It’s very rare that I rewatch a movie, as soon as the first viewing ends. With The Life List, I immediately did this. Now, before you judge me, know that this movie isn’t made for the critics. The movie is made for readers, fans, and to allow people to escape from reality.
The Life List isn’t as simple as the logline, “When her mother sends her on a quest to complete a teenage bucket list, a young woman uncovers family secrets, finds romance and rediscovers herself.”
It’s complicated.
But that’s the thing – life is complicated. It’s this big mess of feelings and chaos and figuring out who you are. It’s a matter of seeing things from the other side. Yet, even from the other side, sometimes going face to face with what has shaped you, is the most complicated thing of all. However, there’s always a chance that the journey will be the hardest part of seeing the chaos through.
MORE: Our review of Rosaline, which starred Kyle Allen
MOM
I’ve always found it funny that Mom only has three letters. Why? Because so does the FBI or CIA. Three letters that signify that they are going to find out everything that you do, even when you don’t want them to. Moms are special that way. The fact that it’s three letters says a lot and proceed with caution.
They know everything.
Elizabeth (Connie Britton), is Alex’s Mom. It’s her daughter-in-laws baby shower, and there is a bunch that is about to happen. Alex’s boyfriend – who is just ewww – is definitely someone that she’s settling for. He’s cringy, dancing naked in Alex’s childhood room, when he’s walked in on by Alex’s niece and nephew.
When Alex (Sofia Carson) is speaking with her Mom, the conversation isn’t easy, but it’s a necessary one. You see, Elizabeths cancer has returned and she lets her daughter know. She also has a conversation with her daughter about settling.
I think that Sofia Carson shows who she is as an actress, in these moments. She’s this versatile woman who has a long career ahead of her. Sofia Carson shines – making you believe in love, family, and that it’s okay to keep searching for who you are.
After all, even though we always have some idea of who we are, it is constantly evolving.
Connie Britton has a way of portraying a Mom (yes, I know she is one in real life) that makes you feel comforted. She makes you feel a sense of strength and a sense of wonderment. You just know that you want her to survive. As a viewer, you want to crawl into the screen and save her.
MORE: Sofia starred in Purple Hearts. Our review!
When Alex's mother passed away she left her messages on a set of DVDs that would change her life…
— Netflix (@netflix) March 29, 2025
The Life List starring Sofia Carson and Connie Britton is now playing. pic.twitter.com/1c8tKn3NUE
IT’S SO HARD TO SAY…
Seeing Alex curled up on her Moms bed, dressed in black from head to toe, you know what it is. Funerals are never easy. As a matter of fact, they are the worst. The family gets through it, but what happens next is hard for Alex to handle. Her Mom leaves her with nothing, takes her job away from her, and tells her that she has a year to finish the list.
It seems outrageous to put her in that position, but Elizabeth had her reasoning. She wanted more for her daughter, but what that means is subjective to all those involved. Our favorite person involved?
Brad.
Brad is played by Kyle Allen who you may know from Rosaline, West Side Story, or The Path. If we are all deciding on a new internet boyfriend this year, I nominate Kyle Allen. He’s delectable, dreamy, and he has a presence that makes you stop and scream at the TV, KISS THE GIRL.
Brad is the family lawyer.
Alex isn’t given anything immediate in the will, except she’s told that she needs to complete her life list. Her life list. Dreams she had when she was 13, but dreams that even she had forgotten about. Alex didn’t want to have to complete this list, but in order to move forward, she does it.
After she completes each step, she gets a DVD from her Mom. Her Mom wanted her to find herself and felt that this quest was a roadmap back to Alex figuring out who she is, and what she is capable of.
It’s interesting to see Alex and Brad together – because you can tell from the beginning that the chemistry between these two is going to lead somewhere. Where? Well, this is a romantic comedy.
HELP WHEN SHE NEEDS IT
Brad is always showing up for Alex and one would think it’s for the DVDs. But you can tell after she completes the first task. He goes to see her at the comedy club, and walks her to the train afterwards. The two talk and he tells her about the shelter that he volunteers at needing someone to teach.
He helps her complete – well at least start something – on the list. He’s trying not to show it, but it’s very obvious that he is her biggest supporter.
Brad, however, doesn’t like the guy – Garrett – that she starts seeing. He’s someone who volunteers at the shelter and someone that she flirted with on a train before she knew that. The two couldn’t be more different, but there is nothing wrong with dating someone that is different than you.
It’s just that Garrett is so unlikable. He’s so full of himself, seems to think that Alex is under him in status. I had to wonder if Garrett understood what a pompous jerk he was.
So, was I upset when Garrett and Alex broke up? No. What I was – well I was happy. Not because I shipped Brad and Alex together, but more because Alex needed to see her own worth. She needed to be able to see that if someone wants to change you, rather than love you for who you are, that’s a problem.
And there is also that moment when his own pride made him leave her apartment, the night before they are supposed to leave for Vermont to meet her biological father. His selfishness was the biggest red flag that I have ever seen in my life.
VERMONT
One thing that I love about this movie is that the lessons that one learns from the life list, aren’t overly in your face. Instead as Alex walked through every step you got to see a flawed character and that is a good thing. Seeing Alex not be perfect is a plus.
Seeing Alex search for her father – after finding out that the man that she thought was her father isn’t her father – was hard. It was hard because all I could do was wonder about secrets and the people that keep them. It was all I could do was wonder about all of the things that they didn’t tell her.
It’s kinda crazy how when secrets come to light, and it makes you second guess everything that you’ve ever been told. For Alex, meeting the man who is her biological father, it gave her something to hang on to. But it also makes me think about how cruel life is that sometimes secrets are kept for our own protection.
BRAD OF IT ALL
There are so many reasons that you find yourself feeling a ship. I can never explain the feelings that I have, they just find their way. Alex and Brad are just this easy path – one where you find yourself watching two people just find a path and all roads lead to each other.
Brad talked his girlfriend into driving Alex to Vermont. She can see that there is something between the two and so she leaves. They breakup and she leaves, but he lies to Alex. He blames her needing to work.
Brad and Alex both have a hard time admitting feelings, but the way that their walls are let down when they are around each other just works. They have sex, but if you’re looking for seeing skin – that is not what you are getting here. It’s tastefully done and simple, but it works.
It also works the next day when they go home and she pushes him away. It is the way that Alex pushes and he keeps reminding her of how good of a person she is. He doesn’t want her to push him away.
I think that what gets me is that the movie gets that fear that most women have – that need to run. It’s the need to press forward when you feel like you’re being pulled back. For Alex, she wasn’t prepared to admit that she loves anyone. After all the person that was supposed to love her unconditionally just ghosted her.
Her biological father.
Brad wanted to love Alex. He’s entranced by her. Amazed by who she is. But this whole talk – this friend zone – hurt him.
And you can’t help but feel his pain.
LIST MARKED OFF
It’s been a year and Alex makes her way into the lawyers office. She knows that she needs to be honest.
Alex has learned to stand on her own two feet and it’s been a blessing to watch. She’s found her strength, her perseverance, and a want to move forward. It turns out that her Mom left her the house.
Yes, she wasn’t able to mark everything off the list – the whole finding true love part was something she hadn’t achieved. But her Mom didn’t feel right about giving a timeline for that. Alex did learn something through it all though – she has feelings. She has deep feelings for Brad.
And so we get our moment. We get the moment where they make up and she has to let her walls down. We get the moment where everything starts to make sense because these two made sense all along.
God, I love a good rom-com.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
- I don’t even wanna talk about Garrett because I don’t like him
- Patrick Ewing was everything – love him
- Love that they didn’t put Sofia in a dress for the black tie event – she looked great.
- You can tell that Sofia Carson cares about everything that she does – it really comes across all the time.
- Kyle Allen gives us such a lovely charming goofy lawyer and I absolutely love him.
- I loved the relationship between Alex and her brothers – the scene where they get high was a good one
- It was sad for Alex to only remember the worst parts about her Dad. I am sure there had to have been happy moments too.
- How is it that Sofia Carson always makes me ship whomever she’s in the movie with and her. She’s got chemistry with everyone.
Tell me, what is on your life list? Did you watch the movie? What are your thoughts. The Life List is streaming now on Netflix.
