The romantic comedy genre has received a lot of criticism and rightfully so; the plots are often formulaic and unrealistic often giving people false and/or unrealistic expectations of relationships. The genre is more lampooned than it is solidified by these mediocre cash grabs but every now and then, a film comes along that feels fresh and is a welcome change to the big screen films that feel more welcome on the Hallmark Channel but Amazon’s latest film, I Want You Back offers just the shot of love we all need.
The film is built on a premise that is familiar to rom-coms; a newly single man and woman meet and during their friendship, hatch a scheme for them to somehow reunite each other with their respective exe’s as they believe they won’t meet anyone who could possibly measure up. Charlie Day and Jenny Slate offer a unique relatability that’s often lost in rom-coms and their exe’s, played by Scott Eastwood and Gina Rodriguez, reinforce that relatability. Day’s and Slate’s respective characters feel they can’t do better than their gorgeous exe’s and the misadventures go from there.
Day and Eastwood manage to become friends that culminates in a hilarious trip to a nightclub. As both men are in their 30’s, it seems overly comical to watch two grown ass men traipse around in a club trying to capture some last slice of their youth. During this night, Day actually manages to push Eastwood to consider proposing marriage to his new girlfriend which Day has to agonizingly break the news to a heartbroken Slate. In contrast, Slate’s efforts to reunite Rodriguez with Day accidentally pay off as the two reconnect following Slate’s hilariously awkward attempts to initiate a threesome with Rodriguez and her caricature artist boyfriend.
During the course of this insane plan, Day and Slate manage to become close while learning their hopes, dreams and insecurities while discovering that a relationship isn’t about being with someone who’s better looking than you. Slate supports Day and encourages him to pursue his dreams, no matter what and Day encourages Slate to go back to school and become truly independent. I Want You Back is tender, hilarious, relatable, romantic and perfect for a date night or if you’re recovering from a breakup.
VERDICT: 3.5 crappy self-help books out of 5
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Featured Image Credit: I Want You Back
