'The Life List' Review: An Adorable Performance From Star Sophia Carson
- M.N. Miller
- Apr 1
- 4 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
By M.N. Miller - April 1, 2025
It’s important to note that all film criticism is subjective. It’s even more important to acknowledge that there is an unconscious bias when it comes to taste, even among critics, and they often ignore the fact that some movies are made for a select group of people. These thoughts ran through my head while watching Netflix’s The Life List, a romantic drama that is far too long, but has such an adorable performance from its star, Sophia Carson, that you can’t help but be smitten by it.
The Life List is downright manipulative, sometimes maddening, and often frustrating, but I won’t go down that metaphorical rabbit hole saying, “just like life itself.” It’s the fact that the cast is so damn likable that they take a pedestrian script and make it enjoyable, to a degree. As someone who often looks at the genre like a disapproving parent thinking their kid isn’t putting their full effort into the project, I’m still proud of what they accomplished, flaws and all.
It’s this type of genre bias that critics like myself should be more open about. The final product is something, grading on a curve, fans of the genre and star will enjoy.
The story follows Alex (Carson), a twenty-something woman who is not so much at a crossroads in life, but rather in a state of professional and personal purgatory. She has a good job as a marketing representative for a successful makeup line owned by her mother, Elizabeth (Friday Night Lights star Connie Britton).
However, Alex is a natural-born teacher who left that profession years ago. Alex now dates Finn (Animal Control’s Michael Rowland), a man-child stuck in his own arrested development, consuming drugs to see what effects they have on the enjoyment of the video games he is making.
Alex has two brothers, both of whom are moving into adulthood—married, with jobs, homes, and kids on the way. Alex is the odd duck of the family, as everyone at her mother’s holiday party is either pregnant, has kids, or has important professional lives. Alex feels lost, but comfortable, and her mother wants her to live her life to the fullest. This is important to Elizabeth, as her cancer has returned, and she only has a few months left to live.
The Life List Will Be Enjoyable For Fans of the Genre
The Life List is based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Lori Nelson Spielman, and essentially, the title is where the movie begins—after a long, drawn-out opening. Elizabeth passes away, leaving the company to her daughter-in-law and firing Alex from her job. She also leaves behind DVDs with instructions for Alex: she must cross off everything on her life list by New Year’s or she won’t receive her inheritance. The list includes things she wrote down as a child, like doing stand-up comedy, reconciling with her father (José Zúñiga from Madam Secretary), but most importantly, finding true love.
So, after reading this, you know the genre beats the film will hit, which is also an issue with the source material. Yet, the film is well made and constructed, hardly stiff, and rebounds well from the overbearing melodrama typical of these types of films. For instance, you know Carson’s Alex won’t end up with the man she starts with, or with the self-absorbed rich guy (Sebastian De Souza, Fair Play) she meets in the middle, who doesn’t prioritize anyone else over his own self-interests. And of course, there’s Brad (Kyle Allen), who doesn’t seem to understand boundaries, walking her through every step of the way to complete her goals.
Yes, the story of The Life List is utterly predictable, but does that mean it’s not charming, even entertaining?
Is Netflix’s The Life List Worth Watching?
The Life List is worth watching if you are a diehard fan of the genre or Sophia Carson, who is adorable here. However, what drags down the film through Alex’s journey is all of the male characters have zero substance or character arcs. Kyle Allen is a good young actor, who somehow is not related to actor Dylan Walsh, who we have seen in films like Steven Spielberg’s remake of West Side Story and Prime Video’s A Map of Perfect Things, romance with Alex is forced, including a cringy opening scene where the script forces romantic friction.
However, Carson and Allen have great chemistry, including a scene in a car during a road trip that truly shines. We can praise the likability and natural talents of the cast here, while acknowledging the film's faults, but still recognize that the target audience will enjoy the movie. However, they could have had a hit with lasting appeal if they weren’t as self-indulgent and had a tighter script—at the very least, giving more time to fleshing out The Life List’s subplots like reconnecting with a parent and giving Allen’s character greater depth and meaning.
The Life List is streaming now on Netflix
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