Romantic comedies are often littered with cliches and cheesy dialogue. While it’s not my favorite genre of film, films like Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011) and Friends With Benefits (2011) have tugged at my heart strings with their ability to blend comedy and romance into intriguing stories. Jason Orley’s I Want You Back (2022) makes a compelling case to join those films on my exclusive list through its light-hearted comedy and captivating story about finding the people who bring out the best in you.
Charlie Day is known to many for his hilarious, dim-witted role as Charlie in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and as Dale in the Horrible Bosses series. Fans of Day will be delighted to watch him grace the big screen again, this time as Peter in the new Amazon Prime Original, I Want You Back. The film follows Peter and Emma (Jenny Slate) as they try to navigate being newly single and win back their partners Noah (Scott Eastwood) and Anne (Gina Rodriguez). I Want You Back hits the ground running when Anne breaks up with Peter and Noah breaks up with Emma. Peter and Emma meet each other in the stairwell of their office building, both crying. Once the two realize they both just got dumped, they quickly become friends, and it doesn’t take long before they devise a plan to win back their exes during a drunken night of karaoke.
With his signature physical comedy and impeccable comedic timing on full display, Day showcases more depth than we usually see from his characters. Peter is a VP at a retirement care company that does everything they can to limit the money spent on caring for the elderly. He once dreamt of revolutionizing geriatric care, but he played it safe, accepting the first job offer he received after graduating with his masters in public health. Peter feels as though he gave up on his dream in exchange for a cushy salary and solid benefits — something that Anne has criticized him for throughout their six year relationship.
Jenny Slate shines as Emma, a receptionist at an orthodontist’s office who doesn’t really have her life figured out. She’s in her early 30s, wishing to be back in her 20s. Despite not knowing what she wants to do with her life, Emma is a smart woman with a kind soul. Her friendship with Trevor (Luke David Blum), a middle schooler she meets while executing part of her and Peter’s plan, is one of my favorite aspects of the film. Trevor is 12 going on 22; the dynamic created between him and Emma is, to me, a highlight of the film. Their interactions illuminate the comedy in prepubescent cursing, along with the often underlooked insight young and naive kids have. His unique perspective on the world helps Emma work through some of her own issues while helping Trevor better communicate with his parents.
Day and Slate bounce lines off of each other with ease, pulling us into the lives of Peter and Emma. I enjoyed the comedic chemistry between the two, who deliver joke after joke without being constrained by the rom-com genre. I am not always fond of the overused tropes and predictability found often in rom-coms. I Want You Back dances around the traps that come with stories of romance — friends to lovers, second chances, soul mates — without falling in. While there were a number of reveals I saw coming, I was never bored. Emma, as a character, really aids the film in this regard. She is unpredictable in a way that is more interesting than reckless. Slate’s youthful spirit is imminent throughout the film and adds humor to all of her interactions. That said, Emma is skeptical following her break-up. Both Peter and Emma see no way they can be happy without Anne and Noah which fuels the entire story and provides situations that we might not guess the outcome of.
While the ending of the film is no surprise, the path taken is full of twists and turns that will keep you excited. I Want You Back is a welcome film for anyone who has recently experienced heartbreak and needs a little hope that the world isn’t ending — or for anyone who wants to relax and watch Charlie Day be his hilarious self.
