One of the most beloved Black Mirror episodes is “San Junipero”. The lush episode that depicts an augmented reality in which humans are able to stay young forever, forge passionate summer loves, and dance the night away to “Heaven on Earth”. British actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw stars in the episode as the life-loving Kelly, helping Yorkie accept her queerness and become comfortable with their relationship and the new world. Now Gugu Mbatha-Raw is starring in another heart-wrenching Netflix original that also deals with terminal illness and romance: Irreplaceable You.
The story centers on Abbie, played by Gugu, finding out that instead of being pregnant, as she and her husband thought, she has cancer. The film then follows Abbie as she undergoes a bittersweet treatment plan. She bonds with members of a cancer support group that includes Christopher Walken and SNL star Kate McKinnon. Irreplaceable You takes a sincere, yet light-hearted, approach to the dark subject of terminal illness. For example, a comical moment features Abbie creating a Tinder account for her husband Sam, unbeknownst to him, so he won’t be lonely after she passes away. She even goes so far as to interview his matches at a coffee shop and, of course, thinks no one is good enough for him.
It looks like there will be pretty of great anecdotes and life-affirming wisdom in this rom-com. “You don’t have much time as you think you do,” Christopher Walken’s character tells Abbi. “It’s true for you, it’s true for every other person on the planet.” Abbie also delivers an instantly GIF-worthy line when Sam confronts her about the covert Tinder interviews she’s been going on, saying, “I thought if I could plan your future it wouldn’t hurt so much to not be in it.”
Irreplaceable You will be released on February 16, just in time to keep your post-Valentine’s Day buzz going. Check out the trailer below.