Unlike typical romantic comedies, The Bet is often described by critics as a "portrait of marriage that does much to discredit the institution".
The film centers on (Natasha Little), a successful tea company president, and her husband Cal (Colin Salmon). The inciting incident is a seemingly petty argument where Cal suggests he is the only man who has ever truly wanted her. In a fit of pride and "mirth-free" competitive spirit, Isabel makes a bet with him: she can get the very next man who walks through the restaurant door to propose to her. The Bet (2020)
Interestingly, some 2020 adaptations and discussions directly modernize Chekhov’s original story about a lawyer and a banker. In that version, the "bet" is a 15-year voluntary solitary confinement to prove whether life imprisonment is better than the death penalty. Unlike typical romantic comedies, The Bet is often
Much like the characters in Chekhov's story, Isabel and Cal operate on ego rather than rationality. The wager isn't about love, but about power and validation. In a fit of pride and "mirth-free" competitive
Reviewers from Christian Sauvé note that the film is "sad, depressing, and unlikable by design," often failing to land the "comedy" part of its genre.