IRISH WISH -- Lindsay Lohan’s Corny, Yet Fun Rom-Com is What You’d Expect

Review by Cole Groth

Lindsay Lohan’s return to film has so far comprised of three roles: the lead in a Lifetime-style Christmas rom-com (Falling For Christmas, 2022), a cameo in the musical reboot of one of her classic roles (Mean Girls, 2024), and now, a love-on-her-mind woman in Ireland in Irish Wish. If you’re a fan of rom-coms, you’ll probably have fun with this. With a fun fantasy twist, Lohan’s latest role offers something to differentiate itself from Netflix’s other rom-coms. It’s not very well written and boasts plenty of clichés, but as long as your expectations are low, expect a decent time.

Maddie Kelly (Lohan) is traveling to Ireland to watch the love of her life (Alexander Vlahos) marry her best friend. After a spontaneous wish to be the one marrying her love instead comes true, she goes on a wild journey of self-discovery to learn that her true soulmate is somebody else entirely (Ed Speleers). You can probably guess how the rest goes.
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If you plan on watching this, it’s probably to see Lohan on the screen again. If that’s the case, you’re in luck! She’s great here. She’s a bubbly and cheerful presence and pretty funny, too. There’s some physical comedy here and there that’s sorta funny. Lohan is paired nicely with Speleers and Vlahos, who both play well as love interests. The rest of the cast is nothing special.

As far as the writing goes, nothing special is happening here. The screenplay relies on familiar tropes and not that much more. The dialogue is decent but sometimes impossibly cringeworthy. Lohan’s character is naive and a little too ridiculous at points. A few laughs are nicely placed throughout, but no joke stands out as anything more than a brief nose exhale. It’s a lot like other wish-fulfillment comedies, like Freaky Friday. A character gets into a wish that seems better than it is and then slowly learns to love their normal life — simple stuff.

It’s an enjoyable time, but one can only hope for something more interesting. At this point, Lohan has returned to the screens, and while her acting abilities are demonstrably limited, it would be nice if she went out into something better. Irish Wish struggles because it’s unmemorable. Many of Netflix’s films are like this: bring a star onto a poorly written and directed premise, watch it go to the top for a week, and then leave forever. If this film was trying to be something subversive or fresh, it could be a new classic for Lohan. A film career can’t be revived on cheesy rom-coms alone.

At Tudum, Netflix’s annual press conference to announce their films, Lohan described the film as a “nice story of luck and love and confidence.” She put it great there, and the film isn’t trying to be anything more than just “nice.” You’ll be in and out in 90 minutes. Expect a few laughs, a few smiles, and a sappy kiss at the end. If soapy rom-coms are your thing, Irish Wish will satisfy that craving. However, in a week or so, when that craving comes back, just remember that this type of rom-com offers only a momentary distraction from this bleak world we live in.

Irish Wish releases on Netflix on March 15.

Rating: 2.5/5