Streaming giant Netflix is known for bringing content that is out of the box. Especially content that is based on a true story or even documentaries, Netflix is a global giant streaming platform. Now, Netflix is bringing another out-of-the-box content that actually happened in real life. Directed by Brent Hodge, Longest Third Date is a documentary slated to be released on the OTT platform on April 18, 2023. To be precise, Longest Third Date is both a modern rom-com and an unexpected social experiment. The documentary details the true story of two strangers’ journey to love during unprecedented times — a multi-month date that puts their compatibility to the ultimate test. Edited and produced from the extensive footage aspiring vlogger Matt captured during their experience, Longest Third Date captures everything from the shock of both realizing they had be stranded in Costa Rica, to quarantine cooking, to impromptu dance parties and having to explain their circumstances with family and loved ones back home. To be precise, Longest Third Date is a true story based on real-life couple named Khani Le and Matt Robertson.
Who are Khani Le and Matt Robertson?
Khani Le and Matt Robertson's relationship indeed turned out to be a great example and trendsetter especially when COVID-19 wreaked havoc around the world. After matching on Hinge (dating app) and going on two perfectly nice but uneventful dates, Khani Le and Matt Robertson decided to spontaneously fly to Costa Rica for the third. However, their third date just so happened to be in March 2020, right at the beginning of a global lockdown due to the spread of COVID-19, and they were forced to remain together in Costa Rica for the foreseeable future.
What happened in Costa Rica between Khani Le and Matt Robertson?
As per reports, Khani Le, 30 and Matt Robertson, 32, left for a spontaneous long weekend in Costa Rica in March 2020, and ended up spending 79 days there due to the coronavirus lockdowns. The adventurous, NYC-based pair met on dating app Hinge in February 2020, and after two successful meetups — one at an Indian restaurant and another at an ax-throwing bar — they decided they were ready for a quick, romantic getaway. After COVID lockdown was announced, the all-inclusive resort where they were staying shuttered, and their return flight was canceled. “There were definitely a couple of moments where I was overwhelmed,” Robertson, an account executive for a film production company was quoted by a US media outlet adding, "You go from everything being normal to, all of the sudden, living with someone you barely know, in a foreign country during a pandemic.” Both Matt and Khani made the best of a difficult situation, learning more about each other in the process.
Interestingly, Le’s father, who only found out she was stranded with Robertson and not a group of girlfriends — days before they returned home, warmed to her accidental boyfriend. "I had a lot of pressure, but things went well, and I seemed to have passed the first of what I expect will be many tests,” said Robertson, who doubly impressed Le’s family when he tried balut, a fertilized duck egg, which is a traditional Filipino delicacy as quoted by a US portal.
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Did Khani Le and Matt Robertson continue their relationship?
The answer is a big yes. 2021 New York Post stated that they’ve been living in Seattle with Le’s family, although they took a quick trip to Hawaii in January, which Robertson planned as a surprise for Le’s birthday. This Saturday, they’re coming back to New York, where they’ll be moving together into an apartment on the Lower East Side, and will likely spend Valentine’s Day unpacking.
So, for those who like to witness a real-life romance in the form of a documentary along with the touch of Netflix, Longest Third Date is a must watch.