Anyone But You shows its hand in the first five minutes, promising to stay consistent with its silly, yet mindless, dramatic tone. Apart from some decent performances and commitment to the genre, the film gets tired early on. It doesn't get more generic than this, as this Will Gluck-directed film navigates through all of the wedding-romcom tropes and makes sure to leave no stone unturned. Thankfully, Anyone But You never tries to be something it is not, the breezy romantic comedy stays in its lane and caters to its very specific audience.
While Bea (Sydney Sweeney) is on a break with her long-time fiancé, she meets Ben (Glen Powell), a stranger at a coffee shop who helps her get out of a jam. They end up spending a wonderful night together, but Ben is hurt when he notices Bea slip out early in the morning. Instantly recognizing her screw-up, Bea turns around to head back to the apartment but overhears Ben downplaying the night to his friend, Pete (Gata). The two of them hold a grudge and never reach back out to each other; that is, until one day when they are both invited to a destination wedding in Australia. Now they must set their differences aside and try not to ruin the event.
Much of this movie depends on the chemistry between its co-leads, which Sweeney and Powell have no problem pulling off. The film is carried by their presence, with no help from the cookie-cutter screenplay. The plot is painfully obvious and predictable, providing the viewer with no tension or anticipation of what may come next. It feels like the entire story is just filler between each bit, of which there are many, even though they fall extremely flat.
The direction here is exactly what the film needs, highlighted by a simple setting, bright colors, and dramatic transitions. There will be an audience for Anyone But You, but it feels like Gluck misses his target by overly sexualizing the characters into an 'R' rating. Much of the film's "adult" humor and situations are unnecessary and not funny in the first place.
With its inability to stand out in the crowded romcom genre, Anyone But You is doomed to get lost in a sea of similar movies. Luckily, the brisk pace makes this a watchable movie for some mindless escapism, something that many people can appreciate. Highlighted by some great acting but suffering from a mundane plot, Any But You is worth a watch only for fans of the genre, but without expectations of anything spectacular.