Movie · 2022 · Romance, Drama · 2h 2m · PG-13 · English
Curator score: 0.5/10 (378.1K ratings)
Overview
An aspiring musician agrees to a marriage of convenience with a soon-to-deploy Marine, but a tragedy soon turns their fake relationship all too real.
Ratings
Curator score: 0.5/10
IMDb: 6.7/10
Letterboxd: 2.46/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 32%
Metacritic: 30
TMDB: 8.0/10
Director
Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum
Production
Alloy Entertainment, Embankment Films, Gidden Media
Cast
Sofia Carson, Nicholas Galitzine, John Harlan Kim, Chosen Jacobs, Anthony Ippolito, Linden Ashby, Kat Cunning, Nicholas Duvernay, Scott Deckert, Kendall Chappell, Sarah Rich, Jordan Drake, Rand Guerrero, Leroy Edwards III, Sean Berube, Asante Jones, Debbie Fan, Kate Bone, A.J. Tannen, Theo Breaux
Where to watch
Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
Curator Review
Verdict
A glossy, high-concept romance with strong chemistry in places, but it leans on contrived plotting, shallow political shorthand, and a messy treatment of its military and health-care premise. It may work as escapist melodrama for viewers who want a very earnest enemies-to-lovers setup, but the execution is too uneven to recommend broadly.
Best for
viewers who enjoy melodramatic romance with a high-concept hook
fans of opposites-attract stories with lots of emotional payoff
audiences looking for a very polished, easy-to-stream romance
Skip if
you want nuanced political writing or realistic military drama
you’re sensitive to clunky social commentary and stereotype-heavy characterization
you prefer romance films with stronger dialogue and more organic character development
Overview
Purple Hearts is built like a streaming-era romance machine: a catchy premise, attractive leads, and a steady push toward emotional catharsis. The fake-marriage setup gives it a clean hook, and the film knows how to stage longing, friction, and reconciliation in a way that keeps the plot moving even when the writing does not.
Worth noting
The problem is that the movie wants to be both swoony and socially pointed, and it rarely earns either mode. Its politics are reduced to blunt shorthand, its military backdrop is treated more as a conflict engine than a lived-in world, and the central relationship often feels more engineered than discovered. The result is a film that is easy to watch but hard to fully believe.
Bottom line
For some viewers, that polish and emotional directness will be enough. If you’re here for a glossy, high-chemistry romance that doesn’t ask much beyond the fantasy, it can be diverting. If you want sharper character work or a more thoughtful handling of its premise, this one is likely to frustrate.
Top Letterboxd reviews
carly (2★) · 10175 likes
the true meaning of this story is that no matter what your differences and backgrounds are, if you’re both hot, you can make any relationship work and I think that’s beautiful
he’s a right🫡wing🇺🇸misogynist🏈 and she’s a snowflake❄️ leftist🏳️🌈 feminist💋 but they fall in love 🫶 and single handedly end ❌the political polarization in America because big pharma😷is ending 🙅🏻 her because she cant pay 💸 for insulin and he’s a former drug addict turned clean 🙏 so they work… more
eliora (0.5★) · 8041 likes
aww they made a movie for the “liberal” girls who ignore their boyfriend’s racism 🥹
trin (1.5★) · 6650 likes
she hooked up with him ONCE and then starting writing a song about WAR
annaece (2.5★) · 3749 likes
had to deduct half a star for cassie constantly having her hair in her shirt WHO DOES THAT
tutti (4.5★) · 3627 likes
The fact that I loved this tells me I have no personality