Diksha Sundriyal
Netflix’s ‘Love at First Sight‘ is a romance drama that follows two strangers who become entangled with each other following a chance encounter at an airport. Hadley has to be in London for her father’s wedding, so when she misses her flight, she has no option but to take the next one. This means waiting at the airport for another hour or so, during which she meets Oliver. He is from London, studies in the States, and is going back home for some family thing. They strike up a conversation, and things pick up from there.
To the audience, Hadley and Oliver are complete strangers about whom we know nothing. To fill the gaps in their story, the film makes use of a narrator, someone who knows everything about Oliver and Hadley’s past, present, and future. This omniscient narrator is not just a spectator but plays a more significant part in the couple’s love story. SPOILERS AHEAD
The Narrator Might Be the Divine Intervention for Oliver and Hadley
The role of the narrator in ‘Love at First Sight’ is played by actress Jameela Jamil, best known for her role of Tahani in ‘The Good Place‘ and Titania in Marvel’s ‘She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.‘ In most cases, the narrator is just a voice that bridges the gap between the characters and the audience, filling them in about the things not directly addressed in the story. However, in ‘Love at First Sight,’ the narrator’s role is much bigger than that. Jameela Jamil appears throughout the film in different roles and actively intervenes in Oliver and Hadley’s story.
While the narrator is never named, the story suggests she might be Cupid or Fate herself. She is at the airport where the story begins and then appears as the flight attendant, who ensures that Oliver and Hadley are seated next to each other on the flight. Her roles vary according to the situation; for example, she appears as a bartender at Hadley’s father’s wedding and, later that night, as a guest who has arrived late for the wedding reception. Sometimes, she makes conversation with Hadley or Oliver. Other times, she simply watches them make the choice that will either bring them together or tear them apart, never to see each other again.
While Jamil’s character intervenes and nudges the protagonists to take action, she also clarifies that her job is to show them the path to each other. To walk on that path is their choice. For example, when Oliver is about to walk away from Hadley forever, Jamil gives him an option to help him find Hadley again. However, it is Oliver’s choice whether or not he wants to act upon it. In this way, the narrator shows the audience that while there is such a thing as fate and chance encounter, happy endings depend entirely upon people.
Read More: All the Roles Jameela Jamil Plays in Love at First Sight
