Anyone But You Movie Review: Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell's Raunchy Romcom Sizzles, Then Fizzles! (LatestLY Exclusive)

Anyone But You Movie Review: For a romcom named 'Anyone But You,' we hardly see the two main leads try to connect with anyone else except a will-they-won't-they dynamic they have with each other. I might be exaggerating a bit, but there's only a brief moment where Glen Powell's character has an encounter with his ex, otherwise, zilch. Ideally, the movie should have been titled 'We Should Have Totally Boned That First Night,' and the fact that they didn't is why we get a romcom with all lazy cliches. Anyone But You Review: Sydney Sweeny and Glen Powell's Rom-Com Get Mixed Response, Critics Call It 'Soulless'.

Anyone But You Plot

So we have Bea (Sydney Sweeney) and Ben (Glen Powell), totally good-looking people, meet at a cafe, and it is attraction at first sight. They also have a fine date that very same day, but a very convoluted misunderstanding causes them to hate each other the next morning. However, they end up seeing each other a bit more since Bea's sister, Halle (Hadley Robinson), is dating Claudia (Alexandra Shipp), the sister of Ben's best friend, Pete (GaTa). The complications escalate when Halle and Claudia decide to get married, inviting both Bea and Ben to their destination wedding in Sydney.

Amidst Ben and Bea's bickering, the others realise the only way to prevent them from ruining the wedding is to make them fall for each other. One might wonder if it would have been easier to send Ben back to the States, especially considering they also invited Margaret (Charlee Fraser), Claudia's cousin, who once dated Ben. It seems like a lot of trouble over a man who isn't even a relative.

However, they proceed with the plan, and in the chaos, Bea's parents (Dermot Mulroney and Rachel Griffiths) also bring in Jonathan (Darren Barnet), Bea's ex-fiancee, hoping for a rekindled connection. To keep their interfering folks at bay, Bea and Ben pretend to be dating. As expected, after some comic skirmishes, they start developing feelings for each other.

Watch the Trailer of Anyone But You:

Why We Miss Movies Like Anyone But You

Predicting the ending of a film like Anyone But You is easy based on the trailers, with the only surprise being that the happy union doesn't happen at the airport. What matters is what comes before it to ensure the movie doesn't turn into a clichéd, generic rom-com. IMHO, the return of R-rated, star-studded romcoms like No Hard Feelings and Anyone But You needs to be welcomed, as they provide a refreshing break from the heavier, pessimistic themes that are ruling cinema these days. Even if these films don't break the mould, the least to expect is consistent entertainment. No Hard Feelings managed this to some extent, but unfortunately, I can't say the same about Anyone But You.

What Sizzled!

I did buy into the instant attraction between the two leads, although not so much into their feud. There are enjoyable, funny scenes in the movie, such as when Bea and Ben end up on the same flight to Sydney, and Bea intrudes into Ben's first-class cabin. Or their mountain hiking trip, where they struggle to pass as a couple, only for a spider and a koala to ruin their efforts. The cast includes some very good-looking people, and with a beach setting for most of the film, there are ample opportunities for the actors, age no bar, to showcase their impressive bodies in beachwear; of course, if you are in India, you can only get to see the skin-show within the limits set by Indian censors. Anyone But You: Sydney Sweeney's Nude Shower Sex and Lovemaking Scene With Glen Powell Leaks on Social Media.

What Fizzled!

However, once the romance takes centre stage, the humour diminishes, and the film follows a standard-fare plot, with another (forced) misunderstanding creating a barrier before the couple realises their mistake and all is well. Even the rejected exes end up together. Yes, the film is inspired by Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, but haven't we already seen various iterations of this play in Hollywood already?

The chemistry between Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney, while initially sizzling, feels like a mixed bag once the drama intensifies, lacking the depth to make us genuinely care for this pair. At least the end credit scene, where the cast sings Natasha Bedingfield's "Unwritten," adds a fun touch.

Final Thoughts on Anyone But You

Anyone But You definitely has an audience, the ones who get gooey-eyed over two beautiful-looking (and very white) people bickering their way to bed and then bickering a bit more before we get to that happy, sappy ending. While the initial chemistry between Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney has some sizzle, the film succumbs to the predictability of the genre, losing its initial laughter in the throes of a standard will-they-won't-they template.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 19, 2024 11:09 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).