“Sierra Burgess is a Loser” reminds me of pineapple on pizza: there are those who stand by it and others who think that it’s simply too controversial for it to be taken seriously.  In regards to Netflix’s latest success with rom-coms, SBIAL has unfortunately just missed the target.

The all star Netflix original cast that  includes actors such as Noah Centineo and Shannon Purser, best known for their roles as Peter Kavinsky in “To all the Boys I’ve loved before” and Barb from “Stranger Things”, like myself, were very excited for the release of the film on Sept. seventh. However, the end result appeared to be over-hyped and not what was expected of a light hearted rom-com.  Appearing in SBIAL as Jamey and Sierra, the two main lovers meet due to a mistext inspired by Veronica, played by European model and actress Kristine Froseth.

Throughout the film, viewers witness unlikely duo Sierra and Veronica fool an unsuspecting boy into falling in love with a girl who is not what she seems to be. Through “our generations total disregard for basic human interaction,” as Pursers’ character puts it, the two manage to confuse and manipulate Jamey’s feelings through social media and online communication and ultimately destroy their own friendship in the process. Of course, at the end, all troubles are resolved through song and the guy gets the right girl because he’s managed to fall for her personality rather than her looks.

Although on the surface this seems like any other romantic comedy plot twist, SBIAL managed to address multiple controversial topics that left the public both unsatisfied and insulted.

Many rumors have sparked around the fact that catfishing Jamey to the extent that occured was not only wrong, but had the situation been reversed and a guy had catfished the girl, the movie would’ve taken a twisted turn and completely tanked.

In addition to this, viewers gradually witness the deterioration of Sierra’s self esteem that  goes virtually unaddressed throughout the course of the film. By the end, Pursers’ character is no longer the confident, spunky, nerd but is instead, a self-doubting, depressed teenager who finds solace in a relationship rather than with herself.

The fact that Sierra still got a romantic happy ending despite her blatant manipulation and lying left us feeling sympathetic for Jamey while we simultaneously continued to hold grudges against Sierra. Her behavior throughout the movie was not anything to be rewarded and she did not deserve that fairy tale ending.

Obviously these troubling realizations have sparked backlash, and for good reason. But the purpose of romantic comedies is to portray a  genre with humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideals. No matter the controversial stance SBIAL took on many topics, it is undeniable that the film achieved  a basic level of enjoyment. Both the character development and script were exceptionally carried out by actor performances , distracting critics from some of the more serious faults in the film.

If taken for what it was meant to be and if viewers who don’t dwell too much in the plot, they may find themselves able to enjoy “Sierra Burgess is a Loser” however, this film is unfortunately lacking in too many areas.