If you love romantic comedies, it is no secret that few are being made and released as studios have pushed more films like drama, horror and action to both movie theaters and streaming services. This has caused rom-coms to become a rarity, leading a handful of us to yearn for a new movie that could potentially bring back the dearly missed genre. Well, after a lengthy wait, that time has finally arrived as “Scream” TV series star Carlson Young takes on the beloved genre with her new film “Upgraded.”
Like most rom-com openings, we first meet our protagonist Ana (Camila Mendes), who isn’t at a great point in her life as she is an overworked intern for a prestigious art auction house making little to no money. Although her job is demanding and requires a lot of work, it is all worth it to Ana as she gets the opportunity to work with Claire Dupree (Marisa Tomei) a highly successful and legendary art director in the fine arts auction world.
One day, Ana’s hard work pays off as she is rewarded with the chance to fly to London to help Claire with a high-profile auction. This leads to Ana getting upgraded from the worst possible seat on her flight to first class, where she meets dashing Will (Archie Renaux). As the two begin to get to know each other, Will accidentally misinterprets what Ana does for a living, resulting in Ana lying to him about working as the art director for her auction house. Once the two arrive in London, Ana must keep up with her lie as she starts a romantic relationship with Will and builds a friendship with his mother Catherine (Lena Olin).
On the surface, the storyline is a bit predictable as most rom-coms follow somewhat of a similar plot arc. However, this shouldn’t be deemed as a flaw. The similarities worked in the film’s favor as it incorporated all the great components of successful romance stories that viewers have loved and missed. From the charming montages between Ana and Will to the excellent comedic timing from the entire cast, creator Young added everything the audience is looking for in the film’s genre, which frankly most modern rom-coms have previously missed the mark on.
In addition to the film’s shining rom-com elements, the movie also takes inspiration from 2000s film classics, which gives the audience a sense of nostalgia while watching. For instance, throughout the movie, there were many nods to “The Devil Wears Prada” as Ana is an assistant to the legendary yet diva art director Claire, who is similar to Meryl Streep’s iconic role as Miranda Priestly. Also, Mendes’ character going to London and unexpectedly falling in love with Will is in reference to Daphne in “What a Girl Wants.” These parallels made it enjoyable to watch as the story felt new yet familiar through the acknowledgment of some of our favorite movies of the early 2000s.
But what made this film stand out was the spectacular chemistry between Mendes and Renaux’s characters. They displayed immense attraction for one another when the two appeared on screen together, and their dialogue never felt fake or cringe. As a result, Will and Ana’s relationship felt real throughout the movie and didn’t read as phony, which honestly most modern romcoms tend to feel like nowadays. However, because of the special connection between Mendes and Renaux’s characters, I do wish there was more screen time between Will and Ana since Ana’s arc sometimes takes away from the two.
Overall, “Upgraded” is everything you look for in a good rom-com as it tells a simple love story through its adoring sequences and enchanting dialogue. But this wouldn’t have been possible without Mendes and Renaux’s stellar performances as they perfectly nailed all the pieces most viewers want in a couple. As a result, the two have successfully revived the deeply missed genre, and hopefully, the two will continue to play romantic leads in the future.
“Upgraded” is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.