| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Title | The Wrong Paris |
| Release Date | September 12, 2025 |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Romantic Comedy |
| Director | Janeen Damian |
| Writer | Nicole Henrich |
| Lead Cast | Miranda Cosgrove, Pierson Fodé, Madison Pettis |
| Runtime | 107 minutes |
Premise & Story
The Wrong Paris follows Dawn, an aspiring art student who gets accepted into a prestigious art school in Paris, France — but lacks the money to attend. Hoping to get the funds, she auditions for a dating reality show called The Honeypot, believing its season is set in Paris, France. To her surprise, she discovers that the show is actually taking place on a ranch in Paris, Texas.
Dawn plans to get eliminated early so she can collect the show’s attendance prize and use it for school. But things go awry when she grows closer to Trey, the cowboy bachelor of the show. There are moments of romance, challenges, betrayal, emotional struggles, and tough decisions—especially around love vs. personal ambition. Dawn ends up traveling to France for school, her rival exposes her secret, and she must reconcile her dreams of art with her feelings for Trey. The ending brings a romantic resolution, complete with a twist in how she balances both love and personal goals.
What Works
-
Friendly Lead & Likable Premise
Dawn is grounded, relatable, and her dreams are easy to root for. The “expecting France, getting Texas” twist is fun and gives the movie some breathing room beyond just another dating show story. -
Family & Emotional Anchors
Dawn’s family, especially her grandmother, offers emotional grounding. These supporting relationships lend some warmth to the plot and keep the stakes more than just romantic. -
Charm in the Cast
Pierson Fodé as Trey is charismatic in his role. The chemistry between Dawn and Trey is serviceable—it’s not earth-shattering, but enough that you care how things turn out. The rivals and other contestants provide comic relief and drama, as expected in this genre. -
Some Light Satire / Reality Show Reflection
There are moments when the film pokes fun at reality dating show tropes: producers manipulating situations, contestants acting for drama, confessionals, etc. These bits help the movie be more than just romantic sugar. -
Production Values & Atmosphere
Visually, the movie looks clean and feels polished. Even though it’s presented as a ranch in Texas, some of the filming locations (elsewhere doubling for Texas) are decent. It allows the wild romanticism of the setting to come across without too much distraction.
What Doesn’t
-
Predictability & Familiar Tropes
The narrative follows many rom-com checkboxes. Rivalries, the “will she choose love or her dream?”, the reclaimed money, dramatic revelations — pretty much the usual. If you’ve seen similar movies, you’ll likely guess many of the plot turns early. -
Weak Chemistry at Key Moments
While there’s spark in parts, some of the romance feels more scripted than organic. Big emotional scenes aren’t always convincing. The shift in Dawn’s motivations (from ambition to romance) sometimes lacks nuance or sufficient buildup. -
Uneven Writing & Dialogue
Some lines land well, others feel generic. There are scenes meant to be funny or romantic that instead come off as forced or cliché. The balance between sincerity and parody is not consistent. -
Conflict / Stakes Not Always Deep
The internal conflict between pursuing dreams vs. following her heart is central, but sometimes it’s handled superficially. Dawn’s artistic ambition isn’t explored in much depth; we don’t see much of her art, the struggles, or the sacrifices beyond the basic setup. So the emotional payoff is smaller than it could have been. -
Tone + Execution Limitations
The movie leans heavily on “feel-good” rom-com vibes, which means some scenes gloss over realism for romance. Some plot conveniences feel obvious (how Dawn hides things, when people figure things out, etc.). Also, technical things like pacing are uneven — mid-parts of the film sag.
Overall Impressions
The Wrong Paris is not a bad film. It serves its purpose as a Netflix romantic comedy — light, breezy, sweet, and safe. It won’t surprise you, but it can warm you up when you want something comforting.
If your expectations are modest—romance, some drama, a dash of reality show parody—this will satisfy. But if you look for something original in plot, emotionally powerful in character development, or legitimately surprising, then this likely won’t hit those marks.
Final Verdict
The Wrong Paris is a mixed-bag rom-com: charming in parts, predictable in many others, and more enjoyable when you lean into the fantasy.
Rating: ~ 2.5–3 out of 5