On a trip to her hometown, workaholic Ally reminisces with her ex Sean and starts to question everything about the person she’s become. Things only get more confusing when she meets Cassidy, who reminds her of the person she used to be.
When Ally (Alison Brie), an LA workaholic TV producer’s TV show “Dessert Island,” is canceled after three seasons, she decides to move back to her hometown in the Pacific Northwest to take a break from the TV industry. Staying with her mother, Libby (Julie Hagerty), and her boyfriend Sheldon (Leigh Guyer), Ally bumps into her ex-boyfriend Sean (Jay Ellis), and old feelings begin to surface. After spending a fun night exploring their old haunts, Ally learns that Sean is engaged and that his wedding will take place the following weekend. Determined to win him back, she plans on sabotaging the wedding, but things don’t go according to plan.
“Somebody I Used to Know” completely caught me off guard. Dave Franco is an actor that never truly stood out to me before; I always saw him as part of an ensemble cast in movies like “Now You See Me,” “6 Underground,” “Neighbors,” and “21 Jump Street,” so his individual acting method was often overlooked. However, as an actor-turned-director, he has thoroughly blown me away with his unfluctuating and assured directing style. After the uninspired reviews he received for his feature film directorial debut, “The Rental,” he has returned with an optimistic rom-com that never shoves its message down your throat, and I appreciate when filmmakers can approach their material in that manner.
Like Franco, Alison Brie is another actor whom I never really noticed before, but after this film, I can assure you I will be keeping them both on my radar and will check out both of their extensive acting biographies. Both are so talented, in front of and behind the camera, having written and produced the movie. Rom-coms are a dime a dozen, but they can touch your heart and turn even the most embittered, cantankerous old fool into a believer of love again when done correctly. “Somebody I Used to Know” takes its subject matter seriously but isn’t afraid to have fun along the way. The humor feels authentic and spontaneous, unlike other films that give the appearance of genuineness but, in reality, are all preachy and artificial.
“Somebody I Used to Know” immediately gives off “My Best Friend’s Wedding” vibes, and while it is similar, in part, as the story progresses, it veers off, thankfully, into another direction, focusing more on Ally and the person she has become, as opposed to the person she wanted to be when she was younger. Working and living in Hollywood, she has had to be strong and determined and is not used to being told “no,” so when she returns home, and past romantic feelings for Sean flare up, she must ultimately make a decision that will affect the rest of her life; does she want to be with him, or is she just up for the challenge?
When we first meet Ally, she is not a very likable person. She has no problem bossing and intimidating people to get her way, but over the course of the film, she slowly begins to see her true self with a little help from her childhood friends and does not like what she sees. The fact that she sets out to become a better person is a component in many movies that can come across as overly sentimental and syrupy simply because it’s what we expect, but here, it feels like a natural progression. She wasn’t always unlikable, she just got caught up in her Hollywood persona and struggles to shake it.
Alison Brie is a revelation. She exudes likability, even at her worst, and not many actors can pull that off. We want to believe in her because now and then, we see her true self reacting to a particular circumstance, if even for a moment, but she is quick to cover it up with her no-nonsense facade. Her transition back to her happy self by the film’s end is believable and never once feels forced, it doesn’t transpire simply because the script says so, it happens because it is the most logical evolution for the movie, and Ally’s character.
“Somebody I Used to Know” is filled with an array of superb character actors, including Kiersey Clemons, Amy Sedaris, Danny Pudi, Olga Merediz, Haley Joel Osment, and the always-endearing Julie Hagerty. Osment steals every scene he is in as Sean’s overly-exhilarated step-brother Jeremy, while Kiersey Clemons, as Sean’s fiancée Cassidy, infuses her character with just the right amount of moxie to rival Ally’s single-minded perseverance in winning her ex back. Director Dave Franco delivers a heartfelt film about grown-ups not wanting to grow up anymore, yearning for times gone by when everything was uncomplicated and much more fun. This is absolutely my favorite film of 2023 so far.
Available to stream on Amazon Prime Video Friday, February 10th
