Elvis Presley famously sang, "Home is where the heart is." No matter how far we move away from it, it’s home that gives us a feeling of permanence and a sense of belonging. This is why when high-flying reality show creator Ally (Allison Brie) suffers a major professional setback, her first instinct is to go home.
For someone who is constantly trying to find a way to get her reality show contestants to lose their guard and give her a moment of truth, Ally herself is never given the same space and opportunity to be able, to be honest with herself.
In a beautiful instance, Ally says, “Most people are desperate to tell you how they feel... they need permission to do so.” And it is this moment that throws her into a spiral that involves jealousy, passion, understanding, ambition, acceptance, and, of course, reconciliation.
On returning to her hometown of Leavenworth, Ally runs into her ex, Sean (Jay Ellis). They almost rekindle a flame that had died down a decade earlier. A confused Ally tries to find her ‘home’ in the dreamy Sean, only to get rudely awakened the next day when she learns he is engaged to be married to Cassidy (Kiersey Clemons).
From here, the film follows a template that we have seen many a time in Hollywood. So much so that Cassidy actually confronts Ally by asking, “You are not pulling a Julia Roberts from My Best Friend’s Wedding, right?” This self-awareness is one of the major strengths of Somebody I Used to Know, which sidesteps conventions by finding newer ways to say the same things.
Despite being strung together by a loose thread, the film works due to the charming performances. It is a nice aside to have Brie and Danny Pudi play long-lost friends who have so much love and respect for each other but are still at loggerheads. The writers (Dave Franco and Brie) don’t paint any party as an antagonist–– each of them has solid reasoning for their actions. The characters make mistakes and resolve them as adults. It is even better than the film addressing the importance of empowerment and independence without brouhaha. Although Somebody I Used to Know has the heart of a teenage rom-com, it is structured as a mature romance. Prime Video’s Valentine’s Day offering is a reminder that comes what may, love always wins in the end.