Newsletter | Somebody I Used To Know: How To Botch A Romcom In 10 Ways

This column was originally published as part of our newsletter The Daily Show on February 28, 2023. Subscribe here. (We're awesome about not spamming your inbox!)

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The title: Somebody I Used to Know. Not to be mistaken with 'Somebody That I Used to Know', by Gotye (ft Kimbra). The two actually have overlapping themes, but with the latter doing much better and in only four minutes.

Does a character say the title out loud during the film? Of course, they do. It's that kind of film.

The tagline: “Whatever happened to the one that got away?” Which understandably reads like a horror film tagline, given the characters you are about to spend the next 106 minutes with.

The suggested tagline: Terrible people doing horrible things, but everyone gets to walk away with scant consequences for their actions, while everything is hunky-dory with a generous splash of closure/redemption by the end because romcom hahaha D:

The director: Dave Franco. And while the film's absolute lack of focus, or shall we say… direction (thank you), would suggest a feature debut in that role, that is not the case.

The writers: Dave Franco and Alison Brie. A real-life handsome Hollywood husband and wife duo.

The stars: Alison Brie (okay, I'm sensing a theme here), Jay Ellis, Kiersey Clemons, Danny Pudi, Olga Merediz, Julie Hagerty, Haley Joel Osment, and many, many more.

The plot synopsis according to Rotten Tomatoes: Workaholic TV producer Ally (Brie) faces a major professional setback which sends her running to the comforts of her hometown. She spends a whirlwind evening reminiscing with her first love Sean (Ellis) and starts to question everything about the person she's become. Things only get more confusing when she discovers Sean is getting married to Cassidy (Clemons) whose confidence and creative convictions remind Ally of who she used to be.

The accuracy of the above-mentioned synopsis: Fairly accurate description of the first half-an-hour or so. Highly misleading in how almost innocent it makes the whole affair and the characters sound.

The suggested synopsis: Self-absorbed TV producer Ally (Brie), who has little regard for her friends or co-workers, faces a fairly predictable professional setback which sends her running to the comforts of her hometown, where she proceeds to have little regard for her mother, and within hours sets out to wreck the lives of people she hasn't seen in a decade. She spends a whirlwind evening reminiscing with her first love Sean (Ellis), a toxic individual masquerading as an innocent, confused teenager with no sense of consequences, and starts to question why she can't have him back again. She only gets more determined and malicious in her quest when she discovers that liar Sean is getting married to Cassidy (Clemons) whose confidence and creative convictions remind Ally of who she used to be, aka hurts her ego/gives her the good ol' fomo. Brought to you by Hallmark, with a better budget.

The good: In the depths somewhere, there lie some truly compelling and resonating ideas worth exploring, even though most of them are crammed into the third quarter of the film. The notions of finding comfort in and fighting for who you are or want to be, making difficult life-altering decisions and learning to live with them, knowing when to move on and let go… there is some good in here; alas, one has to struggle through a sludge of mediocrity to get there. Moreover, the best parts of the film take place in the interactions between Ally and Cassidy. But rather than build the film around them, they just come and go like a sketch show, lost in the barely structured proceedings.

The bad: Are you even paying attention?

How much rom? A fair bit, albeit, twisted in its own way.

How much com? Very little, if any.

How much nostalgia? Just watch some old films.

How much nudity? Yes.

The required suspension of disbelief: As 21 Savage would put it, a lot. The film exists in a fairly robust romcom alternate reality.

The acting: Ranging from Alison Brie-can-do-much-better to please-don't-do-this-to-Haley Joel Osment.

The dialogues: Imagine an AI so rudimentary that it could barely be called an AI being fed a bunch of B romcoms and left to do the rest.

The been there, seen that: From Alley catching her mom having sex to an over-acted reunion montage to cringy singing and completely avoidable misunderstandings, this one has all the staples of the genre.

The Hollywood shorthand: We know Ally is a workaholic because everyone walking the earth keeps telling her that she needs to take some time off, even though they seem to be working as much as her, if not more than.

The locations: The film is supposed to be set in Leavenworth, Washington, but is reportedly shot in and around Portland, Oregon. Regardless, it's all cosy and beautiful, tailor-made for a romcom.

The sets: All the lamps in Ally's home are forever tuned on.

The food situation: Shocking lack of food or shots of people eating considering the film revolves around a wedding.

Are there any pets in the film? A quick cameo by a moose.

Can I watch it with my kids? Oh yes, go ahead. They will love it, and won't have any questions about anything. In fact, this is a great way to have them pick up on some important life lessons.

The vibe: Sean's mother insists Ally film the wedding events for them, given her Hollywood credentials. She proceeds to do the same using her phone, with the same amount of effort and skill that kids employ when left to eat by themselves. And everyone couldn't be happier.

Is the romcom renascence real? Too early to make that call. But not with this attitude.

The final verdict: Eh.