Puppy Love (2023)

Puppy Love is the kind of rom-com that knows its secret weapon and uses it well: two likable leads with real spark, plus dogs who steal scenes without ever feeling like a gimmick. Lucy Hale’s freewheeling chaos and Grant Gustin’s tightly-wound sweetness play off each other with a breezy, affectionate rhythm, giving the movie a warm, lived-in charm even when the setup feels comfortingly familiar. The vibe is light and a little rowdy—more “messy adults learning to communicate” than fairy-tale romance—with enough heart to make you root for these two as they stumble toward something better. It’s not for viewers who want a squeaky-clean, Hallmark-style date movie (the language and innuendo can be pretty bold), but if you’re in the mood for an easy, funny crowd-pleaser with genuine warmth, it’s a surprisingly winning watch.

Puppy Love is clearly aiming for a breezy, dog-powered romcom where two opposites are forced into “co-parenting” and accidentally grow up together, and the cast (especially Lucy Hale and Grant Gustin) does what it can to sell the charm. The problem is it leans hard on familiar meet-cute beats and montage-heavy progress, so if you need sharp jokes, surprising turns, or believable sparks, this may feel bland and on autopilot. The humor also gets fairly crude and the movie isn’t shy about adult language, sex talk, and some uncomfortable dog-related innuendo, which can be a dealbreaker if you wanted something more wholesome. If you’re mainly here for cute dogs and a low-effort, mildly sweet comfort watch, it’ll do the job; if you’re picky about writing and pacing, you’ll probably be checking the runtime.