The Best Romantic Comedy of the Past 5 Years Quietly Drops on Netflix
For those of you whose February was too cold and lonely.
Summary
- Not long ago, the Netflix library was enriched with a new movie starring Maya Erskine and Jack Quaid.
- It's a romantic comedy about two friends who pretend to be each other's dates at various weddings.
- The plot does not shy away from classic tropes, which is why the movie was highly appreciated by critics and viewers.
Valentine's Day came and went in a flash. But even after a week, romance is still in the air, and we continue to return to our favorite romantic dramas and comedies with preferably happy, heart-stopping endings. And while we wait out the cold of winter, why not turn our attention to a much warmer and more romantic time of year — wedding season?
No, folks, we're certainly not suggesting that you make such an important life decision if you haven't already, or that you show up at random weddings like Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn (after all, it can cost more than, say, a subscription to streaming services). Instead, why not turn to romantic movies that deal with the subject?
After all, it wasn't that long ago that the Netflix library was stocked with arguably one of the best romantic comedies of recent years. Let's find out what this movie is, what critics and viewers are saying about it, and why it's the best option for warming your soul this cold February.
Jack Quaid and Maya Erskine Rock Other People's Weddings
We're talking about 2019's Plus One, directed, written, and produced by Jeff Chan and Andrew Rhymer (the former worked on the cringe-worthy comedy PEN15), probably the most charming, funny, and formulaic (in a good way) romantic comedy of the past five years. The film stars a seemingly unlikely duo who suddenly capture everyone's attention with their incredible chemistry: Maya Erskine of PEN15 fame, who also co-starred with Donald Glover in Mr. & Mrs. Smith, and Jack Quaid of Huey in The Boys fame, who recently starred as Richard Feynman in Nolan's Oppenheimer.
The story follows two young people in their late 20s, Ben and Alice, friends from college who share their relationship problems. Ben is the typical romantic choice of rom-coms — a sweet and handsome guy who believes in love at first sight and the existence of a perfect soul mate. Alice, on the other hand, is his complete opposite — sardonic, slightly depressed, but also incredibly funny and wisecracking.
What do they have in common besides an old friendship? Alice is going through a difficult breakup with her ex-boyfriend, and Ben still can't find the perfect match. Then you probably guessed it: they decide to pretend to be wedding dates to help each other find potential partners. And that's how friendship blossoms into real feelings.
A Predictable Yet Charming Nod to Classic Rom-Coms
Despite the fact that the film was somewhat overlooked by the media upon its release (it was added to Hulu two months later; however, as mentioned above, it is now available to stream on Netflix), critics and audiences who have seen Plus One have been extremely positive. On Rotten Tomatoes, for example, the critics' score is a respectable 88% and the audience score is 79%.
Let us warn you right away: if you are drawn to the movie, don't expect mind-bending plot twists, deconstruction of typical tropes, or anything like that. On the contrary, the story is formulaic, as the narrative structure will remind rom-com connoisseurs of Four Weddings and a Funeral or My Best Friend's Wedding. But maybe classic love story is just what many people have been looking for?
What makes the movie special is the undeniable chemistry between Quaid and Erskine, who are a worthy example of opposites coming together in the world of romantic stories. All in all, we highly recommend checking out this charming and well-written romantic comedy that will keep your head spinning throughout its 99 minutes of screen time.