Anyone But You
We’re all in at this point: bring back the sexy rom-com, the glamorous movie stars, the standalone films that only exist to show hot people in exotic settings, with no expectations of establishing an expansive cinematic universe. Anyone But You is flawed, undeniably, and it doesn’t live up to the potential of its two magnetic leads, but at the end of the day, it does what audiences need it to do. Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney are almost unfairly attractive, and they get to act out the enemies-to-lovers trope (or, rather, lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers, as it were) against a backdrop of the sunny Australian coast. What more can you really ask for?
At the beginning of Anyone But You, Bea (Sweeney) and Ben (Powell) have a classic rom-com meet cute at a cafe in Boston. Their attraction to one another is immediate, and they have an incredible night together – only to have their relationship torn asunder the following morning, when Bea leaves without saying goodbye and, upon changing her mind, returns to overhear Ben badmouthing her to his friend Pete (GaTa). And that appears to be the end of that. Except for the fact that Bea’s sister Halle (Hadley Robinson) has expectedly started a relationship with Ben’s close friend Claudia (Alexandra Shipp), linking them together against their will. When the two become engaged and plan a destination wedding in Sydney, Bea and Ben have to put aside their differences and at least pretend to get along to avoid ruining the nuptials. But after learning that pretty much everyone in attendance is conspiring to make them fall in love with each other, they hatch a plot that should be familiar to fans of romance stories: Pretending to be in a relationship to trick everyone else. Will their romantic shenanigans lead to genuine affection? Or will they leave Australia hating each other more than ever?
The most important part of any romantic comedy is the chemistry between the film’s two leads, and Powell and Sweeney have it in spades. Is Glen Powell our last best hope for a new generation of old-fashioned movie stars, exuding old-school charm like a modern-day Robert Redford? He weaves his magic with Sweeney, mining every interaction for maximum romantic and comedic effect, whether it’s helping her out of a car with a slow lift that features full body contact (hot), or having a complete meltdown when a giant Australian spider finds its way into his swim trunks (hot but in a more niche way). Sweeney also has a great rapport with Powell, although her character suffers slightly from being saddled with a side arc that doesn’t quite pay off and worse, takes away precious time that could be spent with more relationship-building moments.
Anyone But You doesn’t really benefit from devoting screentime to Bea dropping out of law school and worrying about disappointing her overbearing parents, nor do we need a side arc about Bea’s ex-boyfriend Jonathan (the criminally underused Darren Barnet), who inexplicably turns up in Australia at Bea’s parents’ behest. These plot elements are dropped in haphazardly in an attempt to flesh out the admittedly paper-thin character of Bea who, aside from being clumsy (as all rom-com heroines must be, of course, so that they’re relatable) and makes maddening choices like climbing over her arch-nemesis asleep on a plane to steal his first-class cookie, has little that distinguishes her as an individual. The effort is understandable, but it feels half-hearted, and none of these little side arcs add much to the proceedings.
We can see the intention of the production to recapture a cinematic moment from the 1990s, when rom-coms ruled the theaters and screenwriters penned clever modern-day adaptations of Shakespearean plays. But although Anyone But You is nominally based on Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, it’s a clumsily executed interpretation of the classic comedy that doesn’t quite evoke its light-hearted spirit. There’s little nuance in the relationship between Bea and Ben – one minute they’re each other’s worst enemies, the next they’re full-on into one another. But we don’t really see the middle ground, where they have vibes but lingering suspicions about one another – that’s the space where it would make sense to spend the majority of the film, rather than flipping the switch half a dozen times for petty reasons. Their initial reason for loathing one another is a little flimsy too – sure, people can feel what they feel and that’s fine, but it does make them both come across as immature and unlikable for the fact that they had a misunderstanding years ago and as a result can’t keep it together for a single wedding.
That said … Anyone But You knows how to work its greatest asset, which is the fact that it has two of the hottest young stars in its lead roles. Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney weave their magic, even if the film as a whole doesn’t quite live up to their chemistry. We’ll have to wait a little bit longer for the next great modern rom-com, but that doesn’t mean Anyone But You isn’t entertaining in its own right.
Directed by Will Gluck
Starring Glen Powell, Sydney Sweeney, Alexandra Shipp
Runtime 103 min
Language English