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You People

You People

Netflix's new romcom offers plenty of awkward situations, but fewer laughs...

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Two LA millennials fall in love, and despite coming from two completely different cultures, they have so much in common that a wedding is soon in their sights. There's just one problem, so common in traditional romcoms: the in-laws! In other words, the stage is set for complete chaos as the Jewish family and the Muslim family sharpen their war spears to increase tensions between the lovebirds.

Well, it's not quite the flamboyant mayhem one might be used to with this kind of film. You People takes a much more subdued and realistic approach to the culture clashes by unraveling sensitive relationships and staying down to earth. Perhaps the most romcom-y scene involves the father-in-law's kufic hat, which accidentally catches fire during a particularly awkward dinner scene, but otherwise You People avoids many of the genre's sentimental traps. Jonah Hill and Lauren London manage to concoct a nice chemistry with each other and the relationship is sweet, with Hill in particular managing to portray a sympathetic character who is willing to take as much crap as he can from Eddie Murphy's ruthless father to prove his love for his future life partner.

You People

The problem, however, is that the film doesn't feel very believable, despite its realistic tone. Neither the situations nor the interactions feel lifelike, which, while a hallmark of this cheesy genre, cuts sharply against the cultural relevance the filmmakers are trying to achieve. Much of it has the feeling of clippings from sitcoms, and the dialogue - which is at times snappy and entertaining - feels unnatural and forced. The narrative, in turn, feels more like tacked-on sequences rather than a flowing story with context, which despite its attempts to freshen up the romcom still gets stuck in a slightly too traditional template.

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What often saves the film is precisely Jonah Hill's natural charisma and the interplay with Eddie Murphy's character, who is really good here as a menacing and hateful father-in-law who has made it his life's mission to be as big an asshole as possible. Julia Louis-Dreyfus in turn does her best to act the opposite, where she is so open to a new culture that she forgets to see the daughter-in-law as an individual. So there are some scenes and awkward character tensions that are small fun, where You People manages to be a little more thought-provoking than the typical romcom reel. At the same time, it never really rises to its true potential thanks to the flat storytelling and its, ultimately, shallow comedy.

05 Gamereactor UK
5 / 10
+
A cute, but mediocre rom-com that gets few laughs.
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You People

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MOVIE REVIEW. Written by André Lamartine

Netflix's new romcom offers plenty of awkward situations, but fewer laughs...



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