Netflix Faces Backlash Over New Romance Film ‘A Perfect Pairing’ amid Concerns of Normalizing power Imbalance
A new Netflix film, “A Perfect Pairing,” starring Jenna Ortega and Zach Roerig, is sparking controversy and calls for a boycott after viewers, particularly those in academia, criticized its depiction of a romantic relationship between a student and a professor. While initial marketing focused on a classic love story, the film’s central plot twist – one character’s cancer diagnosis – has been overshadowed by concerns about the problematic dynamic portrayed.
The film follows Anna, played by Jenna Ortega, a disillusioned American who travels to Australia to escape heartbreak and attempts to land a job on a family-run vineyard. She finds herself drawn to Baze, played by Zach Roerig, the vineyard owner, who is also a professor at a local university. The relationship develops despite the inherent power imbalance, a detail that has drawn significant criticism.
The controversy centers on the potential for the film to normalize or romanticize abusive power dynamics. Critics argue that portraying a relationship between a student and professor as a central love story can be harmful, particularly in light of the ongoing #MeToo movement and campaigns like “Transforming Silence,” which aims to address and prevent abuse of power in academic settings. Several viewers took to Instagram, specifically on the account of actress Kaelyn Grace Apple, who has been vocal about the issue, to share their own experiences and express their disappointment.
“As a fellow PhD student who has recently been obligated to report on a situation of an abuse of power, it totally turned my stomach against this film,” one commenter wrote. Another stated, “I saw this film advertised and did a double take, then read more about it and thought it’s highly inappropriate to say the least!!!” One user explicitly pledged support for a boycott, referencing the “Transforming Silence” campaign.
Interestingly, the film’s promotional campaign largely avoided highlighting the student-professor relationship. Rather,marketing materials emphasized a more customary romantic storyline,only to reveal a cancer diagnosis for one of the characters as a central plot point. Producer and star, Gina Carano, discussed her involvement in the film, stating in a CBS Mornings interview that she was drawn to the film because it felt like a “classic” love story reminiscent of films like “The Way We Were” and “Love Story,” and that this generation hadn’t seen a comparable romance.
Despite the controversy, “A Perfect Pairing” has performed relatively well on Netflix, ranking as the third most popular film on the platform as of Sunday, August 10, 2025.The film, directed by Stuart McDonald and released on August 8, 2025, is currently available for streaming on Netflix in multiple regions.
