The Broken Hearts Gallery (2020) REVIEW: Geraldine Viswanathan’s Rom-Com Still Deserves Your Time

What happens to all those little things we keep after relationships end? That random ticket stub, a borrowed hoodie, maybe even old text message screenshots. The Broken Hearts Gallery builds its entire story around this very human habit of holding onto the past.

The film brings together Geraldine Viswanathan, Dacre Montgomery, and Utkarsh Ambudkar under first-time director Natalie Krinsky. It hit theaters in September 2020, giving audiences something sweet when the world felt heavy. Selena Gomez produced it, adding star power behind the scenes.

The Story Takes an Interesting Turn

Lucy works at a high-end art gallery in New York. But unlike most people who maybe save one or two things from past loves, she keeps everything. Her bedroom looks like a museum of failed relationships, packed with random objects that mean nothing to anyone else.

Everything crashes the same night. Her boyfriend Max breaks up with her for his ex. Then she loses her job. Drunk and devastated, Lucy stumbles into what she thinks is her ride home but turns out to be Nick’s car.

Nick could’ve kicked her out. Instead, he listens while she pours out her troubles and drives her home. He’s spent years fixing up an old building, trying to create his dream boutique hotel. Their paths cross at just the right moment for both of them.

Lucy can’t throw away her collection. So she pitches an idea: what if Nick’s hotel lobby became a space where others could drop off their relationship leftovers? A place to let go. The Broken Hearts Gallery starts small but catches on fast, eventually making headlines around the city.

The Cast Brings Real Energy

Geraldine Viswanathan makes this film work. She plays Lucy with such infectious enthusiasm that you forgive the character’s messier moments. Her delivery feels natural, not rehearsed. When she’s excited about something, you believe it. When she’s hurting, you feel it.

I’ve watched her in other films, and she keeps getting better. Here, she takes a character who could easily irritate viewers and makes her someone you actually care about. That takes skill. Her comic timing never misses, but she also handles the emotional beats without overdoing it.

Dacre Montgomery plays things quieter as Nick. His calm energy works against Viswanathan’s fireworks. But I’ll be honest – their romantic connection doesn’t quite catch fire. They seem like good friends who happen to be attractive. That’s not terrible, but rom-coms need that spark.

Molly Gordon and Phillipa Soo play Lucy’s roommates, and they’re terrific. Their scenes together feel like watching actual friends, not actors reading lines. The karaoke moments, the late-night talks – these bits ring true. Bernadette Peters shows up as Lucy’s boss and commands every scene she’s in.

What Lands Well

The core idea deserves credit. Making a physical gallery for heartbreak artifacts feels both clever and emotionally honest. We live in a swipe-right world where everything’s digital. Having a real place to process loss gives the story something tangible to work with.

Krinsky’s dialogue sounds like people actually talk. The jokes don’t feel written – they feel spoken. Characters interrupt each other, trail off mid-thought, say things that don’t make perfect sense. That messiness makes them real.

The film shows New York as diverse without making a speech about it. The cast reflects what the city actually looks like. Nobody mentions it or pats themselves on back for it. It just is, which feels right.

I loved watching Lucy’s friendships play out. Her roommates support her without enabling her worst impulses. They call her out when needed but show up when it matters. These relationships ground the romantic plot in something deeper.

Where It Stumbles

Here’s the thing: you know exactly how this ends before it starts. The plot follows every rom-com rule in the book. The moment Nick appears, you’re just waiting for Lucy to realize what’s obvious. That predictability drains some tension from the story.

The chemistry problem hurts. Viswanathan and Montgomery are fine together, but fine isn’t enough. I never quite bought them as people falling in love. More like people who figured out they should date because everyone else thought so.

Lucy’s character pushes limits sometimes. She makes the same mistakes repeatedly, especially regarding Max. The film hints at deeper reasons why she clings to things, but never fully explores that. A flashback gives some context, but the issue deserved more attention.

Some plot points stretch belief. The gallery becoming famous overnight after one magazine feature? Max suddenly wanting Lucy back right when she’s moving on? These feel like shortcuts rather than organic story developments that earn their moments.

How It Was Received

Rotten Tomatoes gave it 80% positive reviews from critics. Most praised Viswanathan’s work and called the film charming despite its familiar beats. The site’s summary noted it as a rom-com with plenty of heart, led by a performance that’s easy to love.

Metacritic showed critics more divided, scoring it 57/100. That gap suggests some enjoyed the warmth while others found it too conventional. Audiences gave it a B grade through CinemaScore polling, showing decent satisfaction without overwhelming praise.

IMDb users landed on 6.4/10. That sits in “pretty good” territory – worth watching but not essential viewing. Reviews there split hard, with some calling it delightful comfort viewing while others found Lucy too irritating to enjoy.

The pandemic context mattered. Several critics mentioned needing something sweet during that time, and this delivered. For viewers stuck at home wanting escape, the film hit differently than it might have during normal circumstances.

Bottom Line Thoughts

The Broken Hearts Gallery doesn’t reinvent anything. It’s not trying to. This is a film that understands romantic comedies work best when they feel warm and genuine, even when following familiar paths.

Viswanathan proves she can lead a film. She’s got that rare quality where you just enjoy watching her, regardless of what’s happening on screen. The gallery concept gives the story something fresh to hang onto, even when plot developments feel predictable.

I wish the chemistry between leads burned hotter. I wish the story surprised me more. But I still had a good time watching it. Sometimes that’s enough. Not every movie needs to change cinema. Some just need to make you smile for 90 minutes.

If you’re looking for smart rom-com fare with good performances and a sweet heart, give this a shot. It’s comfort food done well – familiar flavors prepared with care. You’ll know what you’re getting, and honestly, that’s exactly the point.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5