As Tubi furthers its catalog, the streaming service is prepping to put out Worth the Wait, the platform’s first Asian-American original film. The multigenerational rom-com follows several characters whose lives intertwine as they experience love, loss, and everything in between. With a simplistic premise and a stacked cast, with names like Lana Condor and Ross Butler on the bill, the upcoming project is the type of cozy watch you’ll have a meet-cute with, but won’t fall head over heels for.
The truth is, although we’ve seen several productions that feature a myriad of stories happening in parallel with each other (especially in seasonal titles like Love Actually and Valentine’s Day), it isn’t an easy formula to execute. Drawing focus on more than one couple at a time leaves little room to fully develop one’s romance journey without squandering the other. That’s what happens in Worth the Wait, which inspects the lives of approximately 10 characters in the span of an hour and a half. Judging by the number of stories being told and how short the runtime is, Tubi’s original film isn’t preoccupied with elaborate turns of events and plot twists. It is instead designed to fill up a lazy afternoon with fleeting, Hallmark-esque entertainment.
What Is the ‘Worth the Wait’ About?

The film doesn’t hold back when it comes to delivering a chaotic opening sequence. A few minutes in, Kai (Butler) gets a lift from Curtis (Sung Kang), only to see that his shared ride is with a couple (played by Karena Ka-Yan Lam and Osric Chau) on their way to the hospital to deliver their baby. The moment the car makes a stop at the medical center’s parking lot, Kai tries to help them by running to the front desk, requesting the attention of a practitioner. That’s when he has a meet-cute with Leah (Condor), a bubbly woman who works at the clinic. He ends up inviting her out on a date that same evening, only for him to let her know that he will get on a plane to Malaysia the next day.
As the couple navigate the trials of a long-distance relationship, Worth the Wait also follows high school lovebirds, Blake (Ricky He) and Riley (Ali Fumiko Whitney), who are keeping their romance a secret from Curtis (her overprotective uncle). There’s also a movie star named Amanda (Elodie Yung) who sees her both personal and professional life turn upside-down when she reconnects with an ex, Scott (Andrew Koji), on the set of her next big movie. As each of these stories unfolds simultaneously, viewers soon notice that the characters’ journeys are bound to interconnect along the way.
‘Worth the Wait’ Is Bettered By Its Charming Cast

The main selling point of this Tubi original is its charming cast, filled with notable names. Condor and Butler (who first worked together on the Netflix trilogy To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before) might attract audiences at first glance with their heartwarming, if not incredibly rushed, love story, but it is Ricky He that gives the film the necessary dose of comedic relief and sentimental value. From him goofily falling from his girlfriend’s rooftop while asking her to prom to later comforting a couple who lost their newborn during labor, the actor’s performance hits all the right marks. Ka-Yan Lam and Chau are not far behind, playing the grief-stricken pair, trying to mend their broken bond after losing their baby. Although their storyline feels a bit misplaced in this multigenerational rom-com, it is still compelling to see them hit with such a gut-wrenching experience and find the means to overcome tragedy.

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The film’s treatment of the romantic and comedic elements of the narrative is fairly balanced. Still, I can’t help but wish that there were more instances in which the romantic gestures and sweet encounters between the couples lasted a little longer. Given the amount of characters in the film, all of their arcs seem condensed to the bare minimum. Despite each having a beginning, middle, and end, there are a few mishaps in continuity. For instance, Amanda and Scott’s relationship is hard to fully grasp, since viewers are fed breadcrumbs about their complicated past, and the build-up to their resolution is even murkier.
Tubi’s Asian-American Rom-Com Has a Hard Time Developing its Many Storylines

Image via Tubi

Two actors who barely get anything to work with here are Kheng Hua Tan, who plays the mother to Ka-Yan Lam’s character, and Sung Kang. Other than embodying Riley’s strict uncle, the Fast and Furious alum seems to be in the film for quick cameos as opposed to having a fully developed role. The only thing we know about him is that, other than watching over Riley, he loves his car (which truly feels like a dull attempt to make a F&F reference). As for Kheng Hua Tan, her presence is relegated to the judgmental mother who has a hard time filtering out what she should or shouldn’t say in front of her grieving daughter and son-in-law. Although she does utter a notable line towards the end, her part in the entire project feels unnecessary.
Considering Worth the Wait’s simplistic turn of events and its multiple stories happening interchangeably, director Tom Lin makes the most out of the material he was given. The ensemble is the main reason why the film has its delightful instances, especially when it comes to the scenes in which He, Ka-Yan Lam, and Chau are featured. But, ultimately, the script lacks the originality or the character development necessary to give its multiple couples their ideal sendoffs. The romantic gestures and instances are few and far between, with nothing making this rom-com stand out in the midst of much better titles within the genre. Still, when taking into account that Tubi’s ad-supported catalog is free of charge, watching this light-hearted and fast-paced film can come as harmless fun.
Worth the Wait arrives May 23 on Tubi.

Worth the Wait

Tubi’s first Asian-American original is a superfluous, yet enjoyable multigenerational rom-com.

Director

Tom Shu-Yu Lin

Writers

Maggie Hartmans

Pros & Cons

The main cast is charming, especially Ricky He, Karena Ka-Yan Lam, and Osric Chau.
Most of the stories featured in the film are primarily engaging.

‘Worth the Wait’ suffers from some lapses in narrative continuity.
Actors like Sung Kang and Kheng Hua Tan are underused in the film.
The character arcs are condensed to the bare minimum, with little attention to detail.