Sydney Sweeney at Berlinale 2023.

Robyn Bell

Will Gluck’s (Easy A, Friends with Benefits) highly-anticipated rom-com Anyone But You (2023) has proved a hit in cinemas, breathing life back into the romance movie genre.

The story is loosely based on Shakespeare’s comedy Much Ado About Nothing (1598), where characters Benedick and Beatrice are tricked into confessing their love for each other through a sequence of gossip and eavesdropping.

A Modern Shakespearean Romance

In Anyone But You, Ben (Glen Powell) and his love interest Beatrice (Sydney Sweeney) follow a similar narrative. After an amazing first meeting and date, things go sour after Bea overhears Ben talking badly about her. This misunderstanding causes things to become frosty between the pair whenever their paths cross during social events.

Fast forward, and Bea’s sister Halle (Hadley Robinson) is getting married to Ben’s friend Claudia (Alexandra Shipp) in Australia. Ben and Bea are in disbelief when they unexpectedly reunite, and their dislike for one another is clear.

“…all the built-up tension of an enemies-to-lovers romance, as well as the chaos of a far-fetched comedy”

Family and friends fear the animosity between Ben and Bea will ruin the wedding. However, believing that they do truly like each other, they scheme to get the pair together. Sensing all of the plotting going on around them, Ben and Bea decide to play up to their suspicions and do what any other sensible adult would do: enter into a fake relationship.

Hilarity ensues as Ben and Bea navigate their mixed feelings towards one another. This movie has all the built-up tension of an enemies-to-lovers romance, as well as the chaos of a far-fetched comedy. Believe it or not, fire, spiders, helicopters, and a Titanic-esque scene all feature at various points in the movie.

The ‘Unwritten’ Rule

The unwritten rule of this movie is that you come away with ‘Unwritten’ by Natasha Bedingfield stuck in your head for the foreseeable. It makes the perfect soundtrack to the sizzling chemistry between Bea and Ben.

The undeniably catchy tune is Ben’s serenity song throughout the movie, and has become synonymous with Anyone But You. According to Billboard, the song is up 156 percent in the music charts following the movie’s release. Natasha Bedingfield certainly won’t be complaining about those extra streams.

A Refreshing Take On the Rom-Com

Anyone But You is a refreshing addition to the romcom genre, which seemed to be dying as of late. Whereas the nineties, noughties and 2010s saw the release of many smash-hit rom-coms such as How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days (2003), My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002), Four Weddings And A Funeral (1994), 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), and Mr and Mrs Smith (2005), to name but a few, the genre has been lacking in recent years.

However, Powell and Sweeney have breathed life back into the world of rom-coms, and audiences eagerly await more.

The chemistry between Powell and Sweeney is just as evident off-screen as it is on-screen. During their press tour, they garnered much media attention for their flirting and palpable chemistry. However, this is partly down to the usual rumours that circulate every Hollywood rom-com couple. It is likely the pair had been posting pictures together for the last few months simply as a big promo push.

The Perfect Movie For A Streaming Platform

This movie has done very well at the box office, but perhaps would have performed just as well had it been released on streaming services. An easy-to-watch, fun movie that checks all the boxes for a romantic comedy, it is also a little predictable — as is the case with most romcoms.

Although Anyone But You does lack some depth and a bit of oomph to the story, it is still a highly enjoyable watch.

READ NEXT:

Featured image courtesy of Elena Ternovaja via Wikimedia Commons. No changes were made to this image. Image licence found here.

Recent BA Journalism graduate from Edinburgh Napier University with a passion for film, tv, celebrities and podcasts!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *