Love Again: Priyanka Chopra Shines in a Tale of Rediscovery

Priyanka Chopra has done many things, from Bollywood to Hollywood, from Quantico to Citadel, but in Love Again, streaming now on Netflix, she gives us something quieter, something tender.

This 2023 rom-com/drama, directed and written by James C. Strouse, is a wild mix of grief, mistaken identity, and songwriting, set in vibrant New York and sprinkled with Céline Dion’s voice, charm, and presence.

The Setup

Grief makes us do strange things. For Mira Ray (Priyanka Chopra Jonas), it meant sending long, aching text messages to her fiancé’s old number, two years after his death. Except that number doesn’t vanish into the digital void. It lands straight into the inbox of Rob Burns (Sam Heughan), a Scottish music critic who suddenly becomes the unwilling keeper of Mira’s heartbreak.

Now, Rob isn’t just any guy. He’s got his own baggage, and, in the most rom-com way possible, he ends up assigned to interview Céline Dion (yes, the Céline Dion, playing herself).

So, naturally, he enlists her as his part-time love coach to figure out how to meet the woman behind those midnight texts. It’s absurd, yes. But it’s also oddly intriguing, and goes beyond the traditional love follows certain rules plot lines.

Priyanka Holds the Center, Céline Steals the Show

Priyanka grounds the film with a sincerity that makes Mira’s grief feel lived-in rather than performative. Sam Heughan does his charming-but-awkward routine, but let’s be real: Céline Dion is the secret weapon here.

Every time she appears, the film transforms. After all, she is THE Céline Dion. She’s funny, self-aware, and when she sings, the movie actually finds its heartbeat, and the characters fall into rhythm. Without her voice, the movie struggles a bit to emotionally appeal to the audience with this novel plot.

The Reviews and the Reality

So, how did the movie do overall?

Here’s the truth: critics weren’t kind. With a Rotten Tomatoes score hovering around 30%, Love Again got called “corny,” “dated,” and “predictable.” Box office numbers didn’t help either, with a budget of around $9 million, it made just $12.7 million worldwide. That’s barely a win, especially with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 bulldozing the same release weekend.

But audiences told a different story. Viewers who wanted a sweet, slightly cheesy romance got exactly that. And on Netflix, the film quietly found its groove, sliding into the Top 10 across multiple regions. Turns out, Love Again works better as a cozy streaming watch than a theater trip.

Final Take: Is It Worth a Watch?

Yes — if you go in knowing what you want. If you expect perfection, it’ll disappoint. But if you’re okay with mixing tears and cheesy lines, this may be your evening film. Priyanka brings sincerity. Céline Dion brings big-hearted musical pull. The story is flawed, but there’s warmth in its flawed moments.

So grab a blanket, maybe some popcorn, maybe tissues, and let this little movie remind you that sometimes love doesn’t come clean. Sometimes it text-barges into your life through old phone numbers. And maybe, just maybe, that’s enough.