Starstruck is a British show that is created, written, and starring the New Zealander actress Rose Matafeo. Jessie (Matafeo) is a woman without a clear purpose, living in London who, on New Year’s Eve, has a one-night stand with Tom (Nikesh Patel), a movie star (although Jessie doesn’t know that). They get sucked into each other’s orbit, sometimes seeing each other, sometimes fighting, sometimes pining for one another. The show has a premise similar to Notting Hill (a nobody starts dating a movie star), but it does many different things with that premise through its 12 half-hour episodes, and two seasons. Here are a few reasons why you should watch this rom-com series:
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The last ten years have not been the best for rom-coms at the box office. That’s why most of them have gone to streaming. We’ve had some good ones (To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, Set It Up), and Starstruck might be the best of all, as it uses its TV structure to show us more layers and adventures with its characters. It might be a TV show, but it has the structure, lovely moments, and romantic underpinnings of the best movie rom-coms. Matafeo’s a fan and expert in all the romantic comedies that have come before her, and she knows how to either subvert them or give them a new angle to play with.
Talking about rom-com tropes and their subversions, like when in episode two, she’s dancing down the canal after having sex, Matafeo told Elle: “There are intentional subversions of those tropes, and then sometimes they’re accidental (…) A lot of people were like, “Oh, that’s an interesting subversion of the walk of shame.” It didn’t even cross our minds that it was a subversion of anything because it is just genuinely what we authentically feel, the day after we have sex — totally invincible.”
As best meet-cute moments go, Starstruck should be in the top five, as it shows all you have to know about both characters. Jessie is drunk and goes to the men’s bathroom because there’s no line, and while there, makes James Bond faces and comments in the mirror. Tom is more composed and has a fun interaction with her while washing their hands. The rest is history. From there on, we see how different they are: he’s an actor and works in the cinema, and she’s a concession stand employee and works at a cinema. He’s famous, she’s a nobody. He’s reserved, and she’s loud. But, there’s an incredible attraction between them. Strangely, they click together and complement each other exceptionally well. Every conversation they have, is at the same time, a competition for who makes the better joke, while showing they’re having fun, and that they might be perfect for each other.
Rose Matafeo’s Comic Sensibilities
Matafeo is not only the lead, but also the creator and co-writer, so the whole series is filtered through her sense of humor and sensibilities. The actress gained some notoriety with her comedy special Rose Matafeo: Horndog, and Starstruck is her biggest show yet. It takes the premise of one of the best ’90s romantic comedies, Notting Hill, and expands it into an imperfect love story full of bumps in the road. It’s clear that Matafeo loves rom-coms, but she also imbues this show with some of the realities of being a millennial woman in the age of dating apps.
In many movies, her confident, brash, and unique personality would be given to the messy friend, the one that’s only there to listen to the star’s problems and give quirky advice. Starstruck is different. Not only is she the lead, but dating and having a family isn’t something she’s particularly looking for in her messy life. It kind of just happens. Jessie doesn’t want to be a damsel in distress, saved by the rich hero boyfriend who can get her anything she wants. Actually, the fact that he’s a famous movie star is more of a flaw for her than a plus.
What’s obvious, is that the rapport between Jessie and Tom is great, and it shows us why they can and should work together. If they can flirt while joking about kidnappings, they’ve found out their other half. Matafeo told The New York Times that When Harry Met Sally was one of her inspirations because “so much of the character and the story is revealed in dialogue rather than the big print” and it shows in every interaction between Jesse and Tom.
Great Comedic Performances
Any rom-com lives and dies with the performances of its lead characters, and the chemistry between them. Matafeo and Patel work great with each other, having an incredible rapport between their characters. They hook up, they don’t see each other for a bit, they date, and they break up, showing the messiness of dating in the 2020s, but also how both characters are part of the problem more than the solution. They’re charming and lovely together, but they cannot make it work because of their neuroses, creating a “will they, won’t they” situation, and transforming it into “these two are crazy for each other, we hope they can’t get out of their own way and make it work” situation.
Matafeo alone can make any scene better, but she also has incredible chemistry with everyone in the cast. Including her “sidekick”, Kate (Emma Sidi, Matafeo’s real best friend), who should be on every best rom-com sidekick list. One of the great things about Kate and the rest of the non-leads is that they have their own stories. They can help Jessie and Tom, but they’re believable people who, when the leads aren’t around, have their own thing going on, with their dreams and aspirations. Many series and movies don’t bother with that, giving every character in Starstruck a lot more notes to play.
There are many reasons to watch Starstruck, and if you’re a rom-com fan, we recommend you give it a chance. You won’t regret spending some time with Jessie and Tom and their funny, charming, lovely story in one of the best British comedy shows ever.
