From cult classics like Sixteen Candles and Pretty in Pink, to more recent favourites like Wild Child and Freaky Friday, romcoms have always had a place in my heart.
With rumours of Lindsay Lohan making her second return to Netflix this year, the long-awaited Barbie trailer being released, and Céline Dion’s acting debut, it all seems to be happening this year! Here are my thoughts on some of the best and worst of this season’s romcom releases.
SMASH: What’s Love Got to Do with It?
Rating: 4/5
Produced by the creators of Love Actually and Bridget Jones, this film does an impressive job of taking the tropes of the romcom and doing something a bit different with it. In short, a documentary maker travels from London to Lahore to make a film on her neighbour’s assisted marriage and ends up questioning her own love life.
Lily James is a brilliant actress, and Emma Thompson proves that (in case you didn’t already know), she can play just about any character. It’s so refreshing to watch a modern day, multicultural love story on screen with the same familiar tropes that make the romcom such a comfort watch.
What’s Love Got Do with It? reached UK cinemas in February.
SMASH: Your Place or Mine
Rating: 2.5/5
Reese Witherspoon and Ashton Kutcher in a 2023 romcom? This film very much reminded me of a Hallmark Christmas film, without the festivities. The premise of the film is that two lifelong friends with very different lives suddenly begin to see each other differently when they switch homes for a week, The Holiday style.
This could have been a current day When Harry Met Sally…, but it wasn’t. The title characters are barely in the same room together, with most of the plot happening through phone calls. We were being sold a best friend to lovers story, and yet we didn’t witness much romantic chemistry happen until the very end. Nonetheless, I would put this film in the “so bad, it’s good” category, perfect for killing a few hours on the train.
Your Place or Mine is available to stream on Netflix now.
PASS: You People
Rating: 1/5
Directed by Kenya Barris and co-written by Jonah Hill, this film had potential. It has a great soundtrack, an interesting concept, and some funny moments. That is where the good bits end. The film focuses on an interracial and inter-religious couple who negotiate their relationship amid family culture clashes.
However, a lot of the tension felt forced, over-exaggerated, and at times, very cringey. There were also some moments that didn’t sit well with me, including moments where racism was called out in the dialogue, but not antisemitism, and there was an over-reliance on ethnic and religious stereotypes. Overall, I’d give this one a miss.
You People is available to stream on Netflix.
PASS: Somebody I Used to Know
Rating: 2/5
Somebody I Used to Know has all the tropes of the classic romcom with some nudism, reality TV, and homophobic parents thrown in for good measure. None of the characters are particularly stand-out, and the plot wasn’t anything that hasn’t already been done. However, I did like the not-what-you-expect factor of the ending. Stick this on for background noise, or if you need something to fall asleep to.
Somebody I Used to Know is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
SMASH: Shotgun Wedding
Rating: 3.5/5
This film took me by surprise. I’m not normally drawn to films with lots of action, but this one drew me in with its cheesy gore and suspense. Think The Hunger Games meets 50 First Dates.
It boasts an all-star cast and manages to combine dark twists with family politics effortlessly, with the help of a beautiful destination wedding. If you’re looking for holiday escapism that keeps you on your toes, RSVP to this one.
Shotgun Wedding is available to stream on Amazon Prime video.
PASS: A Tourist’s Guide to Love
Rating: 2/5
Omg it’s Jonah from Superstore! Oh, he’s the small town boyfriend she leaves to go travelling…never mind.
After breaking up with her boyfriend, a travel executive goes on a covert mission to get the scoop on the tourist scene of Vietnam. She falls in love with her tour guide and leaves her old life behind for him. It’s a fairly predictable storyline without much else going on other than some pretty scenery. There also wasn’t much in the way of chemistry between the two main characters, making it hard to root for them as a couple. Overall, I’d give it a miss.