It takes a great deal of confidence to open your romantic comedy with a montage that evokes iconic rom-com “When Harry Met Sally,” but 2019’s “Plus One” earns the comparison. Writer-directors Jeff Chan and Andrew Rhymer begin the movie with a series of candid-looking wedding toasts from normal people, establishing the awkward but endearing tradition that is one of the movie’s running themes.
The montage gives way to Ben King (Jack Quaid) practicing his own wedding toast in front of his longtime friend Alice Mori (Maya Erskine), and the two of them are worthy successors.
Whether you’re currently single or partnered up, “Plus One” makes for perfect Valentine’s Day viewing, and it’s available to watch for free on the Roku Channel and Hoopla.
‘Plus One’ feels both romantic and authentic
It’s never easy for rom-coms to balance comedy with genuine feeling, and it’s even harder to make the characters seem like real, multi-dimensional people. But that’s what Chan and Rhymer accomplish in “Plus One,” beginning with fast-paced humor before deepening the relationship between Ben and Alice over time. Alice’s first response to hearing the speech that Ben plans to give at the wedding of his friend Matt (Beck Bennett) is to ruthlessly mock him, and that lighthearted mockery defines their relationship.
They’re also truly good for each other, as demonstrated by the speech that Ben actually gives for Matt, which follows all of Alice’s advice and gets a tremendous response. At this point, Ben and Alice are adamantly just friends, but anyone who’s ever seen a romantic comedy knows where they’ll end up. The predictability of the story is part of what makes “Plus One” such an appealing comfort watch, but none of the romantic developments come across as false or forced.
Ben and Alice grow closer thanks to a classic rom-com plot device, as they agree to be each other’s plus-ones for the flurry of weddings they’re obligated to attend over the course of the next several months. Reeling over a recent break-up, Alice promises to help Ben meet available women, while he’ll keep her from feeling totally alone while watching other people declare their love for each other.
Quaid and Erskine have such excellent chemistry that I would have been perfectly happy to simply watch a movie about Ben and Alice as good friends, attending various weddings and talking trash about awful customs like wacky wedding-photo poses and fumbling, inarticulate speeches. One mark of a great rom-com is that you just want the main characters to spend time together, regardless of their romantic status.
‘Plus One’ gets serious while remaining funny
Of course Ben and Alice eventually realize that they have feelings for each other, and the escalation of their relationship forces them both to deal with some serious emotional issues that they’ve been avoiding. Ben is paralyzed by his obsession with finding “the one,” while Alice is too eager to end relationships rather than risk ending up like her resentful parents. Both Quaid (“The Boys”) and Erskine (“Mr. & Mrs. Smith”) have gone on to higher-profile projects since 2019, and their talent is obvious in “Plus One,” as Ben and Alice navigate difficult questions on their way to happiness.
At the same time, “Plus One” remains a comedy, and every heavy moment is balanced by goofy humor. The swooning romantic montage after Ben and Alice first get together includes a moment when she gives him a wet willy.
The way that they understand each other’s sense of humor is one of the signs that they’re perfect together, and their declarations of love are no less meaningful for including the word “dumbass.” Supporting characters like Ben’s serial-monogamist dad (Ed Begley Jr.), — who’s getting ready for his third marriage — offer comic relief but also valuable insights from hard-won experience.
“Plus One” captures the full range of being in love, from the grand gestures to the inside jokes to the vulnerable human moments. It’s still glossy and sometimes contrived, but it’s never just going through the rom-com motions. Somehow, it even makes attending a bunch of weddings look like a potentially good time, which is quite an impressive feat.
It’s one of my favorite rom-coms of the past decade, and this Valentine’s Day, it should become one of yours, too.
“Plus One” is streaming for free on the Roku Channel and Hoopla.
