New to Prime Video today is the Amazon Original film “I Want You Back”. A new romantic comedy that gives the audience a smart and hilarious look at the consequences of doing crazy things in the name of love.
Charlie Day and Jenny Slate star as Peter and Emma, strangers who bond after they are both unexpectedly dumped by their respective partners, Anne (Gina Rodriguez) and Noah (Scott Eastwood). When they discover that their exes have moved on to new romances, Anne with Logan (Manny Jacinto) and Noah with Ginny (Clark Backo), they come up with a plan to win them back.
A smart, hilarious, and charming story
Charlie Day and Jenny Slate are absolutely charming and hilarious in this film. You find yourself rooting for them to win the entire time, even when you know that what they’re doing is totally problematic. However, their characters come off as so human and so down on their luck that you just can’t help wanting to see them happy.
Charlie Day’s portrayal of Peter is absolutely swoon-worthy. Something in the way he comes off as so down to earth but also super caring just gives off “The One” vibes. Jenny Slate is amazing at how quickly she can go from super sexy to super funny without missing a beat. Her acting was so on point that when she had her more emotional onscreen moments, we were definitely feeling her pain. The onscreen chemistry between Day and Slate was perfectly sweet and charming. With very satisfying character growth happening in both characters throughout the film.
One of the things that makes this film so good is the inner reflection that takes place within each of the characters. You get to see everyone’s side of the story. This isn’t always easy with an ensemble cast. But here there is a clear understanding of how everyone involved is feeling. It also doesn’t paint anyone as a villain. More than anything, the film is a great example of how human we are and how relatable breakups and heartbreak is. It helps us to understand that how we deal with breakups is more about where we are in our own lives and less about the other person who left us. It’s that very human fear that the relationship you just lost was your last shot at happily ever after. It’s dealing with the uncertain and scary prospect of having to start over.
The happy ending we need this Valentine’s Day
One of the problems that some romantic comedies tend to have is that they accidentally glorify toxic behaviors by allowing the main characters to have a happy ending without facing major consequences. That is not an issue that I Want You Back has. Our main characters are definitely up to no good and act in problematic ways in order to win back their exes back, but they also face a lot of consequences for it. This is absolutely heartbreaking for audiences because you just really want them to win. Fear not, however, this is a romantic comedy after all. So, believe me when I say that it all ends well. It’s a perfect date night movie and a great excuse for Valentine’s Day at home.
The film is directed by Jason Orley and written by Isaac Aptaker & Elizabeth Berger (Love, Simon writers and This Is Us co-showrunner). I Want You Back stars Charlie Day, Jenny Slate, Scott Eastwood, Manny Jacinto, Clark Backo, and Gina Rodriguez. It is available to stream on Prime Video.
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