Anyone but You, a movie said to revive the popularity of rom-coms, craftily remixes William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing with a summery, modern twist.
Waves rhythmically lapping on a sandy beach. A striped towel spread across the sand, a folding chair keeping it from blowing away. Two swimmers carrying towels to the shore, their flip-flops clapping against the boardwalk as they travel over the dunes. Loud, angry voices as they argue aimlessly.
Anger prickles under her skin, and every step into the sandy expanse is bothersome. For Bea, Ben’s existence is irritating. He is all perfect grilled cheese sandwiches and flawless ex-girlfriends when, in reality, she believes he is not all that great.
This is, of course, a perfect setup for the next romantic comedy of the decade. Released Dec. 22, 2023, featuring lawyer-to-be Bea (Sydney Sweeney) and finance-bro Ben (Glen Powell), Anyone but You was hailed as the savior of the rom-com genre by TikTok users following a lull after the early 2000s brought about by increased criticism of female stereotypes and a focus on big blockbusters—the movie that would revive audiences’ love of cheesy romances and comedic timing.
When thinking about the genre, this movie does not come to mind. Then why was this movie set up to be the saving grace—the next savior of rom-coms? Are the critiques due to clashing acting styles? Bad writing? Yes and no.
The movie lacked the spark present in so many fan-favorite films. Because Bea and Ben lacked chemistry, there was no flow between the characters. In some ways, this is the result of Sydney Sweeney’s performance as the strong, independent love interest who, for some reason, always misses the comedic beats and does not understand the art of sass.
There is no wild girl to teach a focused boy the meaning of “fun.” There is no silly plan to get two bosses together, resulting in revelations far more important to the main love interests. There are no friends to lovers. The only glimpse of that classic rom-com spark was in the first twenty minutes of the film: the montage. The meet-cute, the date, the grilled cheese sandwiches…but that window to fun, sappy moments closes abruptly the next morning.
This lack of spark and chemistry stems from an even deeper issue in the plot. The ever-persistent disastrous miscommunication trope. Something that could easily be solved with a text, social media post, or quick phone call continues to be a problem that no developments in technology can solve. But because it is a movie, it must be drawn out and overly dramatic.
After their failed date, the couple are drawn back together to celebrate the wedding of Bea’s sister and Ben’s friend. Reluctantly, the two travel to Australia for the wedding. The remainder of the movie is spent fighting the chemistry with arguments and pranks, annoying others around them in the process.
The airplane scene, for example, is spent arguing with an annoyed stranger between them. Brushed off as a comedic moment, that instance set the tone for the rest of the movie. Together, they ruin a party, light stuff on fire, and bother their loved ones with their bickering. As if things could not get more complicated, Ben is distracted by his ex-girlfriend Margaret (Charlee Fraser), while Bea is occupied with the sudden return of her ex-fiance Jonathan (Darren Barnet).
The two decide to act in love to convince everyone that they are on good terms, therefore saving the wedding. Their scheme benefits both of them: to make Margaret jealous and put a stop to Bea’s parents forcing her and Jonathan back together.
In a plot twist that would only shock the romance genre unfamiliars, Bea and Ben fall in love while doing so. It seems their love story can never be complete, and another simple mistake spirals into unforgivable consequences. They begin to question the authenticity of their relationship. Ben, wrought with guilt and regret, races to get the girl. The restless relationship whiplash is exhausting after it happens for the 50th time, bringing them back to where they started.
With a budget of $25 million, the film grossed over $220 million. Perhaps due to the rising Glen Powell craze or the growing fame of Sydney Sweeney, combined with the popularity and widespread conversation starter that is TikTok, there is no doubt audiences enjoyed this movie.
This movie is great to watch if you are trying to binge Glen Powell’s filmography, but if you are looking for anything that makes sense and has some sort of nuanced plot, this is not that movie.
It may not have been successful in its mission to repopularize the genre, but with the help of Tiktok, it definitely helped boost it into public discussion.
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