Downton Abbey star Matthew Goode’s “excellent” rom-com is now trending on Netflix

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Okay, so I just discovered this really cute movie from 2010 with Matthew Goode and Amy Adams, and it’s suddenly become super popular on Netflix UK! With Valentine’s Day coming up, everyone’s clearly in the mood for a rom-com, and it’s been climbing the charts. I’m so glad I stumbled upon it!

Directed by Anand Tucker, the movie Leap Year is based on an old Irish custom called Bachelor’s Day. This tradition allowed women to propose to men only on February 29th, which explains the film’s title.

Written by the team behind the cult classic film Josie and the Pussycats, Harry Elfont and Deborah Kaplan, this movie centers on Anna Brady (Adams), a Boston-based real estate stager, who travels to Dublin to ask her boyfriend to marry her.

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I’m so excited about this movie! It’s about Anna, who gets stuck in this adorable little town called Dingle in Ireland because of a storm. She basically asks this pub owner, Declan, if he’ll drive her to Dublin, and offers to pay him. It sounds like they’re total opposites, but the trip is going to force them to get to know each other and maybe even rethink what they want in life – and love!

The movie is currently number 10 on Netflix UK’s list of most-watched films, likely boosted by Valentine’s Day interest. It’s available to stream now.

The movie received very negative reviews, earning a mere 24% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Out of 141 critics, almost all of them disliked it, even though Amy Adams and Tom Goode delivered strong performances.

TIME magazine jokingly suggested that everyone except Matthew Goode should remove Leap Year from their resume, and The Daily Telegraph felt sorry for Amy Adams.

The Irish Times strongly defended the film, acknowledging its use of familiar Irish stereotypes. In a review, critic Donald Clarke jokingly declared it was the worst film of the year, stating he’d ‘eat his own weight in cuddly leprechauns’ if a worse one came out – and stood by that claim.

Viewers are really enjoying Leap Year, drawn in by its beautiful Irish landscapes and the classic “enemies-to-lovers” storyline. Matthew Goode plays a character that playfully embodies the familiar Irish stereotype – a charming Irish man with a distinctly Irish name.

Viewers on IMDb have praised the movie as a charming romantic comedy, highlighting its realistic portrayal of women and its heartwarming story.

However, the lead actor in Leap Year, Matthew Goode, wasn’t a big fan of the movie himself. He confessed in a 2011 interview with The Telegraph that he took the role simply because it allowed him to travel home to England on weekends and provided a straightforward source of income.

It wasn’t the script’s fault, honestly. I was promised something similar to The Quiet Man, with a classical score like Vaughan Williams, but the final product was filled with pop music – it reminded me of Chasing Liberty. Do I regret my performance? Not really. Was it a disappointing project overall? Yes, it was. Still, I enjoyed the experience and I was compensated for my work.

For a charming and familiar romantic comedy featuring Sienna Miller, check out Imagine Me & You from 2005. It also stars Piper Perabo, Lena Headey (known from Game of Thrones), and the beloved Celia Imrie.

Leap Year is streaming on Netflix UK.

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2026-02-12 21:49