Fair use from Entertainment Weekly

In the weeks leading up to the film’s release, I couldn’t go on social media without seeing some sort of promotion for the romantic comedy “Anyone but You.” It became a highly anticipated movie, and when it finally dropped on Dec. 22, people flooded the theater to see Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell’s chemistry on the big screen. 

The movie follows Bea and Ben (Sweeney and Powell) as they head to a wedding in Australia. They are acquaintances who met once before the wedding, but their meeting ended sourly. They have unfinished business, and their relationship is the classic enemies-to-lovers trope.

The wedding is in Australia, and Bea’s sister, Halle, and Ben’s friend, Claudia, are getting married. Ultimately, Ben and Bea decide to pretend to be a couple so that Bea can get her parents —- who question her about school and her ex-boyfriend —- off her back, and so that Ben can make his ex, Margaret, jealous. 

The film follows the cliché rom-com formula almost to a tee. This can bore some, but that’s what I enjoy about rom-coms. I like the cliche kisses in the rain or the scene when the guy goes on a big chase to get the girl. “Anyone but You” included plenty of these plot points typical to rom-coms, and I wasn’t mad about it.

The biggest thing I liked about the movie was the lead characters, Ben and Bea. They share some adorable moments throughout the film, and their chemistry on-screen is just as good as off-screen. It’s so good I left the theater positive that Sweeney and Powell had to be dating in real life after filming the movie. 

Another significant characteristic of the film was its setting. The wedding was set in Australia, where the grass is almost too green, and the ocean is almost too blue. The shots of the water were incredible, and the house where the wedding guests stayed was beautiful. Lots of the movie took place outside, with surfing, swimming or hiking, and I was glad the film included plenty of gorgeous backdrops. 

The soundtrack was also really well done. Natasha Bedingfield’s “Unwritten” gets a small revival through this movie, but I also enjoyed some more modern songs. Alternative artist Still Woozy dropped a song, “Anyone but You,” specifically for the film, which played at a pivotal point in the movie.

Looks aside, there wasn’t anything too deep in this film. I thought most of the side characters were pretty one-dimensional. The characters’ actions were to do something for the main characters — the film felt all about just Bea and Ben at times. Sometimes, I thought that the wedding acted as a union of Ben and Bea rather than the two women who were actually getting married to each other.

Overall, “Anyone but You” was a light, fun rom-com with great lead actors. The plot wasn’t anything special, but Sweeney and Powells connection makes the film a standout in its genre. I’m all for a comeback of romantic comedies, and I hope this film kickstarts the revival. 

“Anyone but You”: ★★★★☆