One of the biggest hits of the 2023 holiday movie run was the Sony-backed “Anyone but You,” and everyone is surprised, especially after its low-key opening weekend. And it begs the question: Is the mid-budget rom-com back?
Before we answer that question, let’s go over where it went. When you ask people what their favorite rom-com is, the movie named was probably released somewhere between the late 80s with “The Princess Bride” and “When Harry Met Sally” and the late 2000s with “Mamma Mia” and “The Proposal.” These movies, many of which the young people around us grew up on, came about during a boom of rom-coms being written, put out, and produced by studios as their mid-budget movies, with no large-spending graphics or practical effects but lots of charm.
But these movies got the axe with the advent of the 3-D movie, where technical showstoppers wowed audiences in a way that the normal, day-to-day stories of the rom-com did not. And as effects like CGI and the multi-movie narratives of the Marvel franchises took over our box offices, they edged out the rom-com and its compatriots. Many people thought that was the end of the rom-com.
But then Netflix Originals came onto the scene. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Netflix Films co-producers Matt Brodlie and Ian Bricke say that they brought back the rom-com after seeing that they were still paying out large amounts of licensing for these movies, but no one is making new ones.
“Where’s “My Best Friend’s Wedding” now? Where is “The Holiday”? Where are these films now?” said Brodlie in the interview.
So, they made them, and a lot of them. There are multiple series of rom-coms available under the Netflix Originals banner, with book adaptations like “All of the Boys I’ve Loved Before” or the holiday-based “The Princess Switch.” Many of these movies are some of the most beloved in the studio, having multiple movies in each series. But these movies are low-budget movies. They have cheap costumes and low-value sets and often end up with less-than-stellar acting (sorry, Vanessa Hudgens).
And that exact low budget is what “Anyone but You” turns on its head. The vast majority of the movie is filmed in real locations, with beautiful sets and actors with a sparking chemistry so alive that it brought about rumors of a real-life affair between the actors. The script is funny and references the Shakespeare play it is based on while still feeling like its own, instead of feeling cookie-cutter cut out.
And people loved it. The movie’s international earnings have now exceeded 100 million dollars, with reviews pouring in that the movie is instantly well-loved, even if not something that breaks the mold in any way. And honestly, as people are getting sick of superhero movies, maybe this is the future of the cinema experience.
Abigail Spencer can be reached at [email protected] or on X @ABairdSpencer