TL;DR – This is a film that is based entirely on the chemistry of the two leading cast members. Thank goodness they have some.

Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene.

Disclosure – I paid to see this film.

Anyone But You Review –

There is a considerable risk when you base the entire foundation of your film on the charisma of your two leads. There are multiple examples, like Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, where that mistake has caused the film to fall flat on its face. It is a dangerous proposition … but what happens when you get it right?

So to set the scene, it is a typical day in a coffee shop when Bea (Sydney Sweeney) runs into Ben (Glen Powell) while trying to get the key to the bathroom. Some shenanigans occur but sparks fly, and soon they are spending the night together. But the following day contrives a situation where both parties think the other was in the wrong, and they part ways with an odd story of a creep to tell their respective friend groups. Until we discover that those respective friend groups are the same because Bea’s sister Claudia (Alexandra Shipp) is the new finance of Halle (Hadley Robinson), whose brother Pete (GaTa) is best friends with Ben. That animosity gets heightened when both of them end up on a plane to Sydney, Australia, to attend the wedding, only to find both of their exes are there. So they fake being in a relationship. What is the worst that could happen?

As I previously mentioned, so much of this film works purely because of the chemistry between the cast. Sydney (the actor, not the city) is full of charm and throws herself into the physical comedy parts of the film. Glen has dimples for days, and after seeing him play smarmy characters in films like Top Gun, it is nice to see him explore more vulnerabilities in his performances. They both work because you can believe them when they are smitten with each other, when they hate each other, and when they are pretending to be smitten with each other, but they actually hate each other.

We then take that chaotic energy and place it in Australia, which gets a good show in for much of the film’s runtime. I will say, as someone who was bitten by a huntsman spider over Christmas, I understand Sydney’s reaction, but they are usually chill. Also, I beg you, if you see a koala in the wild, Do Not Get That Close To It. They have a chill persona, but they have claws, and they will mess you up if you provoke them. If you live or have been to Sydney, it is fun to see the reality of the geography that they travel, and it looks like it is just a chill ride and not hours of your lifetime in the back of that car. Finally, I will eat a hat if I am wrong, but if I were a betting man, I would say there is no way those cast members ever went into the Harbour, and it turns out that I can speak 80% surfer dude.     

The rest of the supporting cast is also a delight. I never knew I needed Michelle Hurd & Bryan Brown to play a married couple, but here we are. There were multiple layers of deceit and trickery going on, but it never overwhelms the story. However, while I was watching the film, I could not help but think that this is a story that I have seen repeatedly, which is when I realised what this film was loosely based on. Is it the best modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s work? No, that is still 10 Things I Hate About You, and yes, that is still modern, and please don’t tell me otherwise without preparing me for that revelation with a drink or two. But it still works. 

In the end, do we recommend Anyone But You? Yes. It is not the most original film I have ever seen, but the cast threw their all into it, and it was nice to be in a room with everyone laughing along. If you liked Anyone But You, we would recommend to you Ticket to Paradise.

By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Twitter Here, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.

Have you watched Anyone But You?, let us know what you thought in the comments below, feel free to share this review on any of the social medias and you can follow us Here. Check out all our past reviews and articles Here, and have a happy day. 

Credits – All images were created by the cast, crew, and production companies of Anyone but You
Directed by – Will Gluck
Screenplay by – Ilana Wolpert & Will Gluck
Story by – Ilana Wolpert
Based on – Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare
Music by – Este Haim & Chris Stracey
Cinematography by – Danny Ruhlmann
Edited by – Tia Nolan
Production/Distribution Companies – Columbia Pictures, Roth/Kirschenbaum Films, SK Global, Fifty-Fifty Films, Olive Bridge Entertainment & Sony Pictures
Starring – Sydney Sweeney, Glen Powell, Alexandra Shipp, Hadley Robinson, GaTa, Charlee Fraser, Joe Davidson, Darren Barnet, Dermot Mulroney, Rachel Griffiths, Michelle Hurd & Bryan Brown 
Rating – Australia: MA15+; Canada: 14A; Germany: na; New Zealand: R; United Kingdom: 15; United States: R