The new romantic comedy, Anyone But You, has two incredibly hot aces up its sleeve: Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell. Both rising stars have been turning heads over the years, but they unfortunately can’t work magic on the predictable plot in their latest romp from Easy A director Will Gluck.
While some critics found Anyone But You to be a serviceable rom-com as the genre seems to be slowly coming back to life, others just couldn’t feel the spark between two of the most beautiful people working in Hollywood today.
You can see what the reviews are saying below:
David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter:
Anyone who’s seen Glen Powell in Richard Linklater’s terrifically enjoyable Hit Man will know he’s a bona fide movie star with charisma to burn. If you were paying attention, that was evident even in Top Gun: Maverick. And Sydney Sweeney has shown impressive range, serving delicious mean-girl snark in season one of The White Lotus, tracing a self-destructive spiral on Euphoria and demonstrating serious dramatic chops in Reality. But neither screen chemistry nor laughs can be manufactured, especially not with the kind of pedestrian writing in Will Gluck’s Anyone But You, which does nothing to reanimate the moribund studio rom-com.
Richard Lawson, Vanity Fair:
Neither character is scrappy, neither is an underdog, neither is believable in their insecurity. They are golden gods playing at being regular people—even when, yes, Powell’s physique is constantly commented on and Sweeney is given a variety of shape-hugging outfits to wear. The movie has to acknowledge that these are hot people, but it also wants us to find them relatable. Anyone but You struggles mightily in that task.
Coleman Spilde, The Daily Beast:
While Anyone But You grazes the allure of Ryan and Hanks’ collaborations, the film lacks the proper push and pull between comedic beats and dramatic stakes that make those movies so watchable (and rewatchable). And even when it hits a pleasant middle ground to stride upon, Sweeney’s bizarre turn as a flighty law student in a romantic rut pulls the audience out of their momentary stupor. Though her performance is as discombobulated as her character seems to be, Sweeney’s distinct chemistry with Powell—along with Powell’s completely irresistible leading man charms—keep Anyone But You perfectly palatable, even if it won’t trigger a proper rom-com renaissance anytime soon.
David Ehrlich, IndieWire:
“Anyone but You” may not be funny or memorable enough to single-handedly make rom-coms matter again, but it might just inch us closer towards that goal precisely because it doesn’t burden itself with any such cross to bear. This is nothing more than an old-fashioned frivolity with newly minted stars and a killer supporting cast. Gluck and Ilana Wolpert’s toothless script is redeemed by its fine attention to detail, the movie’s confined story is splashed across a series of gorgeous locations, and cinematographer Danny Ruhlmann shoots them with the dramatic flair of someone who knows that people might actually have their phones off for long enough to appreciate his work.
Thelma Adams, The Wrap:
On the enemies to lovers scale, “Anyone But You” most closely resembles “Ticket to Paradise,” which reunited George Clooney and Julia Roberts. No one would mistake Powell and Sweeney for those charismatic A-listers. Yet both destination wedding tales share the strain of trying too hard to make the audience believe the frenemies hate each other, while their ultimate reunion is so inevitable there’s no narrative tension. At the very least, it’s not Shakespeare. It’s not even “10 Things I Hate About You.”
Drew Gillis, The A.V. Club:
Even if incredibly formulaic, director Will Gluck (Easy A, Friends With Benefits) is never winking. Yes, the plot of Anyone But You hits exactly every beat when you think it would, grand romantic gestures and all. But it is content—thrilled, in fact—to be a boilerplate rom-com. It doesn’t seek to get ahead of any criticism leveled at it. Formulas exist for a reason, and they can still be executed well. Sparks fly, even if there aren’t enough of them to give the film a jolt of electricity. Anyone But You doesn’t reinvent any wheels, but the wheels will get you to your destination on time.
Anyone But You opens in theaters on December 22.
Source: https://uproxx.com/movies/anyone-but-you-reviews-syndey-sweeney-glen-powell/
