Spoilers: 'Look Both Ways' Finally Answers Whether It's Better to Have Kids or Be Childless

The theme of whether it’s better to have kids or not has sprung up a few times this week whether it be in Monday’s Twitter Main Character of the Day, yesterday’s Reddit post, or yesterday’s Main Character on Twitter:

Millennials who are very cavalier about not having children are in for a shock when they enter their 40s & realize life is only half over. What do you do at that point? Keep trying to be sexy & have fun? I expect to see a lot of sadness & confusion about what to do at that point.

— Shane Morris (@GShaneMorris) August 23, 2022

This particular Main Character is a mainstay on Twitter, and I hate it when people like Shane decide to suggest that people without children are unfulfilled. It’s not just that I disagree with it, it’s that happy, childless people often counterargue that people that have kids are the unhappy ones, and those people bring in science. *shakes fist*

Well, thank God Netflix’s Look Both Ways starring Lili Reinhart (Riverdale) finally puts this question to bed once and for all. In the film from director Wanuri Kahiu and writer April Prosser, Reinhart plays Natalie in a Sliding Doors scenario. On the eve of her graduation, Natalie sleeps with her best friend, Gabe (Danny Ramirez), and after throwing up before a party, she takes a pregnancy test. This is where her paths diverge: In one scenario, the pregnancy test comes back positive, and in the other, it comes back negative.

Can you guess which Natalie has a better life? Spoilers: They both live happily ever after because it’s a Netflix movie starring Lili Reinhart. What the hell else did you expect?

Pregnant Natalie puts off her dreams of moving to Los Angeles and becoming an animator, moves in with her parents, and co-parents with Gabe for a few years until she finally admits to herself that she’s in love with him. Childless Natalie moves to Los Angeles, works as an assistant to an animator, and falls in love with a different handsome guy, Jake (David Corenswet).

The two versions of Natalie take different paths, but in the end, they both end up with good-looking men and showcase their animation work at the SXSW Festival in Austin because who doesn’t like recognizing their favorite Austin spots? And both Natalies also have supporting actors in their lives that deserve to be in better movies than Look Both Ways: Los Angeles Natalie’s boss is played by Nia Long, while Andrea Savage and Luke Wilson figure prominently in the life of Texas Natalie as her parents.

It’s a bland but harmless film, modestly watchable and easy on the eyes, which is to say: It’s vintage Netflix. Nothing lost, nothing gained, but it really does answer whether it’s better to have kids or not, assuming you have the financial ability to take care of the kid (or a strong safety net). Both versions of Natalie have their ups, and both versions have their downs. It’s not one or the other. Both are valid choices! You can also be miserable with a child or without. And vice versa! Thanks, Netflix! You’ve solved that mystery!