‘Look Both Ways’ Offers a Modern Take on the ‘Sliding Doors’ Dilemma
Netflix’s recent release Look Both Ways is a pleasant, fluffy rom-com about life’s limitless possibilities and those pivotal forks in the road that make you wonder “what if…?” Audiences that are young enough to be especially interested in this film may be too young to recall a similar flick from 1998: Peter Howitt's Sliding Doors. This film uses the same innovative narrative tricks to explore more than one story for its main character, the trajectory of her life split into two timelines by one fateful circumstance.
Look Both Ways follows a young college graduate, Natalie, played by Lili Reinhart (Riverdale) whose world is turned upside down on the night she suspects she might be pregnant following a one-night stand with her friend, Gabe (Danny Ramirez). The moment Natalie reads the results of her pregnancy test, two simultaneous storylines open up. In one, a childless Natalie moves to Los Angeles with her best friend, Cara (Aisha Dee), to pursue her dream career in animation. In the other, Natalie discovers that she is in fact, pregnant with Gabe’s baby and they move in with her parents to quietly raise their daughter as platonic co-parents. These stories take place over many years to track Natalie’s progress in both scenarios.
Same Plot, Different Tones
In Sliding Doors, Gwyneth Paltrow stars as Helen, whose pathways diverge when she rushes to catch the subway home after being fired from her high-power PR job. In one instance, she gets on the train, and in the other, she misses it and arrives home late. The timing of her unexpected arrival back to her apartment determines if she catches her boyfriend cheating on her with his ex. Two very different versions of Helen develop depending on whether she stays with a partner that blatantly takes advantage of her, or if she catches him in the act and storms out.
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The two films have quite a few elements in common. Because they are both romantic comedies, we get not one, but two leading men per film – one for each depiction of Natalie and Helen’s lives. Both protagonists are driven, career-minded young women who are struggling to get their footing within their respective industries. Both films use haircuts as a way to differentiate which version of their main character belongs in which plot; sporting a short do is a dead giveaway for reinvention! Tonally, however, these two pieces could not be more different. Sliding Doors is relentlessly dramatic, ripe with deception and manipulation with a dark, dreary palette to match. Look Both Ways is light and idyllic, there is a noticeable lack of adversity among all of the characters so the film adopts more of an observational tone simply because the stakes are so low
Aside from the complications that come with making her first major life decisions as a fresh graduate, Natalie leads a very charmed life. The visuals sing as they use two different colour temperatures to distinguish one storyline from another. Her life as a mom is a muted cool blue whereas her life in LA is steeped in vibrant warm light. Costuming adheres to these colour rules as well and it’s a very effective way to signal the switch. Natalie’s passion for art is also utilized when doodles convey the passage of time or the start of a new chapter in her life.
Two Very Different Protagonists
Though these films use the same inventive plot devices to explore questions of fate and uncertainty, they are more different than they are the same. First, the presentation of female protagonists are on completely opposite ends of the spectrum. Helen, having started the film plummeting to rock bottom, spends the majority of her time onscreen miserable and angry. Because of this, we get to know very little about the true essence of her as an individual, she is closed off to others and closed off to her audience. Natalie, on the other hand, is painfully vulnerable. Her tendency to wear her heart on her sleeve is fitting for a wide-eyed LA newcomer, but her naivety and lack of real-world experience often plays as immature. The honesty Reinhart brings to this role goes a long way, and this likable character proves to be a compelling watch for young audiences seeking a little comfort amongst all the unknowns of growing up.
The most notable difference between the two films is how much agency the main character is given as they navigate the circumstances of their multiple lives. Natalie’s consistent focus on her own choices demonstrates that screenwriter April Prosser and director Wanuri Kahiu want to impart this message to young audiences: choice is power. This ideology is especially apparent when Gabe first learns that Natalie is pregnant and it continuously proves to be an important theme throughout the film. Natalie is very much in the driver’s seat of her own life. Oftentimes we can observe that fear holds her back from certain choices, but at every step, she is shaping her destiny. In Sliding Doors, Helen is pictured as a victim of circumstance. An unexpected pregnancy is used as a decisive moment for both Helen and Natalie. Where Natalie is given the opportunity to decide how she wants to proceed, Helen never gets that chance. She unexpectedly loses her child – in both timelines – struck down in random, tragic accidents.
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