They Cloned Tyrone, May December, and the 13 best Netflix movies (plus the 10 worst) of 2023

Worst: Happiness for Beginners

From her work on both The Office and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, we have all grown to love the comedic talents of Ellie Kemper. She’s so funny! Whether she’s being earnestly wide-eyed like Erin or confidently youthful like Kimmy, Kemper has the ability to make us laugh in an instant and sell even the most quirky writing. Unfortunately, that wasn’t always the case in the Netflix original romantic comedy Happiness for Beginners.

The movie, based on the book of the same name by Katherine Center, follows the adventures of a newly divorced woman named Helen (Kemper) as she sets out on a beginners wilderness survival course to get back in tune with herself. Over the course of her time in the woods with an eccentric group of new friends, Helen finds her strength, a new lease on life, and even a second chance at love with her brother’s friend Jake (Luke Grimes).

For a romantic comedy, Happiness for Beginners isn’t especially romantic, and it’s not one of the funniest titles starring the amazing comedic talent of Kemper. The excellent ensemble cast lifts up the spare storytelling, which is much more compelling when it focuses on Helen finding herself more so than when she’s falling for Jake. As far as rom-coms go, this one’s charming and inspiring, a decent way to spend an hour and 45 minutes, but it’s also predictable and forgettable.

Written by Reed Gaudens