I Want You Back Review

2022 | R | 1h 51m

The movie starts off on a particularly sad note with both our leads, Peter and Emma being broken up with, complete with a montage of sappy moments from their former relationships playing in the background as both of them lose themselves in their post-breakup sulking. The breakups are kind of funny in how they catch our leads completely off guard and how they play out. Sleepless nights soon follow along with the mandatory getting rid of the souvenirs that rub the heartbreak in, not to mention the muffled crying in the pillows. Things are not looking great and they aren’t helped by the fact that their former lovers seem to have moved on already.

If getting your heart stomped on all in a weekend’s worth of time wasn’t enough, both our leads still have work on a Monday. The first time they run into each other is when they both escape their boring afternoons at work to do a little more sulking in the fire escape of the building. “Your significant other broke up with you too? Oh, how convenient”. No, I’m kidding, the interaction is played off as naturally as possible with both of them being their charming, funny selves. Following a very awkward exchange on the staircase, the two of them hit a karaoke bar. Still hung up on their lovers, they decide to keep each other company through their heartbreak, forming the “sadness sisters” as they like to call it. It is exactly this goofy energy that I like so much from them. Both Jenny Slate and Charlie Day have this very chill brand of comedy that can make you laugh so effortlessly.

On one of their nights out they hatch a plan to get their exes back. It’s stupid and you know it’s never going to work, but you want to see it happen because you know you’re in for a lot of laughs. This is where the plot gets a little formulaic, with both of them hanging out so much, every now and then they seem to catch each other’s eye in a way that seems to indicate to the audience that there’s something there. It’s also where we get to be acquainted a little more with Anne and Noah, the aforementioned exes.

Scott Eastwood is especially delightful as Noah, the driven personal trainer who feels like he’s finally had a romantic epiphany, having found the person he’s supposed to be for the rest of his life. His breakthrough of course, isn’t helped by the fact that his ex has teamed up with a guy from work to try and win him back through less than moral means. Gina Rodriguez’s character was a bit of a letdown. As great as she is, I assume the script didn’t give her anything to work with. There’s hardly an honest moment with her as her character seems to be played for laughs. Thinking she’s at a standstill in her life, she dumps her former boyfriend to start a relationship with her school’s drama teacher. In doing this she hopes to finally break the mold of being with an uptight English teacher she’s been stuck with.

Now that we’ve gotten introduced to the characters let’s get to the plot, which sees Emma trying to get Anne’s new boyfriend to cheat on her by volunteering for his school play and working her magic. Peter will try to change Noah’s mind about Ginny by becoming his best friend. Stupid, right? And delusional, exactly the sort of plan two goof-balls would come up with. Jenny and Charlie both seem to understand the dopey lovability of their characters and play into it. Their chemistry is perhaps what gives the movie its zing where the plot fails it.

How the movie unfolds thereafter betrays its initial promise. The friendship between Noah and Peter has moments where you feel truly involved, but that illusion is broken by the realization that Peter isn’t sincere in his intentions. The situation with Emma and Anne evolves into a mess where you end up wondering “How did we even get here?”.

The plan eventually works out, at least for one of them. Anne realizes that she likes the person she’s become, even if that persona is that of a nervy English teacher that likes to talk about theatre every now and then. She gives Peter a call and the both of them decide to get back together. Noah, as we come to realize, is head over heels for Ginny and Peter can do nothing but watch from the sidelines as he breaks the news to Emma. The news comes as a shock to Emma, or does it? Initially downplaying his appeal to women, she’s unfortunately fallen for Peter’s slow-burn charms. She can of course do nothing about it now that Peter’s back with Anne, and has no one but herself to blame for their reunion.

The third act of the movie has everything from the cliched realization to a mandatory airport scene. With Peter finally realizing that no one’s been so supportive of his dreams as much as Emma, he breaks up with Anne to try and chase after her. Emma obviously feels betrayed by the initial cold shoulder but they do end up getting together, at least that’s what the final scene implies. Can’t be too obvious right?

The film showed a lot of promise, there’s so much to be unpacked with how good Jenny and Charlie are together and how we didn’t get to see much more of them. Moving the attention away from such an impactful duo doesn’t sit well with the movie, as none of the other characters are nearly as interesting or as fun to watch as Peter and Emma. There’s also the lazy writing which feels like the movie’s just checking the mandatory rom-com boxes by the end of it. There are moments of brilliance here and there, and I only wish there could’ve been more.