When Owen (Spike Fearn) meets Emily (Sadie Soverall) while on shift at one of the many university bars in Manchester, he believes he has found his dream girl. Realizing she gave him the wrong phone number, he sets out on the impossible task of finding her. But there are many Emilys who go to the same university and he has no idea how he’ll track her down. Enter Emily (Angourie Rice), an American psych major, who is writing her thesis on how love makes people do crazy things. She volunteers to help him thinking he’ll be a great addition to her case studies. Grateful for her act of kindness, Owen accepts, though he has no idea of her true intentions.
From the team behind Bridget Jones’s Diary and Love Actually, I knew from the very first time I saw the trailer that I needed to watch this movie. Romcoms are few and far between these days which is something I can never understand because they just make you feel so good. I’m pleased to report that this film exceeded my expectations in more ways than one. I loved everything about it!
Rice more than delivers as the titular Emily. While her character may be a morally grey one, she plays it well. The choices she makes are questionable at the best of times, but I have to admit that I understood where she was coming from. She stuck to her guns and knew when to admit she was wrong which I appreciated. Fearn was utterly charming as our unlikely Romeo. He wears his heart on his sleeve and will stop at nothing for love. This may not have always worked in his favor, but his gumption made it all worth it. Together their chemistry was real and genuine – it popped off the screen right from the first moment they met.
Though the film was initially supposed to be set in Los Angeles, I am glad that it was moved to Manchester. The north England vibes just added so much to the story. From the sprawling university grounds, to the student bars, and the local shops, I felt like I was transported to this time and place. The soundtrack was also filled with some brilliant bops that perfectly captured what was transpiring on screen.
The romance was spot on and the comedy delivered in spades. But the film also focused on consent in romantic relationships which is so important. We all know that Owen didn’t mean any harm when he set out to find Emily, but not everybody agreed with the choices he made. The way in which this was depicted was smart and topical. I’m glad they included it. I also did not expect the film to be so heartfelt. It dealt with some pretty serious themes such as grief, loss and rejection that were well handled too.
Finding Emily was probably the biggest surprise of the year for me so far. I had a feeling I would enjoy it, I just didn’t know how much. It left me smiling and feeling all warm and fuzzy inside. An instant classic for sure!
Rating: ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️
Credits Rolling 