Tubi has raised the bar with its original programming. Boarders and We Got Time Today are just a sample of a handful of shows that rightfully earned a following. The same is sure to be had of Worth the Wait, the hilarious new romantic comedy coming straight to Tubi.
Directed by Tom Lin, Worth the Wait follows the lives of four different families whose lives fatefully cross. Curtis (Sung Kang) is a rideshare driver and raises his niece, Riley (Ali Fumiko Whitney), on his own. Unbeknownst to Curtis, Riley has been secretly dating Blake (Ricky He) with the pair planning their futures together.
On an unexpected ride, Curtis picks up Kai (Ross Butler), who’s in town on business, and subsequently picks up Teresa (Karena Kar-Yan Lam) and Nathan (Osric Chau), a pregnant couple in desperate need of getting to the emergency room. When assisting Teresa inside the ER, Kai comes across a nurse named Leah (Lana Condor) who immediately grabs his attention. After exchanging pleasantries, the awe-struck pair spend the perfect day together, only to find out Kai lives in Malaysia, which would mean they would have to attempt the longest of long-distance dating.
Meanwhile, a famous actress, Amanda (Élodie Yung), discovers her new director is her ex-fiancé, Scott (Andrew Koji), whom she hasn’t seen in a decade. Confrontation is unavoidable, and old memories begin to boil over, leading to questions to test their growth (or lack of).
Carrying a good helping of comedy bodes well for a storyline that sees gloom bare its ugly head in multiple places. The various types of comedy, with each character bringing a different personality and wit, make the film that much better. The four timelines are happening simultaneously, but they never meet, which is a good thing. Too often, the predictable move would be to merge all of the characters for a huge kumbaya moment near the end. There is some overlap, which is ok, because one doesn’t bog down the other.
It’s a romantic comedy that features sweet romance and heaps of comedy through its hour and 44-minute runtime. All too often, these so-called rom-coms go light on the idealism and laughter and overboard on the sex. Thankfully, there is none here, making the film even more enjoyable than it already is. It’s wholesome, funny, and the drama is very relatable, dealing with heavy topics like self-doubt and mortality. It’s a very mature piece of work.
Everything about this film is charming. The acting is solid, the cast is incredible, and the approach to such difficult topics was well done. Diverse stories are extremely important, so I was overjoyed to learn the film had a primarily Asian cast. All the characters had a natural onscreen presence, and it’s always nice to have options for a favorite couple. Too often, fans are “forced” to deal with the main characters, but here, you have a plethora of couples to choose from… But also, Kai and Leah look perfect together.
Worth the Wait gets a 9.5 out of 10. It’s my favorite rom-com of the year so far. With characters of various ages at different life stages, it’s easy for the film to appeal to audiences, young and old. A romantic comedy with a PG rating is a dream come true. This allows for the film to be something everybody can see instead of something they should see. Everyone “should” see Sinners, but the youth are excluded because it’s rated R. This is innocent enough for teens and even features a teenage couple. The best film to watch this holiday weekend is not in a theatre and it’s free!
Worth the Wait premieres on Tubi on Friday, May 23.
-Jon Jones
Photos: Courtesy of Tubi
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Rating: PG
Runtime: 1 hr 44 mins
Trailer: Watch
U.S. Release Date: May 23
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