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SYNOPSIS: Workaholic TV producer Ally (Alison Brie) faces a major professional setback which sends her running to the comforts of her hometown. She spends a whirlwind evening reminiscing with her first love Sean (Jay Ellis) and starts to question everything about the person she’s become. Things only get more confusing when she discovers Sean is getting married to Cassidy (Kiersey Clemons) whose confidence and creative convictions remind Ally of who she used to be. Directed by Dave Franco and written by Franco & Alison Brie, SOMEBODY I USED TO KNOW is an unconventional love story about three people who unexpectedly help each other rediscover who they really are, where they came from, and where they’re going.

REVIEW

This film was actually was different than I expect. I love a good rom-com, but I am loving the direction the newer romantic comedies are taking! It’s not just some ditzy girl who falls in front of a guy and falls for a guy storyline – we get realistic plots now! This plot is based on ex-lover memory lane and the journey of there is truly still a spark or do people need to just move on? It’s a topic that I am sure more people can relate to. You see your ex randomly, and the sparks ignite again – only to realize one of you guy are in a relationship. Do you test the boundaries of the new relationship to see if we can get that old thing back?

This is basically the premises of Somebody I Used To Know. Allison Brie & Jay Ellis characters truly showcase how exes can reunite and still linger. I also love the twist of the new woman (Kiersey Clemons) and her role, because something the new partner/spouse play a random background character that people are usually rooting against. This is actually the first time I think most people could root for the new partner and not the protagonist and ex-lover reuniting.

One of my favorite revelations of this film is the development of the WING MAN. You know how every guy’s best friend in a movie encourages cheating or exploring if his friend should make decisions that would be detrimental to him? The wing man/best friend in this film was not having it. He was a true friend to both Main characters, but wanted the ex-boyfriend to stay in his new relationship and not go backwards. How refreshing is it to see a male friend depicted as a true voice or reason to keep him in a healthy relationship? We need to see more of that on tv & film, because the stereotype has manifested in the real world where the best friends/wing men are always willing to help cover or cheat for the male so he can have his cake and eat it too. I just thought it was healthy to see that on screen, not all male friends are rooting for destruction.

Overall it was a great film, it was hilarious in many parts of the movie as well. This is gonna make a great Galentine’s, Valentine’s or just overall fantastic romantic comedy film. Also it doesn’t hurt that Jay Ellis is amazing to watch all through the movie. Yummy!

SOMEBODY I USED TO KNOW streams exclusively on Prime Video February 10th.