I'm Calling It Now, 'Set It Up' Is This Year's Best Rom-Com | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Film

I'm Calling It Now, 'Set It Up' Is This Year's Best Rom-Com

The Netflix original you've actually been waiting for.

33
I'm Calling It Now, 'Set It Up' Is This Year's Best Rom-Com

Lately, Netflix has been putting out original content like it's a sushi restaurant in an "I Love Lucy" episode, between stand up comedian's specials, new series, documentaries and a handful of romantic comedies, the process has been full of some growing pains. Yet, recently they released "Set It Up," directed by Claire Scanlon and people have been delighted with the results. This film features young leads Zoey Deutch and Glen Powell as matchmakers for their overworked bosses (Lucy Liu and Taye Diggs) and although we've all watched romantic comedies before, it keeps you engaged through a well-paced story the entire film.

As the young assistants struggle with their own questions, what they're willing to sacrifice to become successful and what they want from their careers, they find themselves spending time together setting up their bosses. A friendship is slowly kindled and the beginnings of infatuation start to blossom when they are faced with a difficult choice about coming clean to their bosses in order to reveal a cruel truth they have both uncovered.

While this romantic comedy does stay true to many of the cliches and formulaic turns of the usual romantic comedy, it also stays true enough to the unique characters and freshly twisted storyline to become something new. The chemistry between Deutch and Powell keeps you leaning in and routing for the characters, as well as the developed side characters. Both of the bosses, specifically Liu's character, are developed beyond the 'evil boss' stereotype to show their own feelings and motivations.

As with any great romantic comedy, each leading character has one friend who we as the audience get to see. Both of these friends are cherished. Pete Davidson makes an appearance at Powell's gay roommate who becomes fast friends with Deutch. While Deutch's own best friend becomes engaged and helps Deutch beat a serious case of writer's block with tough love. These side characters are modern and charming in a way that most romantic comedies buddies end up flat and one dimensional. The addition of Deutch's friendly seat buddies at the Dodger's game only adds to the layers each character in the film holds on their own and not simply as a plot for the device to function around.

The entire film takes old tropes that make people love movies like "27 Dresses," "The Wedding Planner," "How To Lose a Guy In 10 Days" and all of the other classics in the genre that you can predict from the opening scene. But with the updated twists and turns of this story, it leaves you laughing in the middle of the airport chase-down scene and cringing in the middle of the big fight scene because of accidental shoplifting. This film is a winner for many reasons, the acting, the writing, the diversity, the honesty and above all, how easy and fun it is to watch. "Set It Up" gets romantic comedies back on the track that not everything has to be tragic to be good, sometimes it just has to be kind of real. And "Set It Up" is as real of a romantic comedy as you'll ever see.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

How To Prepare For The Library: Finals Edition

10 ways to prepare for finals week—beginning with getting to the library.

653
How To Prepare For The Library: Finals Edition
Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash

It’s that time of year again when college students live at the library all week, cramming for tests that they should have started studying for last month. Preparing to spend all day at the library takes much consideration and planning. Use these tips to help get you through the week while spending an excessive amount of time in a building that no one wants to be in.

Keep Reading...Show less
girl roommates
StableDiffusion

Where do we begin when we start talking about our roommates? You practically spend every moment with them, they become your second family and they deal with you at your best and at your absolute worst. They are there to make you laugh just a little harder, cry a little less and make each day a little better. We often forget to thank them for the little things that they do to make college even a tiny bit easier and more fun. This list of 26 things are what you should thank your roommates for right this minute and every day that you live with them.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

20 Thoughts While Studying For Finals

I may or may not be stressing right now.

1748
Thoughts While Studying For Finals
StableDiffusion


That time of the semester has arrived once again, finals. The worst week ever. Who thought it was a good idea for all your classes to have exams all in the same week? Definitely not me. Here's 20 thoughts you may have studying for finals.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Disney magic for New Year!

The "Happiest Place on Earth" has a lot of characters with some pretty great advice.

6677
Disney magic kingdom castle on new years
StableDiffusion

Disney movies are well known and very popular in today's world. Although many people appreciate the plot and the storyline, not many people appreciate the wisdom these characters possess. Every Disney movie has unique advice that can be applied to everyday life. Here are 11 Disney quotes to help start your New Year off right:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

40 Gift Ideas for the Indecisive

It's a time of love, family, memory-making, and gift-giving. But also a time of stressing over the perfect gift.

120874
Christmas gifts around a tree
StableDiffusion

It's officially December. There is less than a month of 2024, and I still feel like yesterday was summer. Now comes the merriest time of the year, the Christmas season.

Everyone has been waiting for this time of year since mid-October (which is way too early, in my opinion) or before. It's a time of love, family, memory-making, and gift-giving. A lot of times when I ask friends and family what they want, I get a lot of "I don't know" or "I don't care."

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments