Kiernan Shipka and Nico Hiraga deliver a subversive Rom-Com with fun writing but low energy

Dear ones
is an anti-romance comedy that follows two best friends who decide that their high school relationships are holding them back from becoming college students. Jamie (Kiernan Shipka) is lethargic and emotionally blocked from making friends with others while maintaining a lackluster long-distance relationship with her athlete boyfriend. Meanwhile, Ben (Nico Hiraga) is suffocated by his vain and obsessive girlfriend, preventing him from dedicating himself to his studies. They realize they are in a crisis and, no longer emotionally invested in their partners, they make a pact to break up with their high school sweethearts before Thanksgiving.

Sweetheart’s fun concept is hampered by slow pacing and minimal energy

Dear ones It’s not a home run, but Jordan Weiss’ debut is a lot of fun. The film reminded me Smart Book with your best friends trapped in a close friendship that shuns everyone else. They realize that they aren’t particularly cool and haven’t done anything fun, and decide to at least try the typical young adult experience of attending a party. One of the best friends has a secret about going abroad soon, leaving the other potentially friendless as they continue their college studies in the United States. The comparisons stop there, but Weiss could have learned a thing or two from Smart Book.

One of Dear ones‘The biggest hurdle is overcoming the monotonous pacing and poor use of its supporting cast. The film is funny and has some genuinely good lines, but when we take the supporting characters into consideration, the film falls apart a bit. Plus, it has this unwavering slowness, despite the seemingly hectic situation Jamie and Ben find themselves in. Dear ones would benefit greatly from kinetic and chaotic energy to give a sense of urgency to the leaders’ self-created crisis. The raunchy atmosphere of the university environment is presented so naturally that the film’s comedy is completely drained from these rare moments.

The situation is made even worse because the secondary characters are not as interesting as the script expects them to be. Think again about Smart Book and the characters that surround the main duo. You wouldn’t say any of them took control of the film for long, but their brief presence was memorable due to the identifiable idiosyncrasies in their mannerisms, dialogue, and actions. The writing and casting created space for each supporting character to show their quirks without distracting from the main pair’s dynamics. Dear ones It’s missing that key element in the writing and casting, even though the writing is the main offense.

Shipka and Hiraga shine as platonic best friends

Although they don’t have a strong support set

Kiernan Shipka and Nico Hiraga are charismatic and carry the film easily as subversive young adult protagonists, which is the film’s main highlight. It’s gratifying to watch a film that makes a very subtle subversion of gender norms with these characters. It’s not too showy, and that’s a credit to Weiss’ intelligent, reasoned writing.

The script shines most when it focuses mainly on the dialogue and scenes that center the duo, although Palmer (Caleb Hearon), the third wheel of this friendship, has his fair share of memorable lines. However, external factors don’t mix perfectly and Palmer becomes trapped in a plot that leaves him completely stranded on an island while Jamie and Ben pass by.

Dear ones also engages in the whole best-friends-to-lovers trope, but doesn’t commit to it in the way we would assume. When observing this friendship from the beginning, the signs aren’t there, but the film still falls into the trap without making it feel earned. Hiraga and Shipka have great chemistry, but their chemistry doesn’t scream When Harry met Sallyand probably shouldn’t have had fun. This ruins the momentum the film already struggles with.

The pace does not allow for many deviations from the main plot and the break with the high school sweethearts plot, which is adulterated by the secondary plot with Palmer, is extremely poorly done and disjointed from the main story. The best friends-to-lovers idea is a C plot at best, but C is for “I can do without.”

Dear ones has all the pieces to make it a memorable college anti-rom-com, featuring platonic best friends that are truly engaging to watch. The writing is often fun, funny, and takes into account the way modern college students speak. The disjointed plots don’t completely detract from the film, but the irregularity detracts from the fun. Despite subverting expectations and being bold in its approach, the lack of energy and fearlessness prevent this story from reaching its full potential. Weiss’s directorial debut isn’t a failure, but charm can only take you so far.

Dear ones is available to stream on Max on Thursday, November 28th. The film is rated R for sexual content, language, teen parties and brief graphic nudity.