Bad romantic comedies are as cliche now as bad horror movies. Studios like them because they’re cheap and easy to make, and audiences will go see them because they like watching likable, attractive people hang out with each other – or in the case of a horror film, watching unlikeable, attractive people have bad things happen to them. If you’ve seen one cheesy rom-com then you’ve essentially seen them all, as they follow the same basic formula of a handsome man/cute woman meeting, hating each other, dating, fighting and then making up at the end. There are exceptions of course, but for the most part they’re horribly predictable and lazy, which is probably why it’s so nice to watch They Came Together and realize other people have a problem with them too.
Directed by David Wain and written by Wain and Michael Showalter, They Came Together is a parody on romantic comedies, especially on those set in New York. Paul Rudd and Amy Poehler star as “Joel” and “Molly,” a couple living in – you guessed it! – New York. Being a spoof film, what little plot They Came Together has is mostly a mimic of classic romantic movies – Joel and Molly hate each other at first but after bonding over a love of “fiction books” a mutual attraction begins.
Wain and Showalter are the brains behind the Wet Hot American Summer film and Netflix series. Anyone who has seen those will recognize their style, which expertly balances the line of being ridiculously silly and extremely clever. Everything is played up to emphasize how all these films are basically the same, from Molly being a cute klutz to Joel having a friend group that fits every supporting guy friend’s demographic, even to Joel’s depressed conversation with a bartender. It may come off as too ridiculous to some, but even those moments are played well by the hilarious leads and supporting cast, which includes Cobie Smulders, Christopher Meloni, Bill Hader, Ellie Kemper and Jason Mantzoukas. Every character has his or her chance to get a laugh and more often than not, they nail it.
They Came Together is a light-hearted, cute and hilarious spoof that is driven by the extreme likability of its leads. It may not change the way you look at romantic comedies, but it will at least give you a sense of appreciation when you watch a good one.
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