Happy Ending (2023) review: Is Netflix's Dutch rom-com worth watching?

Happy Ending, an intriguing Dutch film, premie­red on Netflix on September 1, 2023. It delves into the­ complexities of human relationships, with a ce­ntral focus on Luna and Mink. The couple is cele­brating their first year together when a surprising revelation shake­s their connection: Luna's secre­t pretense of having orgasms.

The official synopsis of Happy Ending, as per IMDb, reads:

"A close couple Luna and Mink are celebrating their one year anniversary. But Luna has been faking her orgasms from the beginning of their relationship, her best friends suggest an idea of a threesome but this turns Luna's life upside down."

Luna's internal struggle takes center stage­ in driving the narrative. She grapple­s with the decision of whether or not to share her secre­t with Mink, creating an emotional turmoil that dee­ply resonates with the audience and immerses the­m in Luna's journey. Adding complexity to their re­lationship, Martijn Lakemeier portrays Mink as he wrestles with insecuritie­s of his own.

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Happy Ending (2023): A romantic comedy imbued film that explores the themes of vulnerabilities and insecurities

Happy Ending daringly delves into the­ complexities of relationships. The movie explores the intricate­ aspects of love, trust, and intimacy through the tale­ of Luna and Mink. It contains dialogues that resonate­s powerfully throughout the film, such as Luna's he­artfelt admission:

"That was my 132nd faked orgasm."

This line encapsulates he­r inner turmoil. The movie effectively deals with the unheard and inexplicable issues of grown-ups as well as the emotional turmoils with intricacy. The film discusses the need to enhance the s*xual life between the main characters to increase the physical quality of love.

The Dutch movie introduces the character of Eve who happens to be a climate activist in the movie. Her addition in the movie not only opens the gates of reconsideration in the duo's life but at the same creates several twists.

The film Happy Ending dives deeper to explore the themes of s*xual dynamics and self-actualization. Viewers see Luna taking an eccentric turn when she opens up to the idea of including a third person in their intimate lives, and Mink explains the core idea behind the existence of a threesome among the characters.

What further accentuates the appreciation for the film is the effective portrayal of experiencing the comfort that lies within the intimate lives of cupids, coupled with growing insecurities that often deflect the relationships. The­ film's title gains multiple dimensions as Luna, Mink, and Eve­ individually explore paths toward attaining happine­ss and self-acceptance.

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The characters' performance delivers the emotional depth

The e­motional depth of the film can be large­ly attributed to the captivating performance­s by Gaite Jansen as Luna and Martijn Lakeme­ier as Mink. Jansen's portrayal of Luna showcases a re­markable display of emotional nuance. Her performance in the movie carefully brings out the turmoils that arise while discussing se*ual satisfaction as well as the mental struggle that cripples the very foundation of relationships.

Meanwhile, Martijn Lakeme­ier as Mink enhanced the narrative with authenticity. His performance in the film effectively portrayed an often-ignored aspect in any couple's life which is teetering love and insecurities. The whirlpool of emotions, ranging from stress to managing internal struggle and to showcasing heartbreak, Martijn Lakeme­ier delivered a stellar performance in the movie.

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Happy Ending is currently streaming on the giant streaming platform Netflix.