Based on motivational speaker Michael Todd’s bestselling book, Relationship Goals follows Leah (Kelly Rowland), a high-powered corporate executive who’s married to her career, and Jarrett (Method Man), a charming entrepreneur with all the swag but questionable commitment skills. They are fighting for the same job with a romantic history. Think Girls Trip meets Think Like a Man, but with more Jesus and significantly more cheese.
Kelly Rowland steps into the role of Leah with effortless grace, embodying the strong-minded, work-driven corporate babe we’ve seen a thousand times but she does it with conviction and brings genuine warmth to what could’ve been a one-dimensional character. She’s believable, relatable, and carries the emotional weight of the film beautifully.
Method Man as Jarrett is… well, Method Man. He’s charming, swaggered, and playing exactly the type of role you’ve seen him in before, think plain ol’ Tical with a romantic twist. But here’s the thing: it works. His chemistry with Kelly is decent and genuinely cutesy, creating those little spark moments that make you root for them despite yourself.
Ryan Jamaal Swain absolutely steals every single scene he’s in. The man brings the swag and is too funny when on screen, his comedic timing is impeccable, and he provides much-needed levity whenever the cheese factor threatens to overwhelm.
Michael Todd takes centre stage as the film is based on his book, so he’s very present throughout. He’s essentially playing himself as the relationship guru.
The supporting cast including storylines around Leah’s troubled relationship with her mum and dad, and Brenda’s boyfriend drama are all decent in their own rights. These subplots are littered throughout but feel somewhat superfluous; they’re easily ignored and could’ve been bypassed without affecting the main narrative.
Relationship Goals embraces its identity with unabashed confidence. The cinematography leans into that super overly dramatic feel sweeping romantic shots, golden-hour lighting that makes every scene look like a perfume commercial, and enough soft-focus close-ups to make you think you’re watching a music video. The dialogue, the setting, the whole aesthetic screams intentional melodrama, and that’s precisely the charm.
It’s polished enough to feel professional but maintains that accessible, made-for-streaming quality that invites you to sink into your sofa rather than sit at attention.
Let’s address the elephant in the room: yes, it’s Oscar season, but can we please stop critiquing every piece of acting in media like we’re all suddenly members of the Academy? Relationship Goals knows exactly what it is and delivers precisely that experience.
This film brings balance to Valentine’s Day viewing. If Wuthering Heights is supposed to be our big blockbuster (time will tell), Relationship Goals is our feel-good, sofa-surfing, cuddle session at home and I did enjoy it. Yes, I said I, not we.
The narrative structure borrows heavily from the Think Like a Man playbook, with Michael Todd’s book dictating the story beats and relationship principles our characters must navigate. It’s familiar territory, but there’s comfort in that familiarity. The film carries a solid message around love, romance, and religion that never feels preachy, though Tyler Perry is definitely punching the air somewhere wondering why he wasn’t involved in this production… it’s squarely in his wheelhouse.
The film is very cheesy, but it’s intentionally so. Cheese is good sometimes, and Relationship Goals serves it with pride. However, the third act really ramps up the fromage factor to potentially eye-roll-inducing levels. You’ll either embrace it completely or find yourself laughing at it rather than with it.
But here’s the real test: did I get that mushy, tingly feeling in the end? I absolutely did. Mission accomplished. Relationship Goals sets out to deliver warmth, laughs, and a little inspiration, and it succeeds on all counts. It’s not reinventing the wheel, but sometimes you just need a perfectly serviceable wheel to get you where you’re going preferably while cuddled up with someone special (or a really good blanket).
