“The Perfect Find” just might be one of the most perfect rom-coms of this year. Gabrielle Union (who also produces the feature) leads the Netflix film, which shines thanks to a smart script by Leigh Davenport (“Run the World”) adapted from Tia Williams’ novel of the same name. “The Perfect Find” channels the classic 2000s plotline of the fashion magazine as world’s most glamorous workplace, while also attempting an homage to Black cinema’s rich history.
In the Numa Perrier-directed feature, Union plays famous fashionista Jenna Jones, who returns to New York City one year after her high-profile split from her mogul boyfriend of 10 years. Jenna lands a job as the creative director of her former nemesis Darcy’s (Gina Torres) fashion subscription service. Despite the vagueness over what the company actually does, Jenna quickly excels in her role, thanks in part to her chemistry with videographer Eric (Keith Powers), who she briefly encountered at a swanky hotel prior to realizing he was a coworker….and Darcy’s son.
“The Perfect Find” has dashes of the Uma Thuman-Meryl Streep two-hander “Prime” as well as “13 Going on 30,” with the reminder that Jenna is newly 40 and, at least according to her ex, is going through a midlife crisis of self-discovery on her own. Good thing Eric is there as a Gen Z guiding light, not only for Jenna to find her business footing again but also remind her there such things as good, sensitive men in the world.
Powers and Union’s chemistry and quippy dialogue back and forth grounds this sweet rom-com, reminding viewers what’s so fun about the early 2000s peak of the genre. “I slipped making out with a fetus!,” Jenna cries after kissing then-stranger Eric at the hotel’s bar, while her friends (played by Aisha Hinds and Alani “La La” Anthony) remind Jenna that they are her “voices for the vagina” to regain her mojo.
Upon realizing that Eric is, in fact, Darcy’s son and her new colleague, Jenna sarcastically jokes that there is “nothing wrong with Black nepotism” despite Eric’s clear path to working at his mother’s media company. “We do our jobs, not each other!” Jenna post-coitally teases Eric. The film also packs in a slight enemies-to-lovers trope, as Eric and Jenna at first despise each other in the workplace due to their generational differences but also because they both are stubborn, headstrong, and wildly attracted to each other in a tense office setting.
“The Perfect Find” further finds its muse in Jenna’s shelved aspiration to be a film historian, a passion that she incorporates into the latest campaign for the fashion conglomerate. The film itself is a celebration of Black fashion and cinema as a whole, with loving references to everything from the clichés of Tyler Perry movies to an ode to the legacy of actress Nina Mae, who was deemed the “Black Greta Garbo.”
Despite its many charms, the film fumbles a bit in its ending, leaning into yet another kind of cliché but ultimately finding grace in righting wrongs of the past for both characters. Director Perrier (“Jezebel,” “Unprisoned”) has helmed a standout rom-com, bolstered by Union’s vision as a producer and lead star. The perfect find for those seeking a smart, sexy rom-com respite? Pretty close.
Grade: B+
“The Perfect Find” starts streaming on Netflix on Friday, June 23.
