I love rom-coms. I have so many memories of watching them with my friends at our first sleepovers, popcorn in hand, as we giggled over the meet-cutes and basic plotlines that the genre is known for. We could guess the ending of every movie we watched, but that was arguably the best part. Our favorites like “10 Things I Hate About You,” “Clueless” or “She’s All That” gave us predictable plots that never disappointed. I have since re-watched these movies over and over, and after my eighth viewing of “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days,” I realized that I was craving a new romance with new jokes and new characters. Unfortunately, all of the rom-coms that have come out in the last 15 years have been less than mediocre, not a single one worthy of being watched more than once. That was true until about a month ago, when “Anyone but You” was released to theaters.
Starring Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney, “Anyone But You” is loosely based on William Shakespeare’s play “Much Ado About Nothing.” Elements of the play are interwoven in the characters, plotlines and dialogue, but the movie remains fairly independent from Shakespeare’s original version. The story begins with the protagonists, Bea and Ben, who meet in a coffee shop. However, despite their apparent interest in each other, the two quickly turn into enemies and swear they will never meet again. But the universe has a different plan, and two years later, they are both invited to the same wedding in Australia, where they must get along in order for the wedding to run smoothly. Once they arrive for the wedding, their relationship goes through many stages until they finally admit their true feelings.
As soon as it was released, the movie went viral on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram, as Generation Z users claimed it was the “rom-com of our generation.” Rom-com enthusiasts like myself have missed the tropes that were popular in the 1990s, and “Anyone but You” single-handedly revived the genre. The storyline was relevant to young viewers, without overdoing the use of technology and social media as means to further the plot. Too often, writers abuse the involvement of phones in their stories, and, as a result, take away from the romanticism of a rom-com. Luckily, “Anyone but You” did not cross this technological boundary that other movies have mistakenly done.
It is obvious that the movie targets a younger demographic by the soundtrack alone. It features artists like Domenic Fike, Mac Miller and Declan McKenna, whose songs can be found on the majority of teenagers’ playlists. The song that got everyone in the theater singing was “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield as it was released in 2004, and many have grown up singing the lyrics. Since the release of the movie, “Unwritten” has seen an increase in popularity and is trending on TikTok with 85,500 new videos.
Additionally, the publicity and marketing of the movie skyrocketed its recognition. Powell and Sweeney participated in interviews with several media outlets, and suspicions arose when the two seemed to have chemistry off-screen. While the actors’ are engaged in other relationships, the promotions were enough for fans to speculate about their feelings for each other.
I have since rewatched “Anyone but You” and anticipate its release to streaming platforms. It is truly one of those positive movies that makes viewers feel good after watching. In a world filled with hardship and stress, the hour and 45 minutes of the film allows audience members to relax and enjoy the love story between Bea and Ben.
As Valentine’s Day approaches, now is the perfect time to rewatch favorite rom-coms, and this year, a new favorite has been added: “Anyone but You.”
