Breaking: New Zealand Accents Are Sexy Now

As I was enjoying the cute-but-completely-ridiculous new Netflix romantic comedy, Falling Inn Love—which stars Christina Milian as an American who wins a New Zealand hotel in a competition—I was struck by a notion: Are New Zealand accents the sexy new accent of American rom-coms?

It’s well established that to the average American, a British accent ratchets up said attraction by at least 20 percent. That’s especially true for those of us attracted to men, thanks to the many, many romantic comedies featuring an American woman who falls for the perfect, cute British guy. (Notting Hill, About Time, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Kate & Leopold to name a few.) Type “British accent” into Pinterest and you’ll find quote cards that say things like, “If I had a British accent, I’d never shut up,” and “BBC: because terrible news sounds better in a sexy British accent.”

There are a lot of people to blame for this phenomenon: The Beatles, Richard Curtis, Hugh Grant, David Tennant, One Direction, Prince Harry, Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer—the list goes on. And, as mentioned above, a British accent is always a quick and easy way for filmmakers to make their love interest desirable. But Falling Inn Love director Roger Kumble and writers Elizabeth Hackett and Hilary Galanoy saw that move, and raised them a new sexy accent and romantic setting: New Zealand.

Funnily enough, the actor who plays Milian’s love interest—a swoon-worthy New Zealand contractor who sweetly offers Milian a ride when her suitcase crashes into his truck—is not from New Zealand.  Adam Demos is actually Australian, but he pulls off the kiwi accent as Jake Taylor just fine. (Or at least, he does to my American ears—perhaps actual New Zealanders will disagree.) Jake is the first face Milian’s character, Gabriela, sees when she hops off the bus in a new country. He’s a strong, self-assured, sassy man who calls the countryside “the wop-wops.” At least, I think he’s sassy. Or is that just the accent, which makes even the blandest dialogue sound flirty, playful, and just a touch sarcastic?

Milian meets many more colorful New Zealand characters on her trip, who pepper their speech with phrases like “waka,” “short black,” and, in the case of the indigenous Māori cafe owner, “kia ora.” It’s a whole lotta New Zealand for a movie from an American director and two American writers. Either the tax breaks for filming in New Zealand are just that good, or New Zealand is—like England in the 90s—super sexy right now.

Personally, I blame Thor: Ragnorak director Taika Waititi for this new development in American fetishizations. Before he started rolling around the red carpet and bringing his endless, boyish New Zealander charm to the forefront of the biggest movie franchise in Hollywood, the only exposure Americans had to the kiwi accent were Russell Crowe, and those nerds from Flight of Conchords. Who were hilarious, yes. But sexy? Not really. And yes, there are other sexy New Zealanders—Sam Neill, Karl Urban, Lucy Lawless—but they hardly ever get to use their accent on screen.

At the height of our Brit obsessions, some Americans become full-on anglophiles, suddenly obsessed with tea, “Keep Calm” posters, and the union jack. (No one look up my Tumblr from 2008, please.) Some absolute madmen even take their preference for a proper lilt so far as to fake a British accent, to the dismay of their coworkers and friends. Only time will tell if the New Zealand fascination will reach such drastic levels. More key romantic leads will be necessary—Demos is cute, but he’s certainly no Hugh Grant—and perhaps a popular New Zealand boy band is in order before the trend can truly take off (again, Flight of the Conchords doesn’t count). But don’t be surprised if you hear that kiwi accent the next time a klutzy-but-beautiful American leading lady rounds the corner without watching where she’s going, carrying a full to-go cup of coffee.

Watch Falling Inn Love on Netflix