Like Marya E. Gates said in her review for Anyone But You, rom-coms seemed to be a dying species. Blockbusters and high-end superhero films proved to be box office hits during the 2010s and 2020s (thus far), pulling in millions of dollars per release. There was little to no focus from studios on any other kinds of films and I honestly was not really captivated by the romantic stories Hollywood was putting out. They were kind of lackluster and simply weren’t compelling, which is why I couldn’t believe that I enjoyed Anyone But You as much as I did. It was refreshing and enjoyable and a much needed breather from the more action-heavy movies I had watched as of late.
Spoilers ahead for Anyone But You!
When we first meet Bea (Sydney Sweeney), she’s running into a coffee shop in hopes of using their bathroom. After being informed by a barista that the bathroom is only for patrons, Bea tries to argue with the employee, catching the attention of Ben (Glen Powell), who was next in line to order. He calls out to her, pretending that they’re married and asks what she would like to drink. Though it takes her a second, Bea smiles and plays along while Ben requests the bathroom key for her, since she’s now technically a paying customer. She gratefully secures the key and runs off into the bathroom, where she excitedly tells her sister Halle about the encounter over the phone, until she spills water all over the front of her jeans. The following exchange between Bea and Ben is awkward as Bea attempts to dry her pants using the hand drier at several uncomfortable angles, defending herself nonsensically as he waits patiently outside the bathroom. Bea eventually makes it out and takes her coat and drink from Ben, thanking him. As she leaves, Ben notices that she has toilet paper stuck to her shoe and calls out to let her know. Bea turns around expectantly, and asks if he is going to ask her out.
Ben says yes, and their coffee shop meet-cute leads to a full-day date. The pair eventually go back to Ben’s apartment, make grilled cheese together, and talk until they fall asleep on the couch. The next morning, Bea wakes up and panics before clumsily leaving his apartment, unaware that Ben had awoken as well. By the time Bea came to her senses and returned to the apartment, Ben was hurt and told his best friend, Pete, that he couldn’t wait for Bea to leave and that she was a mess. She overheard everything and left, never wanting to hear from him again. The miscommunication classic, of course. Though I am not the trope’s biggest fan, it serves a purpose to the plot, so I’ll let it slide. Six months later, Ben and Bea run into each other again at a bar where they each planned to meet someone else. Bea thought she was meeting her sister, Halle, and her girlfriend, Claudia, as well as Claudia’s brother and close friend. On the other hand, Ben expected to meet up with Pete’s sister, Claudia, her girlfriend, and her girlfriend’s sister. Bea and Ben’s encounter is bitter, with them blaming each other for the date going poorly.
Some time later, Halle and Claudia announce that they have plans to get married in Australia, setting the scene for yet another encounter between our main characters. The tension between them is noticeable to all the other guests, who scheme to get the two together just to ease the stressful atmosphere. Bea and Ben immediately catch on to their plot and decide to play along with it for the sake of the wedding and for two secondary purposes: having Bea’s parents back off from her life and making Margaret, Ben’s ex and Pete’s cousin, fall for Ben. As it usually goes for these types of situations in movies, shenanigans ensue. By this point, Bea and Ben have already caused trouble for the wedding guests by setting fire to a flower arrangement with some fireworks. They are, predictably, terrible at pretending to be a couple, with everything they do coming off as cringey or simply not realistic. It seems to worsen when it is revealed that Bea’s parents brought her ex-fiancé, Jonathan, as another wedding guest in the hopes that it would rekindle their love. While Bea and Jonathan interact, it is clear that they do care for each other, but it is highly unlikely that anything will ever spark again between the two of them, and they seem to be okay with that. On Ben’s end, things seem to look up as he and Margaret start talking again.
It all comes to a head the night of the rehearsal dinner, where the main guests go onto a boat on the Sydney harbor. As the night goes on, they dance and mingle, with Ben and Bea stealing the show on the dance floor. Later, as everyone goes up to the second level for a toast, Bea brings Ben with her to the front of the ship and asks him to “Titanic” her. The moment’s cheesy romance is not lost on them, especially not as the guests see them. Satisfied with their reaction, Bea moves to get down when she suddenly falls overboard. Ben doesn’t think twice as he jumps in after her, concerned. The two of them manage to climb onto a buoy, where they have a heart to heart and wait for help. They each admit fault for the sour ending to their date and it is clear that their feelings have lingered. When they are finally airlifted out of the harbor, Bea notices Ben’s discomfort and he reveals his fear of heights. She sings Natasha Bedingfield’s “Unwritten” to him, prompting him to ask how she knew of his serenity song. Bea dodges the question and has Ben sing along with her until they are safely in the helicopter. The two eventually arrive at the house, share another late-night grilled cheese date, and end this eventful night by sleeping together. However, Bea offhandedly comments that she feels like everything she had done as of late felt like a mistake, hurting Ben and causing him to leave in the middle of the night.
Halle and Claudia’s wedding is the next day and Bea and Ben each go off to take care of certain errands; Bea and Margaret are tasked with picking up the cake while Ben and Pete are on flower duty. Margaret inquired about Bea and Ben’s relationship, wanting to make a move on him only if Bea was okay with it. Though she was surprised about the question, Bea gave her the go-ahead, seeing as it was the original goal anyway. Meanwhile, Pete asked Ben about who he would pick, Bea or Margaret. Ben was dismissive about the topic, but seemed to be changing his opinion about Margaret. When they all arrive back at the house, an argument breaks out in which Bea’s parents confront her about quitting law school. Everyone shouted and argued as all the guests converged around the fight, only stopping when the house dog knocked down the cake.
Ultimately, Ben and Bea pull themselves together for the wedding’s sake and the ceremony goes smoothly. At the reception, Bea’s parents apologize for being so overbearing and promise to do better in the future. On the dance floor, Margaret steals Ben away for a dance. She confesses that she wants to try being with him again and kisses him, until Ben ultimately pulls back and realizes he doesn’t feel that way about her anymore. Bea, who only saw them kissing, leaves the party, teary-eyed. She quickly finds herself roaming the streets until she hops into a taxi. Back at the reception, Ben is encouraged to go chase after her, despite nobody knowing where she was. Recalling their conversation in the harbor, Ben realizes what he needs to do and asks the partygoers to call Harbour Rescue right before he jumps off the cliff the wedding was held at. Once in the rescue helicopter, Ben asks for a favor and they drop him off near the Sydney Opera House, where Bea had been people watching. Ben runs up to her, apologizes for everything, and declares his love for Bea, leading the couple to kiss. They later make their way back to the wedding, where “Unwritten” plays for the guests to enjoy.
Here are the tropes I managed to find:
- Meet-cute (bonus points for the coffee shop setting)
- Miscommunication
- Wedding scenario
- Side characters being terrible at bringing the main characters together
- Fake dating (“What could possibly go wrong?” *cue everything going wrong*)
- Slow-burn romance
- Ex partners show up
- Grand love declaration despite everything
At its core, Anyone But You is a fun take on a romantic story. Was it very trope-y? Yes. Was it a bit predictable? Sure, but I had a great time. I originally watched it with my mom and she agreed that it was an entertaining watch. We both had a laugh and joined Bea and Ben on their journey towards their individual growth and them coming together as a couple. And it wasn’t just our main couple who drew on their experiences to change, as evidenced by Claudia and Halle learning to communicate and compromise, as well as by Bea’s parents being a bit less intense towards her and her life choices. Overall, Anyone But You is a lovely movie to watch if you’re looking for a romantic slow-burn with reluctant characters who can’t help but fall into each other’s arms.