I Want You Back
Directed by Jason Orley
★★★
Jenny Slate and Charlie Day star in I Want You Back.
Credit: Courtesy of Amazon Studios
Copyright: Property of Amazon Prime Video
Filename: IWYB_PS.jpg
Lowkey, this year’s lineup of Valentine’s romcoms is weak and not nearly as stacked as in past years. Luckily for those of us who love to channel our inner Jessica Day and scream cry to beautiful people falling in love from the comfort of our home snuggled up solo with a box of Cheez-its and a fat ass glass of Pinot Noir, we have I Want You Back.
The film follows a couple of thirty-somethings (Jenny Slate and Charlie Day) who have recently been dumped, much to their surprise, by their longtime significant others (romcom staples Scott Eastwood and Gina Rodriguez). After meeting during a dual low-point in a stairwell, the two hatch a scheme to take back ‘the love of their lives’.
Yes, it's sometimes cheesy and schmaltzy, and yes it's glaringly obvious that Charlie Day is a decade too old to be playing someone in their mid-30’s, but the movie has a surprisingly genuine approach to the oft trod relationship dynamics on display and is frequently uproariously funny and relatable.
Jenny Slate and Gina Rodriguez are the film’s standouts. Slate has such an affable sense of character and it's great to see her in a role like this. Rodriguez is playing a role somewhat similar to her character in Someone Great, but she finds ways to make her a totally different character, that may not be as effectively accomplished in a lesser actress’s hands. The rest of the cast is also great, with the exception of the reliably beautiful but wooden Eastwood.
The movie comes from director Jason Orley, who previously worked on the criminally under-seen Big Time Adolescence. Orley has proven himself to be a competently empathetic filmmaker, with this particular film's editing and pacing being particularly strong.
It may not be nothing new, and the ending will be up for debate as to whether or not we needed a bit more, and with its timely release on Amazon Prime, I Want You Back is a solid choice for your Cupid’s Day cuddles, be it solo or with someone special.
