Diksha Sundriyal
Netflix’s ‘Love at First Sight’ follows the story of Oliver and Hadley. Their lives are changed after a chance encounter with each other at the airport, where they both board the same flight after Hadley misses the one she was supposed to be on. They take an instant liking to each other, but there are times when it looks like they will have to part ways. However, every time, something unexpected happens, and they wind up right next to each other.
Their story is told to the audience by a narrator who not only knows everything about to happen with Oliver and Hadley but also intervenes time and again to put them on the path that will lead to them ending up together. Actress Jameela Jamil plays the role of this unnamed narrator and appears throughout the film in different forms. SPOILERS AHEAD
Jameela Jamil’s Role in Love at First Sight, Explained
Jameela Jamil’s voice opens ‘Love at First Sight.’ She starts with statistics about planes that are missed and then introduces us to Hadley and Oliver. For a time, it looks like she might be the omniscient narrator whose presence is marked only by their voice. However, it soon turns out she is more than just a spectator. She is there to intervene, nudge the young couple towards each other, and give them the necessary push while also giving them space to make their own decisions. Here are all the roles that Jamil appears in the movie in different forms as the narrator.
1. On the Plane
The first time we see Jamil, she is at the airport as just another passenger waiting for their flight. Later, she appears in a role with more screen time. She is a flight attendant who plays an important part in ensuring that Oliver and Hadley are seated next to each other on the flight. Hadley has a ticket for the business class, while Oliver is seated in economy. As the plane readies to fly, Oliver discovers that his seat belt is faulty. Jamil confirms that the seat belt is not working and that he cannot sit like this on the flight. She decides to find another seat for him, but the plane is so full that there is no other seat in economy, so he is bumped up to business class and ends up right next to Hadley. Later, when the plane lands, we see Jamil again as the customs officer.
2. At the Wedding
After the airport, Hadley and Oliver go their separate ways. She loses his phone number but has no time to think about it. She has to attend her father’s wedding and is already late. She hurries to the venue and gets wound up in the festivities. Still, she cannot stop thinking about Oliver. As the narrator, Jamil appears again, this time as a bartender. She makes small talk with Hadley and gets her attention to the people talking about the woman whose cancer was in remission after more than 12 years and whose son came back home from the uni to attend her memorial.
Eventually, Hadley decides to go to the memorial, even though she is unsure if it’s Oliver’s mother. She boards a bus to Peckham, and the narrator appears again as the bus driver. Later, she shows up again at the wedding as a random woman Hadley meets in the restroom, asking her about what a day it’s been and whether, after all the ups and downs, Hadley and Oliver’s story has a happy ending.
3. A Not-s0-Random Stranger
When Hadley deboards at her stop and starts looking for the place where the memorial is being held, Jamil passes her by on the street. Hadley asks her for the address, and Jamil sends her in the right direction. In between this, she even hints that she knows Oliver and Hadley’s story. She intervenes again when, for a moment, it looks like Oliver will walk away from Hadley and leave behind what could be the love of his life.
When Hadley reaches the memorial, things don’t turn out as expected between her and Oliver. They have an argument, mainly because Oliver refuses to accept that he bottles his feelings rather than talk about them. Instead, he hides behind numbers and statistics. Hadley leaves, but she forgets her backpack. Oliver doesn’t notice this, but Jamil shows up again. She asks Oliver if the backpack is his. This way, he gives him another opportunity to find Hadley and makeup with her. She gives him the means to find her, but it is entirely upon him to actually do it. She appears again, this time away from Oliver and Hadley, because she has done all she can to keep them from drifting apart. Now, it is on them to decide whether or not they want to be with each other.
Read More: Is Love at First Sight Based on a True Story or a Book?
