If you were as entertained by all the social media activity around the Max/HBO Max rebrand as we were, maybe the Warner Bros./Discovery platform has been on your mind. If that’s the case, great! There’s a huge library of content for you to peruse.
If you don’t know where to start, Watch With Us has a recommendation: Starstruck, an underrated romantic comedy series written by and starring Rose Matafeo, who voiced Loto in Moana 2.
Here are all the reasons you should watch Starstruck.
The Premise Is Like ‘Notting Hill,’ But Better
Starstruck uses the “famous person dates normal person” trope that the Julia Roberts/Hugh Grant movie did — but makes it messier, more modern, and honestly, more fun.
Jessie (Matafeo) is a New Zealander living in London and working as a nanny. Her life is forever changed when she shares a New Year’s Eve hookup with Tom (Nikesh Patel) without realizing that he is Tom Kapoor, a famous action movie star.
Starstruck navigates Tom and Jessie’s complicated relationship, which is constantly hindered by their deep insecurities and Tom’s high-profile status. As their on-again, off-again relationship progresses, they deal with family, friends and fame in an entertaining rom-com full of laughs.
As Jessie says, they’re like a labrador and a hedgehog — no one expects their “unlikely animal friendship” to work out. But for viewers at home, it’s a delightfully sweet ride.
The Relationships Feel Genuine, Thanks to a Great Cast
Jessie’s group of friends, who are mostly played by relatively unknown British actors, feels lived-in and natural. You’ll relate to their bickering and gossiping as they go about dinner parties, weddings and life milestones.
Particularly charming is Emma Sidi as Jessie’s best friend and roommate, Kate. Sidi and Matafeo have such great chemistry that you really believe they’ve been besties for years.
Minnie Driver (Good Will Hunting) always elevates whatever material she appears in, and she’s utterly hilarious as Tom’s agent, Cath. She delivers pearls of “wisdom” about the entertainment industry with deadpan harshness that contrasts beautifully with Tom’s earnestness. As the only “big name” in the show, she delivers in every scene.
Most of all, the chemistry between Tom and Jessie is what will keep you coming back to the show. Despite their differences, you can feel the affection between them, and it’s clear why they keep coming back to one another.
It’s Romantic Without Being Unrealistic
Starstruck is definitely romantic, but it also feels very quotidian. Instead of big, sweeping gestures, the characters make small, idiosyncratic choices that often lead to them screwing up and having to explain themselves. They fall in love, but it doesn’t solve all their problems. Things are awkward or timing is bad, just like in real life.
Even Tom’s fame is more like an annoyance than a true external obstacle to their relationship. Most of what keeps the characters apart are their own emotional hang-ups and insecurities — meaning that each time they find their way back to each other, it’s because they’re really just trying their best. They know it could all fall apart again, but they want to try it anyway. And isn’t that what real love is all about?
For all the Notting Hill comparisons, Jessie really is “Just a girl, standing in front of a boy.” She’s not only asking him to love her, however — she’s figuring out if she can love herself enough to make this work. And she doesn’t need to say it in a grand speech. You just feel it in the way they look at each other.
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