to learn that an absolute dog turd of a rom-com can still make $220M off a theatrical release. Shocked, in fact.

This was the worst theatrically-released movie I've seen in years. It felt and looked like the worst kind of mad-for-Netflix garbage. It had all the slightly off, exaggerated color, weird editing, bad acting, and horrible script. It felt like a Hallmark movie except that it was nastier and less likable than anything Hallmark would make. Hallmark stuff is bad, but it's at least generally earnest.

Sweeney and Powell were occasionally okay (good looking but totally unlikable characters — no wit or charm), but the supporting cast was terrible. Maybe "GaTa" can act in Dave (haven't seen it), but he was bad here. The Australian dad was terrific in Breaker Morant years ago but almost unwatchable here. Direction must have been awful.

The self-congratulatory woke stuff was eye-rolling and cringey. Writing was very bad. Needed many more rounds of edits.

Everyone involved should be arrested. And then should be made to watch it with someone who forces them to defend all the choices in every scene.

You know the classic rom-com role of competitor who is more macho than the male lead? Well it doesn't work when you make the competitor a moron and have your lead on whatever Powell is juicing with. Just terrible. The one thing the Australian was explicitly supposed to be better at was swimming — and they cast the one man in Australia who apparently can't swim butterfly. Why did Sweeney's mom ask whether Powell's mom could teach her husband to dive? Was the business with his mom ever explained? I was fast forwarding by the end, so maybe some of it was explained better later — but too late.

Horrible. But not so horrible that it became amusing. Just a total waste of time. I think this was also the luckiest movie I have seen in years. Hit theaters at exactly the right moment to make money it didn't deserve.

Strong "do not recommend."

2023's Rye Lane was vastly superior. If you want to see a rom-com from 2023, watch that one.