What The Invention of Love (2013) is about
The Invention of Love opens on a premise that's both darkly comic and morally questionable. A young woman has what she believes is a brilliant idea: set up her own boyfriend with a very wealthy but sickly woman, orchestrate their romance, and wait for the inevitable inheritance to land in her lap. It's a scheme born of desperation, ambition, or both—the kind of plan that sounds foolproof in the planning stages and unravels spectacularly once reality gets involved. The film spends its 103 minutes watching this setup collide with actual human emotion, unexpected complications, and the messy truth that people don't always behave the way we script them to behave.
Behind the making of The Invention of Love
The Invention of Love arrived in 2013 as a co-production between Coin Film, Red Lion, WDR, and BR—a consortium of European producers that gave the film an international sensibility. The project exists in a curious pocket of cinema: it's neither a mainstream studio comedy nor an arthouse drama, but something in between, which partly explains its modest profile in the streaming ecosystem. Released over a decade ago now, the film carries the aesthetic and sensibility of early-2010s European cinema—a time when scrappy, character-driven comedies could still find financing and distribution without needing franchise IP or major star power attached. The film's runtime of 103 minutes sits comfortably in the sweet spot for a romantic comedy-drama, long enough to develop character arcs but tight enough to maintain momentum. On IMDb, the film holds a 2.3/10 rating, which—fair warning—suggests it didn't land with audiences the way its makers might have hoped. That score tells you something about the gap between ambition and execution, though ratings alone don't always capture what a film was attempting to do.
Why The Invention of Love stumbles in its execution
Here's the thing about a premise this deliciously cynical: it demands either sharp satirical teeth or genuine emotional stakes to justify itself. What's striking is that The Invention of Love seems uncertain which direction it wants to go. The film wants to be funny about the mercenary calculations of modern romance—the way we treat relationships as transactions, how desperation can corrupt affection—but it also wants us to care when feelings get tangled up in the scheme. That tension isn't necessarily fatal (some of the best comedies live in that exact space), yet the execution here struggles to make either mode sing. The performances, while earnest, can't quite overcome the script's tonal wobbling. You're left watching characters make decisions that don't quite track, moments that feel like they're reaching for emotional resonance but land somewhere between sincere and satirical without committing fully to either. There's a particularly awkward stretch in the second act where the film seems to lose its own thread—it's not quite sure whether we should be rooting for the scheme to work or watching it collapse under the weight of its own immorality. That ambivalence might've been intentional, but it reads more like hesitation.
Where to stream The Invention of Love online
If you're curious enough to give this one a shot, The Invention of Love is available on major OTT services, which you can check using the Where to Watch widget at the top of this page. Movie OTT tracks real-time streaming availability across platforms, so you'll know exactly where it's currently accessible in your region. Since licensing agreements shift constantly—especially for older European films that don't have the same visibility as major studio releases—it's worth checking that widget before you settle in to watch. The film isn't likely to be a tent-pole title on any platform, but it does pop up periodically on streaming catalogs, particularly on services with deeper international film collections. Don't expect it to be heavily promoted, though; this is the kind of film you stumble across while browsing, not one that's going to show up in your algorithmic recommendations.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Is The Invention of Love based on a true story?
No, the film is an original fictional story, not based on real events or existing literary works. It's a standalone screenplay exploring themes of romance, greed, and deception through a comedic lens.
Q: How long is The Invention of Love?
The film runs 103 minutes, making it a fairly standard feature length for a romantic comedy-drama—long enough to develop character arcs without overstaying its welcome.
Q: What's the IMDb rating for The Invention of Love?
The film currently holds a 2.3/10 rating on IMDb, which reflects a fairly negative audience reception, though user ratings don't always capture what a film was attempting artistically.
Q: Who produced The Invention of Love?
The film was produced by Coin Film, Red Lion, WDR, and BR, making it a European co-production that blends different national film industries and funding sources.
Q: Is The Invention of Love related to Tom Stoppard's play?
No. While there is a celebrated 1997 Tom Stoppard play called The Invention of Love about poet A. E. Housman, this 2013 film is a completely separate work with a different plot, cast, and production team.
Final thoughts on The Invention of Love
The Invention of Love is a film that swings for something interesting—a dark comedy about the way we commodify relationships and each other—but doesn't quite connect. It's not unwatchable, and there's something to admire in its willingness to explore morally murky territory without flinching from the ugliness of its central scheme. If you're in the mood for a European comedy-drama that doesn't pull its punches, and you've exhausted your more obvious options, it's worth a stream. Just go in with tempered expectations. Sometimes the most interesting films are the ones that don't quite work—they're the ones that show their makers reaching for something just beyond their grasp, and there's a kind of honesty in that failure.
