By: Hannah Wiley, Assistant Features Editor
Have you ever thought, “Wow I want to see a funny yet romantic movie that isn’t cheesy and overdone”? Well, I have the movie for you! And for those of you who have thought, “I wanna watch a movie that was made into a musical that then got made into a movie of the musical and still isn’t as good as the original,” I have the movie for you, too!
“Anyone But You” is a romantic comedy released Dec. 22, 2023 starring Sydeney Sweeney and Glen Powel. It’s a perfect mix of the enemies-to-lovers and fake dating tropes, interlaced with romance and comedy. The main characters Bea, played by Sydney Sweeney, and Ben, played by Glen Powel, meet one night and instantly connect. However, directly after that first night, they have a falling out and end up hating each other.
Fast forward two years and they find themselves at a destination wedding when a friend of Bea’s and a friend of Ben’s marry each other. Bea and Ben’s mutual hatred causes so much drama that the brides, Halle and Claudia, devise a plan for Ben and Bea to fall in love. From this, Bea and Ben agree to start a fake relationship to keep up appearances and ensure the enjoyment and happiness of Halle and Claudia for their wedding. Slowly, the audience gets to see Bea and Ben fall in love.
Without a doubt, this movie is one that’s going to make you fall in love with the idea of love! Not to mention that the amazing soundtrack includes “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield. You’ll leave the theater not only wanting to see the movie again but also having “Unwritten” stuck in your head for days to come.
On the other hand, “Mean Girls,” the musical film inspired by the Broadway musical that was inspired by the original 2004 movie, is less than spectacular. Going into the movie with the expectation that it would be as good as the original movie is going to cause you to leave the theater very disappointed.
There is no question that Reneé Rapp plays an amazing Regina George, but Cady Heron and Aaron Samuels could have been cast better. The movie has weird social media/TikTok-inspired compilations sprinkled throughout, but thankfully the costuming was solid and the storyline was easy to follow.
Overall, the songs were sung really well: some parts were funny, and quotes from the original movie were seen throughout. However, unless you love musicals or Reneé Rapp, save your money and watch the original “Mean Girls” or go see “Anyone But You!”
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