Look Both Ways (2022)
Story overview
Look Both Ways is a 2022 romantic dramedy directed by Wanuri Kahiu, starring Lili Reinhart as Natalie. On her college graduation night, Natalie's life diverges into two parallel realities after a pregnancy test: one where she becomes a mother and pursues family life, and another where she moves to Los Angeles to chase her career dreams. The film explores themes of love, choice, destiny, and the different paths life can take, blending heartfelt drama with light comedy as it follows both versions of Natalie's journey over several years.
Parent Guide
A thoughtful exploration of life choices through parallel realities, suitable for mature pre-teens and teens. While dealing with adult themes, it handles them with sensitivity and minimal explicit content.
Content breakdown
No violence or physical peril. Some emotional tension related to life decisions and relationship conflicts.
Mild emotional intensity in scenes dealing with difficult decisions, relationship breakups, and life disappointments. The parallel reality concept might be confusing but not frightening.
Occasional mild profanity (hell, damn, ass). No strong or frequent swearing.
Implied sexual situations without explicit content. Kissing, romantic moments, and discussions about pregnancy and relationships. No nudity.
Social drinking in party and celebration scenes. No drunkenness or substance abuse depicted.
Significant emotional themes around life choices, regret, relationships, and finding happiness. Characters experience disappointment, joy, and personal growth. The parallel structure creates thoughtful reflection rather than intense drama.
Parent tips
This film is suitable for teens and mature pre-teens. It deals with adult themes like pregnancy, relationships, and career choices in a thoughtful, non-explicit way. The TV-14 rating reflects mild language and mature situations. Best for viewers who can understand nuanced emotional storytelling about life decisions. The parallel reality concept might require some explanation for younger viewers.
Parent chat guide
Parent follow-up questions
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- What was your favorite part of the movie?
- Did you understand that Natalie had two different lives?
- How did you feel when Natalie was happy or sad?
- What would you choose if you were in Natalie's situation?
- Do you think one life was better than the other? Why?
- How did the movie show that both lives had good and hard parts?
- What did you learn about making big decisions?
- How does the film challenge traditional ideas of success and happiness?
- What commentary does it make about societal expectations for young women?
- How realistic were the portrayals of career struggles versus family life?
- Did the parallel structure effectively show how small choices create different futures?
- What did you think about the film's message about regret and acceptance?
🎭 Story Kernel
The film's core theme is the profound anxiety and liberation of potential. It's not truly about two divergent life paths, but about the paralyzing weight of a single, life-altering decision—the pregnancy test. Natalie's parallel realities explore how a single biological event becomes the prism through which all other ambitions, relationships, and self-perceptions are refracted. The driving force is the universal human fear of the road not taken, and the quiet realization that fulfillment is not found in the path itself, but in the person you become while walking it. The movie argues that our 'what ifs' are less about external achievement and more about internal reconciliation.
🎬 Visual Aesthetics
The film employs a soft, naturalistic color palette, with the 'LA artist' timeline often bathed in warm, golden-hour glows and the 'Texas mom' timeline using cleaner, brighter daylight. The cinematography's key language is mirrored composition and parallel editing, visually linking the two realities. Scenes often mirror each other in framing—Natalie at a desk, in a car, looking at her child/art—emphasizing the shared emotional core beneath surface differences. There are no grandiose visual effects for the divergence; the split is marked by subtle shifts in lighting and production design, grounding the fantastical premise in tangible, everyday aesthetics.
🔍 Details & Easter Eggs
💡 Behind the Scenes
The film is directed by Wanuri Kahiu, known for her vibrant African sci-fi romance 'Rafiki'. Lead actress Lili Reinhart, also an executive producer, was drawn to the project's exploration of motherhood anxiety. Interestingly, the two male leads (Danny Ramirez and Luke Wilson) play characters with the same names (Jake and Rick) in both timelines, but their personalities and relationships to Natalie are distinctly shaped by her path. The production carefully designed the two worlds' wardrobes and apartments to reflect Natalie's evolving identity in each, with the Texas home feeling more curated and the LA loft more organically messy.
Where to watch
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Trailer
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