One of the most anticipated movies of 2024 was the romantic comedy Anyone But You, directed by Will Gluck and starring Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell. This film generated controversies on social media in April 2023 during filming, including rumours that Sweeney and Powell were dating. But now, a month after its release, the movie has sparked another debate, this time as to whether or not this film should be considered one of the best romantic comedies we have had in the last couple of years. Well, I think that TikTok has influenced something once again.Â
On TikTok, there is a viral trend where young girls film themselves dancing while walking outside the theater after watching Anyone But You while the song “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield plays in the background. They also add text to express how much they loved the film and how it has helped other girls embrace their singleness and focus on self-love and self-care. That has sparked a lot of interest within women to watch this movie. But is all of what is being said on TikTok true?Â
I wanted to do something different for this article and step away from sharing just my views, so I decided to reach out to two of my friends who went to see this film with me and give them this space to share their opinions. One of my friends likes romantic comedies, while the other would rather watch a scary movie than do a rom-com marathon. So this analysis promises to be interesting!
BRIEF SYNOPSIS OF THE FILM
Bea, played by Sydney Sweeney, and Ben, played by Glen Powell, experienced a great first date. However, their intense attraction towards each other suddenly vanishes. By chance, they meet again at a bar, where they find out that Bea’s sister and Ben’s female best friend are having a destination wedding in Australia. However, Bea isn’t happy to learn her “perfect” ex-fiancĂ© Jonathan, whom her parents see as a son and with whom they have thus have been trying to get Beathem back together, was invited to her sister’s wedding. TSo, this unexpected arrival prompts her to suggest to Ben that they should pretend to be a couple.
OPINION NO. 1
My friend Mayra is a University of Windsor student in her third year of the Communication, Media, and Film program. She was the first to send back her opinion when I asked if they wanted to do this piece in collaboration with me, so here are her thoughts:
“I’m usually not a rom-com type of girl, for the main reason that I do not support the way most of these movies portray love and the whole falling in love act. I would rather watch a comedy movie that doesn’t force cliche situations of love where maybe it shouldn’t happen. That does not mean that I do not enjoy watching some of these movies once in a while. So, after seeing the promotion on social media, I became genuinely interested in this film.”
“I found it refreshing that there were an equal number of female and male characters in the film and that the couple getting married was not the usual straight couple. Apart from that, I don’t know if the female representation was enough. The six female characters who appear only care about love. Why wasn’t there a female perspective to support Bea after breaking up with her “perfect” ex-fiancĂ©? Why [is it that] the only person who understands and listens to her is a man?”Â
“After ending any relationship, we all need time to heal, to love ourselves again. It’s important to embrace our alone time and realize we are more than enough. Of course, this is not shown in the film because who needs to love themselves if Glen Powell can love you, right?”Â
“Some of us can differentiate and see the problem in this, but what about all those teenagers I noticed sitting beside me who might think that that is how love works? Now, is this movie better than its classic predecessors? I am not one to have an opinion on that. But if you want to have a good laugh and focus on the fun instead of on the journey of falling in love, you will like this movie very much.”
OPINION NO. 2
My friend Valeria is a University of Windsor student in her first year of the English Literature and Creative Writing program. Here is her opinion about the film Anyone But You:
“This movie was like a new start for romantic comedies, where the comedy predominates without losing the little drama and cheesiness we enjoy sometimes. The main characters might have lacked personality or background story, but they were naturally funny and had a lot of chemistry. Of course, it wouldn’t be a romantic comedy without some fantasy romance scenes that wouldn’t happen in real life, but instead of coming off as “cringy,” the situations would make you laugh like crazy.”Â
“It was also great how it has a lot of non-forced inclusivity, and it feels so naturally written within the film world.”
“There’s no age to enjoy rom-com movies, but I believe it’s valuable for young women to grow up with a film like this that communicates a funny type of love and is clear about it. It is simply an enjoyable and entertaining movie you could watch multiple times.”
What are your thoughts? Is Anyone But You next on your watch list?