‘Finding Emily’ Review: A Smart, Sweet British Rom-Com for Late Summer
‘Finding Emily’ is a smart, funny British rom-com that balances classic charm with modern sensibilities.
Late August movie releases often feel like a wasteland, but “Finding Emily” arrives as a welcome exception. This British romantic comedy, opening Friday, offers a smart, funny, and sweet story about young love that audiences have been craving.
The setup is admittedly contrived—so much so that it could fit into a trailer—but it feels familiar and grounded. Set on a university campus in Manchester, the film avoids dystopian gimmicks and instead focuses on regular young people getting in their own way.
The story begins with a classic meet-cute: Owen (Spike Fearn) encounters a fairy-costumed girl who seems interested, and she gives him her number. But the number is one digit short. Convinced it was a mistake, Owen embarks on a quest to find her, knowing only her first name: Emily.
His search isn’t universally welcomed. The script by Rachel Hirons understands that grand romantic gestures only work if the other person is interested—otherwise, they edge into creepy territory. But then another Emily (Angourie Rice) appears. She’s an American with an ulterior motive: she’s writing a thesis arguing that love drives people mad, and she sees Owen as her “Stanford Prison Experiment.”
Directed by Alicia MacDonald, the film nods to 90s Brit rom-coms (it shares producers with “Bridget Jones’s Diary”) while adding a Gen Z sensibility. Fearn’s Owen, with his Noel Gallagher haircut and twitchy innocence, never crosses into creepiness. Rice’s Emily is more challenging to warm to, but she’s relatable in her own way.
One refreshing aspect is that the will-they-won’t-they isn’t the main draw. The film knows its leads are in their early 20s and that we can enjoy spending time with them without investing heavily in a possible relationship. “Finding Emily” is just one story in their lives.
For rom-com fans, the recent landscape has been bleak, with flashy disappointments like “Office Romance” dominating. “Finding Emily” getting a theatrical release is promising, especially after the underappreciated “Voicemails for Isabelle,” which faded despite its quality. Both films were written and directed by women—a pattern studios might want to note.
“Finding Emily” is rated PG-13 for language, drug references, sexual references, and some crude material. Running time: 111 minutes. Three stars out of four.