*Premise spoilers*
In terms of Apple TV projects with Brett Goldstein in them, I’d rank this film below Ted Lasso and Shrinking, in part because of some difficulties I had in the second half, but mostly because I adore those shows so much. In a list of three, something has to come third. I really liked a lot of this movie, especially its effortless banter and some terrific acting.
These days everyone is taking the Test, which is scientifically proven to identify a person’s soulmate. Simon doesn’t like the idea of the Test, but his long-time best friend Laura does. When he agrees to help her pay to take it, she indeed finds her promised soulmate…and it’s not him. What follows is the story of years of their relationship and what love looks like with someone who isn’t “The One.”
It’s a neat premise, reminiscent of Apple’s Fingernails (co-starring Riz Ahmed!) but with fewer horrific shots of people’s fingernails getting ripped off—which is a plus in my book. The film handwaves the near-future science to focus on the implications, in both society at large and the personal lives of the characters. Simon complains about people disappearing from their social lives after meeting their soulmate, and he thinks taking the Test is the romance equivalent of shoving an unwrapped toaster into someone’s hands for a Christmas gift. Meanwhile, Laura is well-aware of how perfect her soulmate is for her and how she should want him, and she gets pulled into this tide of inevitability that still leaves her feeling incomplete.
For me, the first half of the movie is more successful than the second half. I like the understated pining and the way Simon tries to navigate continuing to be Laura’s friend, knowing he isn’t her soulmate. (Side note: overall, the film does a decent job of depicting Simon as a guy who’s in love with his best friend while avoiding Nice Guy territory.) I also like the slightly disorienting way the narrative keeps skipping ahead in time, highlighting how it’s becoming harder for these two to stay in touch. In the second half of the film, both Simon and Laura make some ill-advised decisions that get frustrating to watch. What’s more, the narrative alludes to the possibility of other, better options for them, but they seem stuck on this one particular path that they’ve chosen.
My favorite part is probably just the back-and-forth between Brett Goldstein’s Simon and Imogen Poots’s Laura. The script, in which Goldstein is a cowriter, features a lot of excellent comedic banter—some of it platonic, some romantic. Goldstein and Poots really nail the dynamic of two people who’ve been each other’s person forever, the easy repartee and instant understanding that’s suddenly become fraught with the awkward silences that come from growing apart. The film also features a brief appearance from Zawe Ashton and an even briefer one from Jenna Coleman.
Warnings
Sexual content, language, drinking/smoking/drug use, and thematic elements.
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