The events of Desperados are set off by an awkward first phone call between two strangers who are being set up on a blind date. Wes (Nasim Pedrad) calls Sean (Lamorne Morris) and says something along the lines of: “Hi…I’m the one your friend said you could hit it off with?”
After agreeing on how cringeworthy and tedious blind dating can be, the two set up a meeting with one condition: if either of them says a simple “No”, that should be their automatic out. No hard feelings, no wasted time.
Wes, who has been struggling to find work and is generally not having a very good year, arrives flustered and bumbling, as the audience expects, the date doesn’t go well. In fact, it ends with a concussion. But what’s a terrible blind date if the guy who takes care of you after you fall on your ass in public (Robbie Amell) is super cute?
Wes takes this meeting with Jared as a chance to reset her life: make different decisions, create the persona she wants. What’s a little white lie (or three) between lovers?
But nothing can ever go smoothly for our dear Wes and she ends up dragging her two best friends (Anna Camp; Sarah Burns) to Mexico on an ill-fated quest to maintain her relationship.
There are some mildly amusing moments in the middle portion of the film – entertaining, but not groundbreaking – and it is clear that the audience should be rooting for Wes to get her life together. However, it is her eventual reunion with Sean that really seals her character’s fate.
Here’s the thing: Wes needs to grow up. She’s been floating from job to job, from relationship to relationship, not taking any time to learn about herself or even to be a half-decent friend. When she meets Sean, he challenges her.
Sean, who appears cool and collected and is always ready with a cheeky comeback. He’s got it all under control… but he worked hard to get there. Seeing Lamorne Morris hit each of the emotional beats so well in the final third of this film proved that he was the real romantic lead here. I was so happy to see him explore the more tender side of a character after years of seeing him lean into the oddball side.
I would have liked a little more time to develop the story and a few more scenes in which to woo the woman he was playing beside – but that would be a different movie.
Nasim Pedrad gives the audience her best, showing that she can carry a film and keep your attention. She shows a possibility for range that I look forward to seeing her explore in future projects.
Desperados is full of hilarious mishaps punctuated by clever truisms about life. You’ll love the comedy and you’ll feel optimistic about your own near future at the end.
Nkhensani Manabe 