Movie Review

I watched this two times (before Justin’s lawsuit and after it). I felt like it could’ve been better. I didn’t read the book so I’m not sure if it was a slow burn between Lily and Ryle, but I didn’t get that from the movie. I felt like they got together pretty quick considering she was playing hard to get. I found the rooftop scene to be extremely cringy and this is before I found out that Ryan supposedly wrote it. The “crypto bro” comment and the misplaced laughter threw me completely off. I didn’t feel that initial connection between Lily and Ryle due to her dialogue. 

The domestic violence scenes were interesting to watch because at first glance I thought “oh that instance was a mistake” but from her point of view and in slow motion it revealed a different perspective. The one act that needed no slow motion to see the true intention is when Ryle tries to force himself on her. He was trying to prove a point to Lily and trying to erase Atlas from her life by biting the tattoo that reminded her of Atlas. At that point you could not question the action or even justify it. 

After this, they go through an awkward stage where it was hard to tell the state of their relationship. For a second I thought she was going to take him back because of the way she was looking at him during the crib building scene. She ends up not taking him back but the way that Lily asked for a divorce did not sit well with me. How could she ask for a divorce while he is holding their baby? He is already known for getting violent and being unpredictable, why risk the safety of your daughter? I just couldn’t understand it.

The flashbacks of Young Lily and Atlas set the viewer up for the audacity of Old Atlas to get into a fight with Ryle. I did not see it as Atlas defending her honor. For me, it was more of him trying to insert himself forcefully in Lily’s life. Like you just got here, sit down somewhere. I correlate it to that ex that pops back up into your life and wants to act like time hasn’t passed.

I completely missed the part where Lily and Allysa became best friends. It was like, “hi nice to meet you,” and two days later it was, “Lily is my best friend.” I have to say my favorite part of the movie though is when Allysa told Lily she would not talk to her if she took Ryle back. This was Allysa’s way of holding Ryle accountable for his actions by having Lily’s back. In real life, it’s disheartening when families condone the inexcusable actions of their loved ones.

Overall, I’m not team Ryle or Atlas because I found both of them to be problematic. 

Quick Opinions

• Lily’s clothes were ugly.
• Blake’s version of the poster was visually better but Justin’s name should’ve been listed.
• There will be no second movie.
• Young Atlas looked too old to be in high school.

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Legal Drama

Back in August, I thought the negative feedback was doing a disservice to the movie but I knew it would be successful regardless. When The NY Times article came out I was surprised because it was months after the movie’s release and I thought the negative Blake videos all over TikTok were organic. I’ve been on TikTok long enough to see how one thing can spark hundreds of video opinions. My algorithm is filled with hot takes on regular folks so think pieces about celebrities are to be expected.

By the time I was all caught up with the article, pro Blake decided Justin was no longer the “nice guy.” While pro Justin decided Blake was a shitty person so she was lying. I must say that anyone can be a shitty person but they do not deserve to be harassed or assaulted in any setting. It also goes without saying that most of us do not know these people on a personal level. Therefore, it can be true that Justin’s “nice guy” act is just that, an act.

Blake was harassed, because Blake believes she was harassed. No one is going to be able to change her mind. There can be books of CVS receipts stating the opposite and she will stand 10 toes down on being harassed on that movie set. She has a right to speak up for herself. The problem is that her story doesn’t match the narrative of Justin’s timeline, which came loaded with screenshots. As someone who has to deal with HR investigations, it’s always easier when both parties present the same basic facts. Because the facts don’t match up, someone is lying. I also have to say I have not seen a pro Blake video that discusses their opinions on her sexual innuendos. If they exist, do share. I think this is important because it speaks to the dynamics of Justin and Blake’s working relationship.

On the other hand, Justin also has a right to defend himself in a public setting since it was a news article that brought the claims to life. Him defending himself is not him going against his feminism. Is he just supposed to be a coward and go into hiding because speaking up could be considered anti-feminist? If so, that mentality is weird. They’re in Hollywood, him not defending himself, hinders his livelihood. If he has nothing to hide then I would expect him to defend himself too.

I’ve watched videos from both sides because there might be something that I’m missing and I like to see different perspectives. However, I cannot get down with this “you’re part of the alt-right movement if you are pro Justin.” This isn’t about politics. I also hope people understand that women do lie. I’ve dealt with women in my life who have victimized themselves to gain sympathy only to later find out they were the cause of the problem. They had me fooled for a bit so I’ve learned to look at all the facts, instead of just one side.

I am now at the point where I am over the gossip and conspiracy theories regarding what people say or what they’re wearing or how anything can be tied back to IEWU. This topic is so popular that I see people posting videos just for clout. I’m interested in the law side of the discourse. With motions now taking place I like watching lawyer content to understand what is being asked and what the probabilities are of obtaining said asks. I recommend Ask 2 Lawyers, Legal Bytes, notactuallygolden, Emily D. Baker for their breakdowns and expertise. 

As of now, due to lack of evidence on Blake’s part, I believe it wasn’t Blake’s intention to make it this far in legal proceedings. I believe she was more focused on her PR and wanted to change the narrative of her image. I think she figured Justin would settle since she pretty much did whatever she wanted on that film set. I don’t think she expected for Justin to stand 10 toes down on his innocence. Once March 2026 comes around it will be interesting to see if perspectives change, mine included, based on the evidence and witness testimonies.