Anyone But You, a romantic comedy starring Glen Powell as Ben and Sydney Sweeney as Bea, tells the tale of two lovers who get off to a rocky start. The film was released on December 22 and has already made over $100 million, according to The Hollywood Reporter’s website (HollywoodReporter.com), and is leaving fans in love with Bea and Bea’s bond. Junior Jacqueline Thayer described the film as “cheesy in the perfect way, with many funny scenes and a perfect cast,” and it seems many fans are in general agreement.
In Anyone But You, Bea and Ben “look like the perfect couple, but after an amazing first date[,] something happens that turns their fiery, hot attraction ice cold—until they find themselves unexpectedly thrust together at a destination wedding in Australia,” as reported by Rotten Tomatoes’ website (RottenTomatoes.com). While trying to secure a restroom key at a coffee shop, Boston University law student Bea meets Goldman Sachs employee Ben. In the scene, Ben is waiting in line, and Bea just needs to use the bathroom, but the barista is reluctant and will not allow her to unless she first buys something. Ben, being a gentleman, pretends that Bea is his wife in order to help her. He tells her to grab a baguette and coffee to count for buying something. The two then begin to chat, and due to their instant connection, they spend the day together, ultimately falling asleep on Ben’s couch. But when she wakes up at Ben’s place, Bea gets nervous and slips away while Ben is still asleep. Eventually changing her mind, Bea returns to the apartment, only to overhear Ben insulting her while talking to his friend, Pete.
Filled with resentment, Bea and Ben stop talking. However, the main story takes place as their lives interconnect once more as Bea’s sister, Halle (Hadley Robinson), gets engaged to Ben’s friend Claudia (Alexandra Shipp), and the two learn they are both headed to Claudia and Halle’s wedding in Australia. As explained by Deadline magazine (Deadline.com), “In an attempt to maintain appearances, they try to mask their mutual interest, but their obvious tension threatens to disrupt the wedding festivities. Desperate to keep the peace, they agree to a truce.” The story further complicates when Bea’s parents invite her ex-boyfriend, Jonathan (Darren Barnet), and Ben’s ex-girlfriend, Margaret (Charlee Fraser), to attend the wedding, but Ben and Bea fake being in love to diminish the buzz from their family members and closest friends. However, through pretending, the two actually end up falling in love and have their happily ever after. A common motif is the heavenly comfort food grilled cheese that the two are seen making with each other throughout the film.
Junior Emily Franklin expressed that her favorite part of the movie was that it was set in Australia, “which gave it a tropical vibe that was perfect for the story.” Thayer further added, “My favorite part was definitely the end when everyone was singing along to the song ‘Unwritten.’” Senior Kailey Dunne agreed: “I loved when they sang ‘Unwritten’ for the first time after they were in the water and had to be rescued by the helicopter.”
Overall, fans are exclaiming that they love this new rom-com. Some fans went as far as taking it to TikTok and saying that Anyone But You is the best rom-com since the 10 Things I Hate About You and How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days era. Franklin expressed, “I would rate it an 8/10 and would definitely recommend it.” Thayer agreed, commenting, “I would rate the movie a 9/10 and would definitely recommend it to someone else and watch it again sometime.” Dunne added, “I would rate the movie a 9/10 and would totally recommend [it] since I want to watch it again with my friends.” Ben’s serenity song, “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield, plays whenever he has to deal with something scary or stressful, such as his fear of heights. The movie has even started a new TikTok trend with fans dancing to this song.
Ultimately, fans are just as in love with the new film Anyone But You as Bea and Ben are with each other. The film is cute and romantic, and fans are hoping for more of these two on the big screen in the near future.
