The teaser for Anyone But You, the sexy rom-com starring Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney, was underwhelming. But now the full trailer is here, and it’s…also underwhelming. I WANT to like this movie so much, I like both Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney, I like rom-coms, this is right up my alley! But so far, it just isn’t sparking, and I hate to say it, but I think it’s Sydney Sweeney.
I like her as an actor, but to date, she is best known for drama. The Handmaid’s Tale, Euphoria, The White Lotus, Reality—all dramas. She’s a double Emmy nominee (for Euphoria and The White Lotus) and I AGREE with that, she’s excellent in both of those shows, and I use Reality as my go-to example of Sydney’s ability to act. But they’re all dramas. And while people who are good at comedy are always good dramatic actors—because comedy is harder and having an innate understanding of timing and delivery serves actors well in any genre—dramatic actors aren’t always good at comedy. Maybe Sydney just isn’t good at comedy.
What’s killing me is her line delivery—she sounds almost asleep. Glen is selling the idea of a cocky asshole covering up a crushed heart, but all I get from Sydney is the feeling that her character really wants a nap. Her delivery is flat and she’s not keeping up with Glen’s rom-com patter. There’s a rhythm to these things, the best romantic comedies are built on well-delivered dialogue. The genre was born out of the rapid-fire back-and-forth in films like It Happened One Night, Bringing Up Baby, and His Girl Friday. Yes, you need good chemistry for a good rom-com, but you also need good patter. And there’s no patter in this trailer.
It is just a trailer, though. Just two and a half minutes. Maybe the dialogue and delivery will sing in the full context of the film. Or maybe there’s a reason Sony was willing to risk releasing a rom-com without promotion. We’re going to get a press tour now, but I’m not sure any amount of puppy interviews or sexy magazine profiles can overcome my growing skepticism about this film.
