Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell might have just saved the rom-com.
Anyone But You is a hilarious, heartwarming romantic comedy that was written by Ilana Wolpert and co-written and directed by Will Gluck. You can buy or rent this movie on Prime Video or Apple TV. Ultimately, Anyone But You has brought the nostalgia factor back to rom-coms.
This movie follows Bea (Sweeney), an up-and-coming lawyer, who has an amazing first interaction and date with a man named Ben (Powell), but soon afterwards, their great attraction turns sour. When they then later, unexpectedly, end up at the same destination wedding in Australia, they pretend to be together to make Ben’s ex jealous and for Bea’s mother to stop pestering her.
This movie is also loosely based on William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. There are parts in the movie that do allude to this play, and it makes it seem like a modern Shakespearean romance.
Okay, so does this movie showcase the stereotypical trope of fake dating?
Yes, it does. BUT that’s what makes it so fun!
If you don’t like cringey rom-coms, then you won’t like this. These movies are supposed to be a little silly, funny, and ironic. Sweeny and Powell also bring so much to the table, and they have their own chemistry that puts a twist on their relationship, which makes the movie worth watching.
The character banter and chemistry add so much to the movie. Throughout the movie, we see that Bea seems to really dislike Ben, and we even seem to believe it when they are fake dating. Ben has a very puppy-dog personality, which makes it so fun to watch when he just goes along with the things that Bea says.
The supporting actors also add to this very playful movie. They all so badly want Bea and Ben to be together that their side plots add irony and humor to the story.
The directing, screenplay, cast choices, and music all fit together so well. There’s nothing bad that I can say about this movie.
Ilana Wolpert and Will Guck really did an amazing job working together with the writing and directing. I love that you can see everyone’s point of view at some point in the movie. This makes the irony really show through, and it adds even more humor to the story line.
All of the actors have great chemistry between them. It seems like they had lots of fun filming this movie, as we get to see this even in the closing credits.When it seems like the actors enjoy their work, the audience loves the movie a little more.
This takes us to the iconic song “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield that adds so much nostalgia to the movie. You could say that this track IS the movie. Anyone who has seen Anyone But You will immediately think of this song. It captures all the romance in the movie, especially at the end, when all the cast members are singing it, which adds the perfect ending to this rom-com.
I would most definitely recommend this movie to anyone who loves rom-coms! And if you’re looking for other movies like this one, I would also recommend 27 Dresses, 10 Things I Hate About You, and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.
