Anyone But You (2023)

[Jake Lipson]

Title: Anyone But You (2023)

Tagline: They only look like the perfect couple.

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Director: Will Gluck

Cast: Sydney Sweeney, Glen Powell, Alexandra Shipp, Michelle Hurd, Bryan Brown, Darren Barnet, Hadley Robinson, Dermot Mulroney, Rachel Griffiths, GaTa

Release: 2023-12-22

Runtime: 105

Plot: After an amazing first date, Bea and Ben's fiery attraction turns ice cold - until they find themselves unexpectedly reunited at a destination wedding in Australia. So they do what any two mature adults would do: pretend to be a couple.

 

[Jake Lipson]

I thought I'd start a thread for this movie because it is coming out in a couple of weeks and there wasn't one yet. I've liked Sydney Sweeney and Glenn Powell in other things and the trailer looks cute. I'll probably wait for reviews to decide if this is worth seeing or not, but I like a good romantic comedy if it is well written. This could be fun.

 

[Jeffrey D]

I thought I'd start a thread for this movie because it is coming out in a couple of weeks and there wasn't one yet. I've liked Sydney Sweeney and Glenn Powell in other things and the trailer looks cute. I'll probably wait for reviews to decide if this is worth seeing or not, but I like a good romantic comedy if it is well written. This could be fun.

Seems to me rom com films aren’t being made nearly as often as 30 years ago.

 

[Joe Wong]

I liked the trailer, especially since it was filmed in Sydney, Australia (where I grew up)! There were some local news articles at the time about Sydney in Sydney, etc.

But I love a good “opposites attract” rom-com. One of my favourites is The Sure Thing (1985). Hope the reviews for this are good!

 

[Jake Lipson]

Has anyone else seen this yet?

I just got back from a screening where I was the only person in attendance. My theater has it on two screens, so maybe more people just went to the start time in the other one? In any case, it was quiet.

Anyone But You is no less and no more than you think it is. It doesn't really do anything remotely unexpected, nor did it elevate itself beyond a standard issue romantic comedy. But it also isn't a bad one. It is fun and cute and pleasant to watch. Sydney Sweeney and Glenn Powell are likable leads and their chemistry together counts for a lot here.

The movie looks nice with some good scenic shots of Australia. Although the biggest bits are in the trailer, it is reasonably funny and entertaining. The script is not particularly remarkable but does what it needs to do.

I don't think this is something super memorable, but I got what I expected out of it and was satisfied. It is a fun diversion at the movies on an otherwise quiet weekend. For fans of the genre, this is an easy recommendation to make. Although the movie is not exceptional, I went into it just wanting to have a good time and I absolutely did.

Seems to me rom com films aren’t being made nearly as often as 30 years ago.

They're being made if you know where to look. They're just not necessarily going to theaters as frequently or as loudly as before. Netflix does a lot of them. I am glad that I went to see this one in a theater though.

 

[Jake Lipson]

A good interview with Glenn Powell:

Glen Powell Says Looking Down on Rom-Coms Is ‘Kind of Silly’ as ‘Anyone But You’ Hits $100 Million, Talks ‘Hit Man’ and ‘Top Gun 3’ Teases at Sundance

Glen Powell brings "Hit Man" to Sundance and joined the Variety Studio presented by Audible to talk about saving the rom-com genre.

variety.com

Also, the movie has hit a significant box office milestone.

Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell’s R-rated romantic comedy “Anyone but You” landed at the No. 4 spot with $5.4 million from 2,928 theaters. After five weekends on the big screen, Sony’s film has grossed $64.2 million domestically and $100.2 million worldwide.

By surpassing the $100 million mark, “Anyone but You” is the highest-grossing R-rated romantic comedy since 2016’s “Bridget Jones’s Baby.” With a $25 million production budget, “Anyone but You” marks a win for Sony and a reminder that rom-coms haven’t gone out of style at the box office — as long as budgets are kept in check.

Box Office: ‘Mean Girls’ Reigns Again as ‘I.S.S.’ Misfires With $3 Million

'Mean Girls' topped a sleepy box office as 'I.S.S.' misfired in its debut.

variety.com

 

[Jake Lipson]

Sony says they are reissuing Anyone But You this weekend as Anyone But You: The Valentine's Encore. The movie never left my local theater so I'm not sure how necessary a reissue is. Cinemark's website lists "The Valentine's Encore" as 1 hour and 50 minutes. The original release currently playing is listed as 1 hour and 44 minutes. So they've added six minutes of new content. “Now the biggest rom-com in years has even more to love,” per Sony. But it isn't clear what the new stuff actually is. Is it a new cut with previously deleted scenes inserted into the movie? Are they just going to play a deleted scene at the end like the re-release of Avengers: Endgame did? Is it some sort of behind-the-scenes bonus? This is really vague. I liked the movie a lot and would not hesitate to recommend it to romcom fans. But right now I don't see a reason to go again. It was well paced the first time around. I am curious to know more about what they're adding though.

 

[Jake Lipson]

Sydney Sweeney Brainstorming ‘Anyone But You 2’ Concepts For Sequel

A sequel to 'Anyone But You' is something Sydney Sweeney wants to do.

deadline.com

I liked the movie, but I'm not really sure where they can go with a direct sequel unless they work to undo the progression in the first movie. The situation in the film is pretty much resolved by the end of it.

It seems to me that it would make more sense to pair the actors again in a new situation, something like doing a You've Got Mail rather than a direct Sleepless in Seattle 2. But we'll see. I would certainly go see another film with Sydney and Powell together if they can figure something out.

 

[Josh Dial]

Sydney Sweeney Brainstorming ‘Anyone But You 2’ Concepts For Sequel

A sequel to 'Anyone But You' is something Sydney Sweeney wants to do.

deadline.com

I liked the movie, but I'm not really sure where they can go with a direct sequel unless they work to undo the progression in the first movie. The situation in the film is pretty much resolved by the end of it.

It seems to me that it would make more sense to pair the actors again in a new situation, something like doing a You've Got Mail rather than a direct Sleepless in Seattle 2. But we'll see. I would certainly go see another film with Sydney and Powell together if they can figure something out.

That's a good idea. The movie is loosely based on Much Ado About Nothing, so she could select a different Shakespeare comedy and adapt that with the same cast but different characters. Could actually carve out a pretty nice niche churning one of those out every few years.