Look Both Ways depicts that there are no right or wrong choices

Look Both Ways is a comedy-drama film about Natalie, played by Lili Reinhart, who is best known for her role in Riverdale and also serves as the film's executive producer, and how her decisions after a life-changing event split her life into two realities.

Directed by Wanuri Kahiu, Look Both Ways employs alternate reality that has, for so long, been relegated to science-fiction films.

Contrary to expectations, Wanuri's film does not come stacked with revelations. Instead, it follows the protagonist in two different realities that branch out as consequences of her decisions.

Look Both Ways bowed on Netflix on August 17, 2022. In addition to Reinhart, the cast of Look Both Ways constitutes actors like Luke Wilson, Andrea Savage, Danny Ramirez, Aisha Dee, and David Corenswet.

Read on to find out what Look Both Ways gives away.

Overview of Look Both Ways

Natalie is a 22-year-old student who is set to graduate from a Texas college. Right from the beginning, the two-hour-long film emphasizes the need to live in the present.

Natalie's carpe diem policy backfires when she discovers she's pregnant after sleeping with her friend Gabe on the night of her graduation party (essayed by Ramirez).

What follows is a split in Natalie's life, thus pushing her into two perceived situations: one in which she gets pregnant, and another in which she does not. Naturally, the universe in which she got pregnant gets precedence over the other.

Natalie breaks the news about her pregnancy to Gabe, first, and then to her parents. Even though Gabe is on board to help out Natalie raise the child, it becomes tough for her to announce her decision to keep the child to her parents.

In an alternate reality, Natalie and her friend Cara achieve the socially acceptable life of moving to Los Angeles for better job prospects (played by Dee). Natalie is an aspiring animation artist who wishes to make animated films and run her own production house.

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She lands herself a job with the help of Jake, who also happens to work at the same company. The two soon hit it off. Meanwhile, mother-to-be Natalie has had to delay her plans owing to the impending child.

Soon, both Natalies reached the same-leveled plane after the working Natalie quits her job following harsh words from her boss. She breaks up with Jake.

Both Natalies then decide to rebuild.

Both start working on their independent ideas as animation artists, and achieve acclaim for the same.

Choices are neither right nor wrong, suggests Look Both Ways

Lili Reinhart in 'Look Both Ways' (Felicia Graham via Netflix)

Not once does director Kahiu undermine one Natalie's journey to amplify the other. Nor does she try and set a precedent for the women of the world. Contrary to the generic use of alternate realities like "the other," Look Both Ways employs it to depict just another side to the same coin.

There are regrets and rejoices on both sides of the plane. For instance, while mother-to-be Natalie feels lost after she diverts from the common career goals expected of a recent college graduate, Natalie from the other side feels dejected when she can no longer help her entire life from falling apart.

The realisation that only they can help themselves helps both Natalies.

Motherhood is not viewed as an obstacle to overcome, and neither is a delay in figuring out life. It is the protagonist's cultivation of a sense of ownership over their choices that allows them to succeed on both sides of the plane, not their attempts to correct their choices.

Thus, the two realities never converge. They continue to exist, parallelly, as do choices and their possible outcomes.

Look Both Ways is now streaming on Netflix.