In his sophomore directorial feature, Dave Franco shifts genres, moving from thriller to rom-com with ease, yielding equally solid results. Written by Franco and wife Alison Brie, Somebody I Used to Know is funny, relatable and far more mature than it appears at first glance.
The movie isn’t without a few rom-com tropes that give it a sense of been-there-done-that, but it’s able to shake that staleness off through well written characters. Just as we all are in real life, the people in this movie are flawed, and sometimes make selfish decisions. Even though they’re charming to watch, they aren’t always entirely likeable. It gives each of them a bit more substance, and a lot more relatability.
A rom-com only works when the spark is believable between the two leads. Alison Brie and Jay Ellis have charming on-screen chemistry, but it’s the dynamic between other characters that elevates the film as a whole. Normally, a character like Kiersey Clemons’ Cassidy would be written as someone you’d root against, but she’s realized with just as much depth as Brie’s character. Some of the best scenes are the ones between these two, because you’re able to get into the headspace of either one of them. Oh and also, bonus points for reuniting Brie with Danny Pudi. As a huge fan of Community, I revelled in every scene they shared here.
Somebody I Used to Know dodges most of the pitfalls that often plague the rom-com genre, but pulling focus away from the romance and placing it on individual characters. With great chemistry among the whole cast, and excellent performances from Brie and Clemons, this marks another solid entry in Dave Franco’s filmography.
3.5/5
Review by: Benjamin Garrett