The ‘90s and early 2000s marked the golden age for romantic comedies. Unrealistically heartwarming, low-stress movies, these “chick flicks” set the bar high for epic scenes of love declarations and runaway brides. From the iconic boombox scene in Say Anything to Jerry Maguire’s “You Had Me at Hello,” these old-timey favorites are a hard act to follow. The industry has since moved away from these PG-13 heartwarmers, but a new film produced by Will Gluck has stolen the stage, proving that, perhaps, the reign of the beloved rom-com hasn’t ended quite yet.
Released in the United States and Canada on December 22, 2023, Anyone But You features up-and-coming actress Sydney Sweeney, best known for her role as Cassie in Euphoria, and Top Gun heartthrob Glen Powell. The film tallied $174 million globally, a testimony to the public’s thirst for the nostalgic revitalization of the rom-com genre.
A very loose interpretation of Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing,” the movie features struggling law student Bea (Sweeney) and finance bro Ben (Powell) who find themselves in a whirlwind romance. They have a classic meet-cute in a café, followed by a night that ends with a disastrous overheard conversation reminiscent of Pride and Prejudice. When the two begrudgingly reunite in Australia to celebrate Bea’s sister’s wedding, they are forced to confront their relationship and individual vulnerabilities. Ben and Bea engage in heated and humorous banter throughout, showcasing the perfect enemies-to-lovers arc as they navigate through nearly every rom-com trope, from forced proximity to fake relationships to love triangles.
The protagonists’ awkward and yet endearing encounters, from an ‘overboard’ scenario to hiking gone wrong (thanks to tropical insects), balance out the romantic elements nicely, distracting from the film’s less redeemable qualities. Though it attempts to follow the structure of Shakespeare’s comedy, it falls short of its predecessor She’s the Man, which incorporates the famous playwright’s Twelfth Night themes and plot more seamlessly. Aside from a few awkwardly placed references and five-second scenes where quotes are painfully shoved in the viewer’s face on billboards or splayed across the screen, evidence of the play’s presence in the movie is sparse, more forced than natural.
Cinematically, the film delivers. The tropical setting establishes an ideal background for the lighthearted summer romance. Australian landmarks like the Sydney Opera House and Bondi Beach make the most over-the-top scenes even more epic. Furthermore, the soundtrack summarizes the modern musical age while paying homage to the film’s rom-com roots. “Unwritten,” Natasha Bedingfield’s upbeat pop song from 2004 gives a nostalgic feel to the contemporary romance.
Though certainly not a thought-provoking movie, Anyone But You brings warmth and humor to the season as it presents a modern twist to an iconic genre of movies without departing too far. Though it doesn’t compare to some of its 90’s exemplars, the mindless watch nearly guarantees laughter and nostalgia, making for an ideal weekend movie night.
