Love Sex and 30 Candles is a South African drama film released on Netflix on August 18, 2023. It is based on the book 30th Candle by Angela Makholwa and directed by Stephina Zwane. The screenplay is co-written by Zoe Laband and it has a runtime of about 1 hour and 46 minutes.
The cast of the film includes Amogelang Chidi as Dikeledi, Bahumi Madisakwane as Nolwazi, Gabisile Tshabalala as Sade, Candice Modiselle as Linda, Terence Bridgett, Lunga Shabalala, Loyiso Macdonald, Clementine Mosimane, Anthony Oseyemi, Iminathi Sibeko and others.
Love Sex and 30 Candles Review
The film opens with Nolwazi checking the pregnancy kit and realising that she is indeed carrying a child, but her expressions say a different story and it’s not a happy one. On the other hand, we meet Linda in a rather intimate situation, where the man is excited to get married to her soon but she ends up breaking off the engagement instead.
Then there’s Dikeledi, who has been raising a child on her own, hoping that her boyfriend & father of the child will put a ring on her finger someday. Lastly, there’s Sade who is about to get married to Winston but with him belonging to a church group, there are a lot of rules that need to be followed & it’s making her feel trapped. Despite their busy lives, the ladies always make time to hang out with each other and at this moment, they are welcoming each other’s 30th birthdays.
With turning the 30th milestone, it’s making each of them wonder about their aspirations and what they have achieved so far. In their early 20s, they made a video of themselves, imagining the kind of life they will be living by the age of 30. But the reality is more or less not there yet and it makes most of them anxious and pressured to conform to societal norms of having a great career with a happy married life. Little do they know that the only constant – their friendship, might be on the verge of breaking up, due to Nolwazi’s secret.
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Each character has their own issues that lead the plot of the film. Linda has commitment issues due to her parent’s divorce and it hinders her from settling down with anyone. Dikeledi knows that her boyfriend Tebogo is not the right fit for her, but is not able to let go as she finds it comfortable, despite the toxic nature. Sade used to be a party girl but with Winston, she found her ground. However, his orthodox views are like shackles holding down a bird from flying freely. Meanwhile, Nolwazi is hiding the biggest secret about her affair with Tebogo and her surprising pregnancy, it’s like a time bomb which will blow apart their group.
Through these four stories moving forward simultaneously, the film also tackles the issue of ageing anxiety. In today’s rapidly moving world, almost everyone feels that they need to achieve something before it’s too late or they lose their chance. These ladies are no different and want to succeed in their careers or find the love of their life before society calls them out for not getting married yet. One can find some reliability in their stories and find it comforting as the film reaches its resolution.
Overall, it’s a good quick watch where you get to witness the encouraging friendship among the leading ladies and learn a few life lessons along with them.
Rating: 3.5/5
Love Sex and 30 Candles is currently streaming on Netflix.
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