REVIEW: ‘The Wrong Paris’ Sends Miranda Cosgrove To Texas Instead Of France, With Mixed Results
- Emma Fisher
- 18 hours ago
- 4 min read
This article contains spoilers for The Wrong Paris.
Every so often, a film comes along that seems designed to test the limits of how much second-hand embarrassment one audience can withstand. The Wrong Paris, arriving on Netflix on September 12, is one of those films. It takes a promising premise – art school dreams colliding with the absurdity of reality television – and turns it into a rom-com that is equal parts frustrating, entertaining, and occasionally absurd.
At the heart of the story is Dawn (Miranda Cosgrove). Dawn has been saving for her Paris fund, a pot of money meant to help her get to France to study at the prestigious Académie d’Art de Paris. The dream feels within reach until reality sets in. She receives a letter confirming her acceptance to the school, only to realise that her application for financial aid has been rejected. With tuition and living expenses estimated at around $30,000 a year, Dawn’s savings suddenly look pitiful. Worse still, she had dipped into it to pay medical bills for her grandmother Birdie (Frances Fisher) after a nasty fall that her insurance didn’t cover in its entirety. Dawn has enough for her first year, but nothing beyond that.
It's at this moment that the film turns its focus to reality TV. Dawn’s sister Emily (Emilija Baranac) suggests she audition for The Honey Pot, a reality dating show where 20 women compete for the affection of one man, or a tidy sum of $250,000. There’s even a $20,000 appearance fee. Dawn scoffs at the very idea, pointing out that surely no one would choose the cowboy over the cash. But the combination of Birdie’s gentle encouragement and the promise of financial relief nudge her towards signing up.
The irony, of course, is that Dawn and Trey (Pierson Fodé) have already crossed paths. In a small-town bar scene early in the film, he asks her to dance; their chemistry is obvious until a drunken insult from another man breaks it. Dawn’s response, dragging the man outside and tossing a drink over him, is meant to establish her spirit, though it plays more cringe than triumphant. Still, it sets up Trey’s fascination with her and explains why, when she later arrives on his ranch as a reluctant contestant, he refuses to let her go.
Here, the film briefly flirts with potential. The contestants believe they’re being whisked off to France, only to find themselves circling in a plane for nine hours before touching down in Paris, Texas. The sight of twenty glamorous hopefuls (you cannot convince us that Miranda Cosgrove isn’t one of them, Netflix) raging at this revelation is hilarious and is a rare moment where the film knows exactly what it is.
Unfortunately, what follows rarely matches that high point. The show’s bachelor, Trey, is introduced on horseback in one of The Wrong Paris’ many unintentionally comedic moments. Following their prior meeting, he is smitten with Dawn, which removes any element of tension. She begs him to vote her off as the appearance fee would be enough for her two-year course, but he refuses, keeping her in the competition even as she fights against it.
The film then settles into a repetitive loop of reality-show antics. The contestants battle for one-on-one dates through axe-throwing and boot camp challenges. The prizes are extra time with Trey and a $5,000 bonus. Dawn loses her first contest, spies on Trey’s date with rival Lexie (Madison Pettis), and inevitably ends up falling into the water. It’s slapstick of the most mortifying variety, played for laughs but rarely landing them. When she eventually wins a date, it’s spent making watermelon mint salad and succotash while Trey jokingly asks when they’ll get married. However, you get the feeling that he isn’t joking at all.
The supporting cast, at least, injects some much-needed life into The Wrong Paris. Rachel (Yvonne Orji) steals every scene she’s in with dry one-liners. “Don’t look at me, that’s your nepo hire” is a particular highlight. Elsewhere, Lexie’s scheming is straight from the pantomime school of villainy, but at least it gives the story some momentum.
As the competition progresses, Trey continues to single Dawn out, just as much as she seeks him. But when Lexie exposes Dawn’s art school letter, Trey is forced to confront the truth. Instead of supporting her, he chooses to keep Lexie over her in the next elimination round. Determined to follow her dreams, Dawn is still headed for Paris but is now heartbroken. Despite its predictability, the script does toy with a bittersweet ending, only to lurch back into cliché when Trey realises Dawn forfeited her winnings for love. He chases her down, declares he’ll fund her schooling, and proposes with the show’s inevitable ultimatum: will she take the money or the honey? She takes the money, sealing the honey with a kiss.
By the time the credits roll, the message is muddled. Dawn is allowed her art school dream, but only after a man swoops in to rescue her. The final scenes attempt to balance independence with romance - she takes the money for Paris but still chooses Trey - yet it feels like a compromise rather than a statement. Cosgrove is engaging, but the film’s inability to commit to either satire or sincerity leaves it stranded somewhere in the middle. The Wrong Paris is watchable enough for a night in, but you’ll cringe more than you’ll swoon.
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
About The Wrong Paris
Premiere Date: September 12, 2025
Executive Producers: Miranda Cosgrove, Galen Fletcher, Janeen Damian, Amanda Phillips, Jimmy Townsend, Vincent Balzano, Kelly Frazier
Writer: Nicole Henrich
Director: Janeen Damian
Production: MCPA, Brad Krevoy Productions
Distribution: Netflix
Cast: Miranda Cosgrove, Pierson Fodé, Madison Pettis, Madeleine Arthur, Frances Fisher, Yvonne Orji, Torrance Coombs, Christin Park, Emilija Baranac, Hannah Stocking
Synopsis: A young woman (Miranda Cosgrove) joins a dating show thinking it's in Paris, France, but it's actually in Paris, Texas. She plots a way to get eliminated until her unexpected feelings for the bachelor (Pierson Fodé) complicate her plans.