I Want You Back Review: When Peter Met Emma…

If you’re looking for a lovely little romcom to watch this Valentine’s Day, look no further than I Want You Back. It has all the classic elements that make a really good romantic comedy with two very charming leads.

Note: This review contains spoilers for I Want You Back. 

Including so many romcom staples, I Want You Back could’ve easily strayed into parody. Don’t get me wrong, parodies work all the time when done well, and this story might’ve made a good parody, but I Want You Back was always meant to be a sweet, funny romantic comedy with a lot of heart. 

Is there a bit of predictability? Sure, but some of the best romcoms are predictable, and as any romcom aficionado will tell you, predictability is no deal-breaker—not even close. We want the swoon-worthy moments and the witty, heart-clutching romantic dialogue that is sure to become oft-quoted for those fluent in romcom speak.

Bridget Jones’s Diary has “I like you very much. Just as you are.” You’ve Got Mail has “I wanted it to be you. I wanted it to be you so badly.” I Want You Back has “You’re my slow burn.”

Gah! It’s such a good line.

Although lines like these can be viewed as cheesy, in Romance Land they are to be celebrated. I Want You Back has this great, romantic-as-hell line, and it’s followed up by a great, romantic-as-hell gesture on an airplane. Think The Wedding Singer but subtler with the sophistication of The Holiday.

A closer comparison—and in my opinion, the closest—would be the quintessential friends-to-lovers slow burn When Harry Met Sally… 

Charlie Day does have a kind of Billy Crystal charm to him. Jenny Slate is adorable and cute, just in a different manner than Meg Ryan was as the iconic Sally Albright.

Another similarity with When Harry Met Sally… is the music. It starts out with a jazzy standard, “Glory of Love” by Jimmy Durante, that is reminiscent of the classic film’s Harry Connick Jr.-laden soundtrack. There’s also a funny karaoke portion which could very well be a nod to the scene where Harry runs into his ex at Sharper Image while singing “Surrey with the Fringe on Top” in front of Ira.

Romcom credibility aside, I Want You Back is just plain funny. There are many laugh-out-loud moments and the actors are adept at physical comedy. Quotable lines abound. I will definitely be putting “Get back on the whores” into rotation.

If you like romantic comedies, you can’t go wrong with I Want You Back.

Stray Observations:

• Good casting with Scott Eastwood as Noah aka Mr. Perfect. He has his father’s leading man looks and natural on-camera presence.
• Good cameo with Jamie Gertz. The bedazzled tumbler with rainbow straw is a nice little detail of that character. 
• “Dying alone is not that bad. Like, why do you want someone to watch you die? That’s actually embarrassing.”
• “‘Sadness Sisters’ sounds like you’re Diane Keaton and I’m Meryl Streep and we’re in a Broadway play.”
• The side story with Emma and middle schooler Trevor is so heartwarming.
• That top jump thing gave me so much anxiety.  
• Manny Jacinto plays a great himbo.
• Random appearances by Ben McKenzie and Pete Davidson.
• I seriously laughed for five minutes at that “whores/horse” exchange.

What did you think of I Want You Back? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Critic Rating:

User Rating:

 

I Want You Back is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

 Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram!

Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!

10 Essential Elements That Make Romantic Comedy TV Shows Great