Film Review: ‘Anyone But You’ Hits the Sweet Spot Due to the Sizzling Chemistry of Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney

Chemistry is key in a romantic comedy. If you have it, you’re going to be able to get away with a lot. If you don’t, there’s almost nothing that a rom-com can do to make up for it. Luckily for Anyone But You, the film has chemistry between its leads in spades. Watching them spar, sparks fly, making for the main appeal here. It’s especially paramount, since aside from some surprisingly funny throwaway lines from supporting players, the central plot leaves a lot to be desired. This is a decidedly imperfect movie, but I was charmed by it to a large degree.

Anyone But You also marks the rare romantic comedy actually still getting a wide release in theaters these days. Mostly, rom-coms go to streaming now, which is a shame. Not only is this a great date movie, it’s low-key a throwback to a time where this sort of a picture was the norm. Now, its mere existence is a novelty, which perhaps contributes to why the film ultimately worked on me far more than it didn’t.

Bea (Sydney Sweeney) and Ben (Glen Powell) had an amazing night together after a meet cute, but that first date doesn’t lead to a second. Instead, it leads to a violent distaste for each other. That wold be one thing, but it just so happens that his best friend Claudia (Alexandra Shipp) is dating her sister Halle (Hadley Robinson). So, their paths are going to cross. In fact, once the couple is engaged, it’s a destination wedding to Austrailia that brings them together, as much as both wish that weren’t the case.

No sooner do they arrive down under then their bickering is causing trouble, sometimes disastrously. So, Claudia’s step brother Pete (GaTa), her parents Roger (Bryan Brown) and Carol (Michelle Hurd), as well as Halle’s parents Innie (Rachel Griffiths) and Leo (Dermot Mulroney), decide to take matters into their own hands. They plot to get the pair to, well…pair up, at least for one night. If they’re at each other’s throats in a different way, they can’t cause any more chaos. Bea catches on to this and lets Ben know, and with each of their ex’s also arriving, they decide to just let everyone think they’re together. Of course, the deception may harbor actual feelings, since…what kind of a movie do you think you’re watching?

Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney sizzle together. Powell is smooth, but also quick to allow himself to be the butt of a joke. Sweeney often has the upper hand, but also has a vulnerability to her. Together, they’re a terrific match. I’d watch them make a dozen movies together. Here, sparks really do fly. GaTa also has some real random comedy highlights, as does Bryan Brown, especially together. Rachel Griffiths, Michelle Hurd, Dermot Mulroney, Hadley Robinson, and Alexandra Shipp are certainly having fun as well. Supporting players include Darren Barnet, Joe Davidson, Charlee Fraser, and more.

Filmmaker Will Gluck directs this with an eye towards constant jokes and leaning into Powell and Sweeney being both incredibly hot and incredibly charming. Co-writing with Ilana Wolpert (who also gets a Story By credit), there’s more weird humor than you might be expecting. Whether it’s a recurring gag involving GaTa and Brown loudly improving in front of Powell or a moment involving a koala, this isn’t always the most obvious joke. Now, it’s not as esoteric as Easy A, but this feels as good as Gluck’s underrated Friends with Benefits.

Anyone But You is a solid romantic comedy with two future A-list stars at its center. If you like Powell and/or Sweeney, you’re going to like this. The marketing suggests something disposable and silly. The final product? It’s still those things, but it’s also undeniably effective. It’s funny, romantic, and pretty sexy. What more do you want from a rom-com?

SCORE: ★★★