Roommates Review
Director: Chandler Levack
Date Created: 2026-04-17 19:00
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Roommates Review: Directed by Chandler Levack and written by Jimmy Fowlie and Ceara O’Sullivan, Netflix’s latest comedy stars Sadie Sandler as Devon, Chloe East as Celeste, in the main lead alongside Billy Bryk, Sarah Sherman, Natasha Lyonne, Nick Kroll, Aidan Langford and others. The film has a runtime of 107 minutes.
Roommates Review
Netflix’s Roommates tells the story of Devon, a somewhat clumsy but optimistic first-year student who enters college in pursuit of a single dream, finally making a connection with another person. Devon’s opportunity appears when she makes friends with Celeste at the college orientation, a confident and extremely charming young woman who represents everything that Devon is not. The two hit it off immediately and became roommates, and it looks like they have all found the ideal friendship. But as the two start sharing their rooms, what begins as minor frustrations turns into major arguments.
Watching it, I couldn’t help but get the feeling that I had experienced some parts of this movie myself. Netflix film Roommates captures the nuances of life incredibly well, how infuriating it is when another person starts occupying your personal space, how difficult it becomes to voice an opinion simply because you don’t want to start a fight, and how peculiar relationships between hostel roommates can become from one moment to the next.
Devon is played by Sadie Sandler in what turns out to be an unexpectedly down-to-earth portrayal. There is a great authenticity about the vulnerability that the actor imbues into her character, as well as a certain charm in the way she depicts the inner turmoil that her character goes through. Whether it is Devon’s inability to confront problems directly or her frantic efforts to preserve a friendship which is not living up to her expectations, all this comes across as entirely believable on screen.
However, the character of Celeste, played by Chloe East, possesses a unique attraction of its own. She portrays an individual whose personality is both appealing and spontaneous to such a degree that it compels everyone around her to pay attention. However, she has no idea of how far she can go with her boldness, and this causes a lot of friction between her and those around her. Chloe East skillfully combines all the negative traits of Celeste along with those positive characteristics that make her such an endearing person.
Both of these characters, Devon and Celeste, have an interesting dynamic that drives the whole movie. Their friendship is believable because of all the good times and bad times that they have experienced together, which shows how easy it is for people to make friends at college and then fall apart just as quickly due to all the stress.
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As the parents of Devon, Natasha Lyonne and Nick Kroll add a bit of humour to the movie, but also play a role in giving it an emotional connection through scenes in which she gets lost. Aidan Langford plays the part of her little brother and adds some of the gentler parts in the movie, indicating a personal change in Devon outside of her college experience.
I enjoyed the style of the Netflix movie Roommates a lot. The way it alternates between funny and uncomfortable moments all throughout. At certain points, the plot is very far-fetched, but it still manages to hold truth underneath it all. People who have experienced college and the close bonds formed at that time would definitely relate to this movie on many levels, from starting a fresh page in life, struggling with fitting in, to understanding that sometimes things are not meant to be.
Levack manages this quite effectively as a director. She lets the movie get a bit messy, which actually enhances its strength. It is clear that she isn’t trying to show some cleaned-up view of friendship, but rather what it is really like, complete with confusion, misunderstanding, and emotional intensity. While the movie does become somewhat unbalanced in places, the sincerity with which it is told continues to hold our interest.
In thematic terms, Roommates focuses on the theme of self-realisation amid a period of life when one has to experience some form of transformation. College years are known for their fun times, but the movie also sheds light on some less exciting elements, like the solitude, the confusion of identity, and the fact that maturity involves leaving behind some friends. This is vividly illustrated through the character development of Devon.
The one aspect that can be criticised regarding the way the Roommates movie exploits its potential is how far it is willing to go with its dark and complicated themes. It is clear that on several occasions, some of the ideas of the movie could have taken the plot in a deeper direction. However, the movie decided to avoid taking such a path, which is regrettable.
Netflix Roommates Review: Summing Up
In summary, Roommates is an entertaining film that captures one’s attention. The main quality of this film is how relatable it is, while at the same time being brutally honest about the joys and challenges that go hand in hand when you make friends in college. There is a realisation that having roommates is not always a matter of looking for a best friend for life, but sometimes just learning some painful lessons from someone who was only supposed to be a brief part of the journey.
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