Anyone But You, the eagerly awaited film directed by Will Gluck, was released on Dec. 22. Rom-com lovers all over have been excitedly awaiting the movie’s release since trailers and photos were first posted. Fans could already tell the two stars, Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell, would have great chemistry. The rated-R movie is currently only viewable in theaters, but it is set to be on Netflix in a few months. The film has received endless praise from Gen-Z viewers, especially on social media. Romantic-comedy lovers are very serious about their favorite genre, and this movie has been one of the very few to surpass the criteria for a solid rom-com. It’s been compared to the iconic 10 Things I Hate About You, starring Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger, and many have gone as far to say that Anyone But You is the best romantic-comedy since the prior film’s release in 1999. This comparison is interesting, though, as both movies are based on Shakespeare plays. 10 Things I Hate About You is inspired by The Taming of the Shrew while Anyone But You’s storyline is based on Much Ado.
“10 Things I Hate About You is one of my all time favorite movies and I did not walk into Anyone But You expecting for it to top it, but I was pleasantly surprised,” said junior Emma Gannon.
The movie starts with the two main characters, Bea and Ben, meeting at a coffee shop. As Bea desperately begs the cashier for the bathroom key, Ben who becomes restless in line, pretends to be her husband so he can get it for her. This interaction leads to the two spending the whole day together and Bea ends up falling asleep at his apartment, however sneaking out before he wakes up. In regret, she came back to his apartment and overheard Ben telling his best friend, Pete, about how she was a “disaster” and how he “couldn’t have gotten her out of there quicker.” Six months later, they are unexpectedly brought together since Pete’s sister and Bea’s sister got engaged. When reunited, an instant flame of hatred and witty bickering sparked between the two. Shortly after, the group flew out to Australia for the wedding, and Bea and Ben continued fighting to the point where it began to ruin the festivities. In an attempt to fix this, their friends all tried to get them together to bring peace to the wedding party. Bea and Ben quickly understood that the easiest thing to do was pretend they were in a relationship. It helped Ben make his ex-girlfriend Margaret (Pete’s cousin) jealous and would keep Bea’s ex-fiancé, Jonathan, off her back. This whole series of events eventually transpired into the classic “enemies to lovers” trope.
“The plot of Anyone But You was similar to other movies in the rom-com genre, but the unique characters and witty humor set it apart,” said junior Tessa Rudegeair.
The majority of the movie was filmed in various parts of Australia, mostly in Sydney andfeatures beautiful shots of the beaches, forests, and harbors. However, not every aspect of filming was as perfect as these scenic shots. For instance, while filming, one of the Harbor Rescue helicopters had mechanical issues and had to resort to an emergency landing. Also, as Sydney Sweent shared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, one of the trained spiders they needed for a scene bit the actress.
Test audiences and critics that had the chance to see the movie before its release rated the film as average. The consensus was that the movie had a strong cast, and the plot moved along smoothly, but wasn’t anything revolutionary. The public, however, had an entirely different response. The movie’s viralness on TikTok made ad campaigns needless. It revived a long lost love for rom-coms among teenagers. The song “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield, which was used in the film, has been posted to thousands of TikToks of people skipping out of theaters. All over the Internet, rave reviews are being posted. People love the movie and are saying it’s the best rom-com made since the nineties.
“I feel like the way movies are publicized now is pretty different from when I was little. There used to be more ads everywhere, but I honestly wouldn’t have known about Anyone But You without TikTok. It flooded my whole For You Page for weeks,” said junior Emma Goldberg.
Anyone But You is an adorable and lighthearted movie that will put a smile on the face of any viewer. The cinematography, attention to detail, and aesthetic of the whole film came together to make the perfect rom-com. While elements of any movie like this might be corny and in turn receive lower “technical” ratings, the charm of the movie resonates with and delights any non-critics watching it. Anyone But You is a charming celebration of love and the perfect feel-good movie.