Co-written by Dave Franco and Allison Brie, Somebody I Used to Know is a story about a workaholic living in the big city (in this case, Los Angeles) who, after a career disappointment, travels to her suburban hometown to reset.
The Plot
Allie (played by Alison Brie) is a successful showrunner for a reality television show. When her show fails to get picked up for another season, Allie takes the opportunity to visit her mom in her hometown of Leavenworth. The mountainous town in Washington state is absolutely gorgeous. And the cinematography showcasing this beautiful landscape is one of the highlights of the film.
The story picks up pace with Allie bumps into her ex-boyfriend, Sean (Jay Ellis). After not seeing each other for nearly ten years, the two pick up right where they left off. They chat and flirt through the night and into the early morning. The reminiscing is fun and sweet. So fun and sweet that Allie wonders if leaving Leavenworth all those years ago was actually the right decision.
After Allie quickly kisses Sean, she invites him to come inside. But he declines the invitation. Allie’s embarrassment motivates her to show up unexpectedly on Sean’s front stoop later that night. She apologizes for “making it awkward,” but in reality, she feels like she’s got a chance and she’s just trying to win him over.
Allie is pleasantly surprised when Sean’s mother, JoJo (Olga Merediz), pops onto the porch and invites her to stay for dinner. And Allie’s even more surprised when at the dinner table, JoJo announces that Sean is engaged to a very hip and cool Cassidy (Kiersey Clemons).
This is when the movie starts to dive into My Best Friend’s Wedding territory. Allie conspires to win Sean’s love by crashing the wedding weekend. She befriends the younger Cassidy, who also happens to be in a punk rock band.
Throughout the movie, Allie continues to try to win Sean. But the closer Allie gets to Cassidy, the more Cassidy reminds Allie of her younger self. And the more Allie wants to help her.
Recommendation
Somebody I Used to Know has heart. It’s quick and fun, although it’s more of a drama than a rom-com. In a nutshell, it’s definitely worth a watch!
Somebody I Used to Know is available to stream now on Amazon Prime.
