We’re having a pretty solid year for rom-coms, and Finding Emily is next on the list to deliver a treat that’s lovely and unexpectedly thought-provoking. I’m not entirely sure what I was expecting, but a compelling conversation on consent certainly wasn’t one of the topics, and it’s the exact detail that ensures the entire story sticks the landing.
With charming yet deeply complex leads, Spike Fearn and Angourie Rice deliver the kind of incredible performances that allow us not only to connect with the characters but to understand their motives. And in a romantic comedy like this, motives are everything. As someone who favors messy characters, their particular choices make the film feel like a ’90s, early aughts classic with imperfect characters coming to a significant realization by the end of the story.
That particular detail swivels its way toward an organic grand gesture that works to not only double down on the angst but to make their future happy ending believable. But let’s go back to the beginning for a second—to the obvious miscommunication that makes the circumstances not only hilarious but worthwhile. Fearn’s Owen meets a girl named Emily at a party, but in her rushed state she leaves out a digit when she hands him her phone number. There begins his quest to find Emily, in this version, played by Every Year After‘s Sadie Soverall, only he builds a bigger connection with Rice’s Emily, who’s using him for her psychology project.
The conversations that effectively center around consent and men not being able to take “no” as a complete answer results in a lot of backlash toward Owen, and in turn, makes Finding Emily a compelling movie that explores agency. It’s frustrating at times, perhaps it can even be triggering for some viewers, but this story being written and directed by women, Rachel Hirons and Alicia MacDonald, respectively, matters to deliver an accurate portrayal of why it’s so hard to trust men. That exploration then gives us great character building with our two leads and helps the ending feel earned.
There’s an obvious care for the romance genre etched into every frame, but more importantly, there’s the decision to tell a story that feels right in this day and age. We have to keep talking about consent and agency. We have to understand the difference between someone being interested in you versus someone actively trying to get away and using preventative measures.
It’s not easy to place a topic as important as consent into a movie that’s less than two hours long, but the film manages to do so by ensuring that every conversation holds weight. It gives us enough time to not only understand the characters but to believe that they’ve learned something valuable in the process. Finding Emily could’ve easily come across as too moralizing, but instead, it’s deeply honest. It’s hilarious where it needs to be, vulnerable, and surprisingly a lot of fun throughout. It’s the exact type of coming-of-age rom-com I’d expect in this timeline, yet the surprising beats of nostalgia aren’t lost on me either.
Perfect for fans of Sex Education and, in some ways, About Time, there’s a lot to appreciate and take away from Finding Emily.
First Featured Image Credit: ©Universal Pictures