The Life List has a moving premise and an easygoing romantic-comedy surface, but its biggest tension is whether a story about life’s uncertainty can feel convincing when the film keeps smoothing the rough edges. Adam Brooks’s 2025 adaptation is warm and accessible; Guardian critic Benjamin Lee found it too polished to earn all of its sentiment.
What is The Life List about?
After Alex Rose’s mother, Elizabeth, dies, the reading of her will gives Alex a childhood bucket list of goals. Alex must complete every item before the end of the year to learn about her inheritance. Each finished task unlocks a DVD containing a personal message from her mother.
The assignments take Alex into comic and socially awkward situations, as well as family questions, reconciliation and romance. The emotional premise is a daughter coping with grief while trying to understand a mother who wants her to choose a fuller life. That setup gives the film room to move between loss and lighter, sometimes deliberately whimsical challenges.
Is it a tearjerker or a light romantic comedy?
It is a hybrid: an emotional family drama wrapped in a cosy romantic comedy. Grief is the story’s starting point, but the film also leans on meet-cute energy, familiar romantic-comedy rhythms and the appeal of watching Alex take risks. It aims for warmth rather than sustained heartbreak, so viewers looking for an unrelentingly sad drama may find its lighter tone a relief; viewers wanting grief explored with more complication may find the treatment too gentle.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →#1 Best Overall
- Sturdy Construction: Our Lined Spiral Journal Notebook is built to last with a sturdy metal twin-wire binding and a tough hardcover. The water-resistant cover shields your notes from damage, while the double-wire design allows for easy folding and flat laying.
- High-Quality Paper: Crafted from 100 GSM thick, ink-friendly paper, our notebook prevents ink bleed-through and ghosting. It accommodates various pens, including ballpoint, gel, and fountain pens. Each page features a day header for effortless date tracking.
- Organized and Functional Design: With 140 lined pages and a 6-page blank table of contents, our notebook offers ample space for note-taking and easy referencing. An inner pocket keeps miscellaneous items secure, and an elastic closure band ensures the notebook stays closed when not in use.
- Versatile Usage: Suitable for office, school, and home environments, our notebook is perfect for journaling, note-taking, drawing, goal setting, Bible, and planning. It's a thoughtful present for friends, family, classmates, and colleagues.
- Medium-Sized Portability: Measuring 5.7 inches x 7.9 inches, our medium notebook strikes the perfect balance between portability and functionality. Its sturdy construction and aesthetic design make it an ideal companion for all your writing endeavors.
The Guardian’s Benjamin Lee recognizes the relatable ingredients—losing a parent, feeling trapped in a relationship and worrying that you are not living as you hoped—but argues that the film prettifies them. His review’s sharpest summary is: “The word ‘messy’ is bandied around by its characters but The Life List is far too clean.” That is Lee’s critical judgment, not a universally settled verdict, but it captures the gap between the film’s stated interest in uncertainty and its carefully managed emotional shape.
Does the emotion feel earned, or too tidy?
The film’s most appealing idea is that a list written by a child can become a route into the adult life she has avoided. The tasks supply momentum, while the messages from Elizabeth keep the mother-daughter relationship present after her death. That combination makes for a comforting watch and gives the story an emotional through-line beyond the romance.
Rank #2
- BEST-SELLING HARDCOVER JOURNAL: This classic 5.6" x 8" vegan leather journal features a durable and water-resistant cover, 160 college ruled lined pages, inner expandable pocket, sticker labels, ribbon bookmark & elastic closure band.
- PREMIUM PAPER: Made with high-quality, 100 gsm acid-free paper in light ivory color, our journal paper is thicker than average notebooks & note pads, so you can confidently use most pens, pencils, and markers without ghosting and bleed-through.
- LAY FLAT DESIGN FOR WRITING EASE: Our thread-bound, college ruled notebook is designed to lay flat, making it easier to write for both right and left-handed users. It’s the perfect notebook for journaling, note taking and planning.
- INNER POCKET: Includes an expandable inner storage pocket to store appointment cards, notes, receipts, and more. Personalize your journal cover & spine with the sheet of sticker labels included.
- VERSATILE LINED NOTEBOOK: Ideal for journaling, note-taking, planning, or creative writing. Whether you're making a to-do list, capturing ideas, or writing notes, this journal makes a perfect notebook for school, work, or home office.
Lee’s main reservation is that the film gives Alex’s romantic life more attention than family bonds, career or personal growth. He also finds Sofia Carson’s performance and the presentation overly smoothed. The Guardian notes the recognizability of Manhattan and Brooklyn locations and a nostalgic echo of 1990s and 2000s romantic comedies; those familiar pleasures are part of the appeal, though they can also make the film feel less surprising.
That tension is the useful way to approach the movie: it is designed to reassure as much as unsettle. If you enjoy a polished, sentimental story about taking chances, its broad emotional beats may work for you. If you want a film to stay with the awkwardness and grief rather than steer toward a neat resolution, the same choices may feel too tidy.
Recommended Free Tools
Rank #3
- 320 Pages Paper - Journaling notebooks with 320 pages provides you with enough writing space. A5 notebook journal with 100gsm paper, thicker than normal paper, will not cause bleeding, ghosting or smudging and is suitable for most types of pens.
- Waterproof Hard Cover - Leather journal have a comfortable touch. Durable and waterproof hardcover journal notebook protects the inside of the pages better than a soft cover and provides a comfortable writing surface.
- Notebook with Pockets - Journal for women comes with a paper pocket and gold trimmed fabric to make the pockets more durable. Journals for writing have colorful ribbon and elastic band and a pen insert on the right side of the journal.
- College Ruled Journal - Lined journal is a college ruled notebook on 100 GSM paper, and the writing journal is designed to lay flat with colored tabs. There is a DATE bar at the top of each page. Helps you remember those important dates and find the page.
- Cagie Brand Support- You can purchase our products with full confidence! if you don't love the journal notebook due to any quality issues, simply contact us directly within 1 year and we will send you a hassle-free replacement journal for men women or full refund.
How was the film received?
Rotten Tomatoes’ 2025 release listing showed a 46% Tomatometer from 24 reviews and a 70% Popcornmeter from 500+ ratings in a snapshot accessed October 3, 2026. These are changing aggregator figures, not permanent measures of quality. The audience score was higher than the critics’ score in that snapshot; it does not, by itself, explain why viewers responded differently. Rotten Tomatoes’ consensus says the film checks romantic-comedy boxes efficiently but could use more invention, while Lee’s Guardian review points to sentimental polish as a reason for skepticism.
What should parents know?
Common Sense Media’s Jennifer Green recommends the film for ages 14+ and describes it as an emotional, book-based drama. Its guide flags a mother’s death and grief, sexual discussion and a sex scene without visible private parts, a brief situation in which children see an adult naked, strong profanity, cannabis use, alcohol and a Xanax reference. Common Sense Media also lists the film as PG-13, citing sexual material, drug content and strong language; its guide is parent-focused context, not a replacement for the official rating description.
Rank #4
- Hardcover notebook with line-ruled pages (front and back); ideal for notes, lists, journaling, and more
- 240 pages
- Archival quality; acid free
- Expandable inner pocket for storing loose items
- Includes bookmark and elastic closure
The guide also identifies themes of mutual respect, balanced relationships, persistence, asking for help and giving grief time. Alex and her family work through complicated relationships with honest communication. Those are constructive themes, although the film’s interest in them does not settle whether every emotional turn feels fully earned.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where can you watch it, and is there a book?
Rotten Tomatoes lists a streaming release date of March 28, 2025, and the Guardian says the film is available on Netflix. Streaming catalogs vary by country and can change, so check Netflix in your location for current availability.
Best Value
- 【Vintage Leather Journal Notebook】The perfect rule notebook is perfect for travelers,business people,students for writing journals,journaling, personal daily journals,travel journals,work notebooks or for taking notes in college classes or meetings.The exquisite print symbolizes tenacious vitality,which will always remain alive.No matter what difficulties and obstacles you face,you can face it firmly.
- 【Hardcover Leather journal】This medium 5.7 x 8.3 inchs A5 lined journal notebook features a waterproof brown faux leather cover,Leather feels soft and comfortable,inner ribbon bookmark and elastic closure band,for all your drawing, writing, sketching, note-taking, traveling, etc.At the same time, it is perfect to carry around or put in a bag or purse.
- 【256 Pages Premium Paper】We use 256 Pages (128 Sheets) 80Gsm acid-free paper thick lined paper,Line spacing 8.5mm,so you can confidently use most pens, pencils, and markers without ghosting and bleed-through.The Light yellow paper resists damage from light and air and the paper protects your eyes from irritation.
- 【180° Lay Flat Design】The 180° lay flat design makes writing easier, reading more convenient, and taking notes more efficient.At the same time, the hardcover notebook is designed with elastic closure band to make it tightly closed to protect your content, and the inner paper will not be curled and kept flat.
- 【Ideal Business Notebook Gift】Journal with beautiful print is perfect for mom,dad,girls, boys, children,friends,wife,husband,friends,daughters, sons,granddaughter,teachers, students, artists,writers,designers, journalists,office clerks,business women/men,on Christmas, Halloween, New Year, Nirthday, Children's Day,Mothers Day,Fathers Day,Valentine's Day,Anniversary Gift,etc.
The film is based on Lori Nelson Spielman’s bestselling novel The Life List, as identified by the Guardian and Common Sense Media. The book is a natural next step if you want to explore the premise in its original form, but the adaptation should not be assumed to reproduce the novel scene for scene.
Quick Recap
At a glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Director | Adam Brooks |
| Lead cast | Sofia Carson as Alex, Kyle Allen as Brad, Sebastian de Souza as Garrett, and Connie Britton as Elizabeth |
| Release and runtime | Rotten Tomatoes lists a March 28, 2025 streaming release date and a runtime of 2 hours 3 minutes. |
| Language, genre and rating | Rotten Tomatoes lists it as an English-language drama, comedy and romance, rated PG-13. |
| Source material | The Life List, a bestselling novel by Lori Nelson Spielman |
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
