‘Anyone But You’ (2023) a perfect match

It doesn’t take much to love a romantic comedy. Sometimes, it depends on the likeability of the two leads and other times it’s the novelty of the plot. A pairing without chemistry or a convoluted story can suck the joy out of the cinema and leave behind a dreadful husk of a film that feels like a slog to sit through. Thankfully, Anyone But You has a winning couple in Sydney Sweeney’s Bee and Glen Powell’s Ben, and a narrative that makes you want to see where it all goes.

Where it begins is a far too familiar place. Boy meets girl, girl is clumsy, yet adorable, and boy and girl should live happily-ever-after. Unfortunately, these characters have a bit more baggage to unpack before they can ride off into the sunset. She’s afraid of commitment and can’t seem to figure out what she wants out of life, he can’t face abandonment and puts up a great wall around his heart.

While it isn’t hard to figure out what makes the characters tick, it’s the white-hot contempt for each other that draws you in. Throughout the film the two protagonists swap insults and put downs with the kind of rhythm that is plain for anyone else to see as an indicator of affection. It only takes a plot of pretence for the two to hopefully figure it out themselves before the credits roll.

You might be able to see the ending coming a mile away, but throughout, Anyone But You has fun getting you to the destination. The film is about the duo in their romance, but in actuality functions more like an ensemble. The film’s several side characters form a vast canvas of jokes. There’s the lunkhead with a heart of gold, the overbearing parents, the wise best friend, each of them providing a range of absurdly hilarious to painfully relatable humour.

At a time when blockbuster films are not quite the guarantee they once were, this film is a welcome throwback to a time past. Simply put, they don’t make them like this anymore, and for anyone ready to be swept off their feet in a world that’s light on logic, but heavy on heart, Anyone But You is the perfect match.

Rating: Big Screen Watch

Damian Levy is a film critic and podcaster for Damian Michael Movies.