You, Me & Her 2025 Movie Review
Rom-coms are supposed to be anything but believable. Since the conception of the genre, as viewers we’ve sailed through countless stories where, whatever happens and whatever obstacle there is, the ending will satisfy everyone. Is there anything resembling a romantic comedy where boy meets girl, and the boy doesn’t get the girl? It’s all about the delivery, and all storytellers are aware of this will push against anything to give viewers what they seek. This is a code, and it’s widely understood that you don’t mess with codes.
However, this often means the film will have that blatant sense of falsehood, one that’s accepted by most, and actually observed by a few. It’s also part of the code because romantic comedies are supposed to be turn-off-your-brain fun, and people approach them with the sole intention of connecting with characters because they’re supposed to be likable. That’s where a film like You, Me & Her terribly fails. By trying to build compelling characters through a checklist, and not by developing them from a more grounded perspective. It’s not that we’re supposed to like them at first, but in this one, they’re displayed as utter failures of their own system.
In the film, Mags and Ash are going through a phase. Sort of a crisis for the married couple who can’t get to connect on a physical level and are also dishonest with each other. They don’t cheat, but Ash hides stuff from Mags, who’s shown to be a good mother who also needs to have a good time. Nevertheless, they’ve planned a romantic getaway to Mexico, and after bags are packed they depart to what will surely be a test for the couple.
Once they reach their destination, Ash is keen on buying weed and hides it from Mags. They day they arrive, they meet a couple that invite them over for a foursome, and they both freak out. But Mags looks curious enough to make this the starting point of the film. Meanwhile, Ash wants to score some weed, and is painted out to be a lousy husband afraid to embark on an adventure with Mags. When they meet Angela, everything changes.
The young adventurous girl introduces them to the possibility of something new. She obviously likes Mags and Mags likes her back. After a simple kiss, Mags is struck by the idea, and this revives the fire in the couple. But Angela disappears completely, and the couple head back home with Mags in complete despair because whatever thing she had with Angela, it didn’t go anywhere. Care to guess what follows after?
You, Me & Her seems to be a personal experience for Selina Ringel who writes the film, and stars as Mags. The problem is the story doesn’t get anywhere, and it becomes a bit predictable because of the genre the film’s placed in early on. This won’t end badly for anyone, and director Dan Levy Dagerman manipulates a rushed third act so that all pieces fit, all confessions are made, and everyone ends up together. The sense of peril, the excitement, the rush belonging to Mags after experiencing something new is visible by nodding your head and accepting the film ends on such a simple note.
Romantic comedies aren’t supposed to be real because this kind of issues aren’t solved like that in the real world. It’s simply a little more complicated than meeting someone else and realizing honesty in the couple was the key ingredient to make everything work.
