Based on William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, Anyone But You was released on Dec. 22, 2023. Some TikTok reviews went as far as saying rom-coms are back. So, I checked it out, and here are my thoughts (there may be a few spoilers, so read with caution).
But first, let’s back up a bit
I waited an entire month to see how initial reviews of the movie panned out. There was lots of drama behind the scenes surrounding the main cast, Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell, particularly hinting the pair were in an alleged relationship (or “situation-ship” at the least). It was fuelled with cozy behind-the-scenes photos, flirty interviews, and Glen’s break up with his now ex-girlfriend, Gigi Paris.
I wasn’t particularly a fan of this marketing style given that there’s so much else they could have focused on — the fact that this is based on a Shakespeare play or that the director Will Gluck has also directed other famous hits such as Friends With Benefits and Easy A.
Instead, they used the classic “these two hot people may or may not be hooking up with each other, and cheating is potentially involved” rumour. As much as I hate to admit it, the controversy pushed me to watch the trailer, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Who doesn’t love the enemies-to-lovers trope?
The trailer clearly gives away that Bea (Sydney Sweeney) and Ben (Glen Powell) have some kind of history — they either hooked up or had some sort of romantic interaction that didn’t last too long due to some misunderstanding, leading to the two despising each other.
The two are forced together once again when it’s announced Bea’s sister is getting married to Ben’s roommate’s sister. They all end up in Australia, where Bea’s over-enthusiastic parents also invite her ex-boyfriend Jonathan (Darren Barnet) to the wedding in an attempt to bring the two back together.
While all of this is happening, Ben’s ex-girlfriend Margaret, whom he isn’t fully over, is also invited. So, the two engage in a deal — they’ll pretend to be together so that Bea’s parents get off her back and so that Margaret realizes she wants to be with Ben. The rest, you’ll just have to watch…
Yes, the leads are hot, but what about the acting?
Glen Powell stole the show — literally. He delivers his lines with the utmost charm, and there isn’t a part of me that was wondering what he was feeling. On the other hand, Sydney Sweeney lacked a certain emotion when it came to the delivery at times. Some parts were rather bleak, and it felt as if she was literally reading off a script during those moments.
The best thing about the enemies-to-lovers trope is you can feel the annoyance and hatred the characters feel towards one another with immense intensity — this was somewhat lacking in the case of Anyone But You.
Some of the dialogues and their delivery felt forced and somewhat awkward. It’s as if the writers were trying too hard to sound relevant to today’s day and age. The supporting cast flows well together, with Alexandra Shipp and Dermot Mulroney outshining their peers.
I wish I saw and heard more from Darren Barnett because they mostly had him doing his Paxton Hall-Yoshida thing where he smiles and smirks at the girl and looks away after doing so (please, let’s have him do more than that).
Okay, so should you watch it? And are old-school rom-coms back?
There’s no denying this is a feel-good movie you won’t get bored watching. Although a tad cringe at times, it’s still entertaining and light. If you’re anything like me and love watching rom-coms, it’s definitely a fun watch.
Would I watch it again once it’s streaming online? Probably. But, I wouldn’t say it’s close to matching the levels of classics such as Friends With Benefits or Easy A — it’s somewhere in between a really good old classic and what’s not even close.