Anyone But You

I watched Anyone But You in a theater where the air conditioning was set to "Arctic Tundra," making the golden, salt-sprayed Australian sun on screen feel like a personal, cruel joke. But about twenty minutes in, I realized I didn't care about my frozen toes. I was too busy marveling at the fact that Hollywood had finally remembered the secret ingredient to a successful rom-com: casting two people who look like they were genetically engineered in a lab to ruin our collective self-esteem.

For years, we’ve been told the mid-budget romantic comedy was dead, relegated to the sterile, "straight-to-streaming" graveyard where lighting looks like a laundry detergent commercial and chemistry goes to die. Then came Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell. They didn't just walk onto the screen; they ignited a PR firestorm that had the entire internet convinced they were having a torrid affair. Whether that was brilliant marketing or genuine friction, it translated into the kind of old-school cinematic heat we haven't seen since the days of Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson.

Much Ado About Hot People

The plot is a loose—and I mean loose—adaptation of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. Sydney Sweeney plays Bea, a law school dropout, and Glen Powell is Ben, a high-flying finance bro. After a legendary first date involving grilled cheese and a shared sink, a misunderstanding turns them into bitter enemies. Fast forward a year, and they’re stuck together at a destination wedding in Sydney, Australia. To appease their meddling friends and family, they agree to a "fake dating" pact.

Director Will Gluck, who previously gave us the sharp-witted Easy A (2010) and the surprisingly breezy Friends with Benefits (2011), knows exactly what he’s doing here. He isn't trying to reinvent the wheel; he’s just making sure the wheel is polished to a high-gloss finish. The script, co-written with Ilana Wolpert, leans into the tropes with a wink. It’s got the accidental nudity, the "there’s only one bed" energy, and the big, public musical declaration of love.

While the dialogue doesn't always hit the heights of a Nora Ephron classic, the plot has the structural integrity of a wet paper towel, but it doesn't matter. We aren't here for structural integrity; we’re here to see two beautiful people yell at each other until they eventually make out.

The Power of the Pivot

What fascinates me about Anyone But You is its life as a cultural object. It didn't just premiere; it persisted. In an era where movies usually vanish from the conversation after forty-eight hours, this film had "legs" that would make a marathon runner jealous. It turned a modest $25 million budget into a $214 million global haul, largely thanks to a viral TikTok trend involving Natasha Bedingfield’s 2004 hit "Unwritten."

I’ll admit, seeing a theater full of Gen Z-ers unironically belting out a song from my middle school dances was a surreal experience. It proved that contemporary cinema doesn't always need a multi-verse or a cape to win; sometimes it just needs a catchy hook and a scene where Glen Powell has to remove a literal spider from Sydney Sweeney’s person while she’s wearing a bikini.

Speaking of that spider: apparently, that was a real huntsman spider, and it actually bit Sydney Sweeney during the take. Her terrified screaming in the film? Entirely authentic. It’s that kind of chaotic energy that keeps the movie from feeling too manufactured. Sweeney, who usually plays internal, tragic figures in Euphoria or The White Lotus, shows a goofy, physical comedy side here that I wasn't expecting. And Glen Powell? Glen Powell’s charisma is essentially a renewable energy source at this point. He plays the "arrogant jerk with a secret heart of gold" with such effortless charm that you almost forgive his character for being a finance bro.

A Breath of Fresh Salt Air

The supporting cast does a lot of the heavy lifting to keep the vibes high. GaTa (of Dave fame) steals every scene he’s in as Pete, and the chemistry among the wedding party feels lived-in and warm. The film also benefits immensely from its location. By filming on-site in Sydney—including a pivotal, high-stakes scene at the actual Sydney Opera House—it avoids the "green-screen blur" that plagues so many modern movies. You can almost smell the saltwater and the expensive sunscreen.

Is it a "masterpiece" of the genre? Probably not. It lacks the acerbic wit of When Harry Met Sally or the screwball perfection of The Philadelphia Story. But in the landscape of 2020s cinema, it feels like a victory. It’s a movie that trusts its leads, enjoys its setting, and understands that the audience wants to leave the theater feeling slightly better than when they walked in. It’s a reminder that the theatrical experience isn't just for explosions; it’s for communal sighs and shared laughter at a well-timed "Unwritten" needle drop.

Anyone But You is a sunny, unapologetic romp that succeeds by leaning into the basics. It’s the cinematic equivalent of a perfect summer vacation: you know exactly where you’re going, you know how it’s going to end, and you’re more than happy to go along for the ride. If this is the start of a rom-com renaissance, I’m officially checking "yes" on the RSVP. It’s exactly the kind of fun we’ve been missing at the multiplex.