Netflix’s The Wrong Paris, a new original romantic comedy starring Miranda Cosgrove, blends reality‑dating show satire with small‑town romance in a story that hinges on a location gag: the show is set in Paris, Texas, not Paris, France.
Cosgrove plays Dawn Blanton, a 25‑year‑old from Honey Grove who has saved for years to attend art school in France. When financial obstacles threaten that plan, Dawn accepts an offer to appear on a reality contest called The Honeypot to secure a plane ticket and prize money—but the production reveals a twist after the contestants arrive: this season is staged in Paris, Texas, and Dawn cannot leave until the bachelor eliminates her. Pierson Fodé co‑stars as Trey McAllen III, the wealthy weekend cowboy who becomes the show’s central figure and Dawn’s unexpected romantic foil.
The ensemble includes Frances Fisher as Dawn’s grandmother Birdie, Emilija Baranac and Ava Bianchi as Dawn’s sisters, and supporting turns from Yvonne Orji, Torrance Coombs and Madison Pettis. Contestants on the fabricated show are drawn as reality‑TV archetypes—an influencer, a Cinderella type and contestants who bring comic relief and physical comedy, from mechanical‑bull riding to mock cowboy boot camp. The film plays its premise for laughs while allowing the leads to develop believable chemistry as Dawn’s reasons for joining the show clash with the emotional stakes of competing.
A review in Decider praised Cosgrove’s performance as “charming, funny and effortlessly likable,” calling her work a standout and noting strong chemistry with Fodé. The review framed The Wrong Paris as a light, self‑aware send‑up of dating programs such as The Bachelor, swapping roses for spurs and leaning into genre tropes for comic effect. Decider recommended streaming the film, describing it as a tightly scripted, entertaining entry in Netflix’s rom‑com slate.
The film’s tone is broadly PG‑13, with suggestive moments but no explicit sexuality. Dialogue includes playful, tongue‑in‑cheek lines—one exchange on a plane features a contestant telling a cameraman, “Hey garçon, you mind getting your baguette out of my face?”—that underscore the film’s satirical approach to reality‑TV conventions. Reviewers also noted an emphasis on female friendship: relationships among the contestants are depicted as largely supportive rather than adversarial, adding warmth to the comedy.
Critics and viewers may draw parallels with earlier films that mix romance and rural settings; Decider likened elements of The Wrong Paris to the Western romantic drama The Longest Ride, and commentators pointed to Wim Wenders’s Cannes‑winning Paris, Texas as a wholly different cinematic treatment of the same locale. Rather than emulating those films directly, The Wrong Paris uses the Texas setting as a deliberate comedic device to upend expectations tied to its title.
Production leans into physical comedy and committed performances from the cast. Scenes ranging from mud grappling to a staged hose‑down of Fodé’s character were noted as examples of the actors’ willingness to sell the film’s broader gags. Review coverage singled out the film’s ability to balance mockery of reality‑TV formulas with genuine moments of connection, particularly between Dawn and a fellow contestant whose friendship becomes an emotional anchor.
Netflix released The Wrong Paris as part of its continuing investment in original romantic comedies aimed at streaming audiences. The film’s reception in reviews like Decider’s positions it as a crowd‑pleasing, lightweight alternative for viewers seeking a comedic romance with self‑aware satire of modern dating shows. The Wrong Paris is available to stream on Netflix.