Ring the alarms! Kelly Rowland and Clifford “Method Man” Smith are in a rom-com together! Name a fictional couple more gorgeous and sexy. 

The movie is called “Relationship Goals,” and it’s based on the New York Times bestseller by Pastor Mike Todd about love and relationships with the same name. “‘Relationship Goals’ is a product of me believing in a vision when nobody believed in it,” Todd said. “And five years, almost six years later, it's a movie on Amazon Prime with Kelly Rowland and Method Man. Like, look at that!”

Rowland, Smith, Todd, and co-stars Robin Thede and Anna Gonzales sat down with BET Current to discuss the cutesy film and share their thoughts on relationships. From spiritual coaching to on-set chemistry and the small, everyday choices that keep friendships strong, Todd and his leads break down how relationships actually survive and thrive.

“I add value. That is my aim,” Todd said, describing why he turned his bestselling relationship book into a mainstream rom-com and why he’s unapologetic about the film’s moral center. “I want [people] to know that they can have a good relationship. You don't have to live in that backwards, toxic, jacked-up relationship. You can have more, and you can be more. I want them to know that they can win in relationships,” he said, stressing the film as a mirror for people stuck in toxic patterns. 

Rowland, who also served as an executive producer of the film, humbly shared what her role meant. “I get a chance to do it with other great people. Devon Franklin, Linda Mendoza, who's an incredible director and a female! And Laura Lekkos (one of the writers). There's so many powers that be. It's just wonderful to share a space. And I'm very collaborative, as you know, so I'm just happy for the opportunity. I take that very seriously.”

Rowland’s co-star, Smith, interjected and said she was being way too humble. “She came into the game as a group, meaning a consummate team player, first and foremost. Selfless. To step out of that into what she's in now, she's stepping into her power and doing it so well. You have to acknowledge that,” he said. 

Smith continued, “I came in with a group of guys. We didn't reinvent the wheel, but we had something that people weren't exactly used to. But to be in this genre or in this business, you want to work with people that are just as enthusiastic as you are. And I think I found that with this one here. So I was lucky.”

While Smith is widely considered a heartthrob, it’s a label he reluctantly accepts, but lowkey loves. That’s no different in “Relationship Goals.” No spoilers, but Method Man’s abs do get their moment in the movie. “Admiration is what it is,” he said. “I embrace it. I'm not going to say I don't enjoy being the object of so many eyes. It's a kick in the head and flattering, to say the least.”

Thede and Gonzales played Rowland’s girlfriends, and as women of color, they both leaned into the nuance that makes representation feel lived-in onscreen. Whether it was through jokes, wardrobe notes, or their delivery cadence, the truth of real brown girl friendships was there.

“Every conversation that these three women have—there's just as many scenes with us as friends as there are with us and men,” Thede said, highlighting a subtle production choice that places Black and Latinx sisterhood at the center of the story. There was even a Destiny’s Child moment that the women got to create with Rowland at the center that fans will eat up!

Thede hilariously shared, “I was like, ‘I can't dance next to Kelly Rowland. Am I Beyoncé? Am I Michelle? No, I am none of the above.’” For Thede, improvisation and trust from the director allowed levity and depth to coexist. “A lot of our improv is left in the movie.” 

Todd’s intention shines through in the movie: Do the inner work, honor friendships, and reflect real lives. As Todd put it, “It is part of my job and journey in life to tell people what it looks like to be resilient, to be faithful, to be intentional. And I believe this movie is about to be a beautiful picture of what it looks like to just continue to do what you're supposed to do no matter what's going on in your life.”

He added, “It doesn't matter if you're skeptical, you like me, you know about me. I don't care about that. I want you to get this message.”