the absurdity of reality competitions dovetails perfectly with the zaniness of rom-com tropes, creating a perfectly even tone. Some movies never even maintain a consistent tone throughout, so in that sense, The Wrong Paris is solid genre fare.
4. It has an unexpected ending.
Without spoiling too much, I’ll just say that this is not a movie in which a sophisticated heroine gives up all of her professional dreams after falling in love with a smooth-talking, salt-of-the-earth Red State hunk. As the in-movie reality show plays out to its inevitable conclusion, the movie’s overarching romantic storyline offers a genuine surprise in the end. It’s enough to leave many viewers with fond, if not lingering, feelings towards the movie.
5. It has a compelling supporting cast.
A rom-com is only as strong as its outlandish supporting characters. Thankfully, The Wrong Paris has some natural comedic fuel in the form of Yvonne Orji, who plays a sardonic, driven producer — a light-hearted parody of cutthroat reality TV creators. Meanwhile, Madison Pettis plays Lexi, an unlikeable influencer (a phrase that is increasingly becoming tautological in 2025); and while Lexi isn’t brilliantly written, she’s cartoonishly devious enough to dislike, and enjoyingly so.
The final verdict…
If it isn’t clear already, The Wrong Paris isn’t so-bad-it’s-good … it’s good! Again, it’s not going to win an Oscar, but no one voluntarily clicking on this movie would expect that. The Wrong Paris is perfect escapist fare with all of the rom-com tropes that lovers of the genre have come to expect. I would even go so far as to say that Miranda Cosgrove should take over Sofia Carson’s role as the Crown Princess of Netflix Rom-Coms. Judging by The Wrong Paris, Cosgrove actually possesses an entire range of human emotions!
