The Lovebirds is a 2020 Rom Com starring Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani, and directed by Michael Showalter.
Leilani (Rae) and Jibran (Nanjiani) are a New Orleans-based couple who's relationship is on its last legs. On the way to a friend's party, one of their frequent arguments becomes too spiteful, and they mutually agree to end their relationship. Just at that moment, their car injures a bicyclist, "Bicycle", who refuses aid and bikes away. Their car is then immediately commandeered (with them inside) by a mysterious mustached-man claiming to be a police officer. "Mustache" subsequently uses their car to murder the cyclist before fleeing the scene. Realizing that the police are unlikely to believe their story and will most likely blame them, Leilani and Jibran decide to go on the run while trying to track down Mustache.
Paramount Pictures originally produced the film and had it scheduled for a wide release on April 3, 2020. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic closing theaters worldwide, the film rights were sold to Netflix, which released the film digitally on May 22, 2020.
Tropes in this film include
- Bluff the Imposter: After the leader of Sacrarium learns that there are people infiltrating the orgy-viewing, he orders everyone to remove their masks. Leilani and Jibran do, not knowing that all true Sacrarium members know he was bluffing, immediately exposing themselves.
- Brick Joke: Just about everything in the couple's argument in the second scene comes back later.
- Keith tells the exact joke, poached from Katt Williams, that Jibran predicts he will.
- The orgy is very much an organized affair, as Jibran claimed it would have to be.
- They end up having "freaky sex" in the back of a moving Ambulance.
- The movie ends with them competing in The Amazing Race.
- Brief Accent Imitation: When Edie (who has a noticeable souther drawl) threatens the couple with "bacon grease to the FICE", Jibran turns to Leilani:Jibran: I don't want grease on my fice.
- Clark Kent Outfit: Out of universe. Nanjiani had already started his bodily transformation for Eternals, and it shows. He subsequently wears clothing just loose enough to partially disguise his physique, and during his brief shirtless scene, the camera uses tight closeups to obscure his defined abs and pecs.
- Facial Horror: Edie and Brett threaten Leilani and Jibran with the prospect of pouring boiling bacon grease on their faces. This leads the Leilani and Jibran arguing about how Jibran would cope with having a scarred face, as he fears it effecting any future romantic prospects, and Leilani arguing that scarred men do well on Bumble and she will make an effort to seek out a burn victim to date and prove the point.
- Made of Iron: Jibran takes a horse kick to the sternum, with enough force to lift him off his feet and go flying. While it knocks the wind out of him and leaves a bruise, he's in remarkably good shape for a man who should be nursing broken ribs.
- Mystery Cult: Turns out Bicycle was a member of one of these, of the Eyes Wide Shut sex-cult variety called "Sacrarium". The members include several elite New Orleans socialites and at least one Senator.
- No Name Given: Leilani and Jibran are not properly introduced to several characters, and therefore rely on nicknames to identify them. They call the murder victim "Bicycle", the murderer "Mustache", and the college student they interrogate "Fratboy".
- Plague Doctor: Many of the Sacrarium members wear these masks to hide their identities.
- Rule of Three: Jibran has a habit of assuming Leilani understands his Unspoken Plan Guarantee whenever he counts to three. She completely misses the point the first two times, but nails it on the third.
