Somebody I Used To Know is the sophomore outing from director Dave Franco. In his second film, Franco decides to shake up genres with a rom-com instead of another horror movie like his directorial debut, The Rental. The film is written by Dave Franco and Alison Brie and stars Alison Brie as the main character, Ally. Ally (Alsion Brie) is the showrunner of a reality food tv show called “Dessert Island,” which seems to be relatively successful as it has gone through 3 seasons; however, the show gets canceled, which leaves Ally in a state where she realizes how romantically unfulfilled she is. Ally returns to her old town for a few days and runs into an old ex, Sean (Jay Ellis). Sean just so happens to be getting married soon, and the two share a day together where there is still a romantic spark between them. Despite knowing that her ex is about to get married, Ally pursues him to see this relationship through fully.
If that sounds like a plot you’ve seen before, it’s probably because you have. Somebody I Used To Know is a pretty standard rom-com with a very familiar plot; however, it still manages to do enough to feel unique with layered characters and a plot that feels genuinely sincere in its story and intentions. I was worried at first, though, that Somebody I Used To Know would be a chore to sit through because the first fifteen minutes do not work. The viewers are oddly thrust into the behind-the-scenes of Ally’s reality food tv show, and it feels jarring and off-putting as we watch a chef spill his heart out to Ally as if it’s a therapy session. The scenes serve their purpose because it ties into themes later explored in the film, but it’s simply odd to watch as an introduction. What soured the opening fifteen minutes, though, is the humor. The humor feels painfully unfunny, with one specifically dragged-on scene where two of Ally’s co-workers try to explain that her show is getting canceled by comparing the viewership to their genitals. We see more raunchy jokes shoved into those first fifteen minutes, and it feels so tonally off-putting that Franco is desperate for a laugh from the viewers.
Fortunately, after those first fifteen minutes passed, the movie became much more enjoyable, and I genuinely wanted to see what would happen and how it would unfold. The chemistry between all the characters is what makes the movie as enjoyable as it is. The pairing between Ally and Sean was what I thought the main attraction would be since their opening scenes together were fantastic. The two bounced off each other so well, making it easy to root for them to end up together. However, my favorite pairing was between Ally and Benny (Danny Pudi), which may be due to bias from one of my favorite shows, Community, where the two actors play characters that bounce off each other well. Regardless, the casting was on point, and every scene the two shared felt so genuine and authentic. In a plot mainly focused on romantic relationships, it was incredibly refreshing to see a solid and genuine relationship that was strictly platonic.
As far as the actual drama of the situation, I actually became quite interested in what Ally would do. Would she do the ethical thing and leave Sean to marry his wife Cassidy (Kiersey Clemons) in peace? Or would she pursue Sean through any means necessary? The film goes with the latter, which can lead to viewers screaming at Ally through their screens, telling her to stop, which shows how well done that was. Ally makes many questionable decisions, especially when she learns Cassidy is in a band and is torn between marrying Sean or pursuing music. This is important because Ally was put into a situation that was exactly like this, where she had to choose between staying with Sean or pursuing filmmaking. It is quite a coincidence and is a little lazy in writing, but clearly, Franco and Brie are not aiming for subtly in this situation.
Ally and Cassidy form a bond over this and even become friends. Yet again, the chemistry between the actors and characters shines; all the dialogue between the actors felt so organic and fun to watch. The drama rises throughout the film as Ally, Sean, and Cassidy are now in doubt about what to do about this marriage situation, leaving the story unpredictable. This surprised me as the movie had felt like a pretty by-the-number rom-com before this. However, we get some pretty dramatic scenes with Ally, Sean, Cassidy, and Sean. There are a lot of arguments in the film, but they never feel too sappy, drawn out, or melodramatic. It felt like an accurate portrayal of what a couple would argue about, and Franco does an excellent job of keeping a grounded and natural tone.
Franco injects a lot of humor in the movie, with the stand-out comedic presence being Sean’s brother, Jeremy (Haley Joel Osment). Jeremy plays the ideal version of what Sean wants his life to look like. Jeremy has a wife, kids, and a stable career and seems genuinely happy. Osment’s character is relegated to being strictly a background and side character to alleviate tension, though, which I thought was a little strange because he is playing the brother of one of the main characters. Jeremy essentially shares one memorable scene with Sean, just a speech. It just felt odd because a big thing for the character of Sean is how much he values family, yet, he’s hardly interacting with them in the movie.
Another critique of the film is that it can sometimes be unbearably cheesy. For example, there is a scene where Ally is reminiscing about her past relationship with Sean and sees her watching old footage of her singing about how much she loves Sean, which ends with the two kissing one another. There are better ways of showing what sort of relationship the two had in the past without resorting to the derivative found footage method. The way the two display their current relationship and how everyone spoke about them said everything I needed to know, so the scene could’ve just been cut. There is also this subplot about Ally not spending enough time with her mom, which seems a bit random and underdeveloped. It leads to a heartwarming conclusion and shows character growth for Ally when she spends more time with her mother, but it definitely could have been done better.
By the movie’s end, I was still pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed myself. I thought I could predict where everything would go beat by beat, but I was surprised at the direction things went. Somebody I Used To Know, at its core, is simply a movie about following your heart, whatever and wherever that may be. This could be through a relationship, a passion, or a career, but you’ve got to see it through to see what makes you happy entirely.
Score: 3/5
Somebody I Used To Know is a cheesy and somewhat predictable rom-com that still manages to do different enough from being enjoyable. It’s a tight watch, with a runtime of one and forty-six minutes, and does not overstay its welcome. The film is carried by its various performances and the chemistry between the actors and has just enough drama, comedy, and romanticness to justify a viewing. The film is fun to watch, but do not expect to be blown away by it.
Somebody I Used To Know is streaming now on Amazon Prime.
Leave a Comment