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Dome Pondering Movie Review: Someone I Used to Know (2023)


What is it about? 

Ally returns to her hometown after leaving for Los Angeles and reconnects with her ex, Sean. Her life becomes confusing, yet clearer, once she meets Sean's fiance, Cassidy, who reminds her of the person she used to be. 

Who is in it?

Alison Brie - Ally

Jay Ellis - Sean

Kiersey Clemons - Cassidy

Favorite Scene: 

With both women being passive-aggressive for Sean's attention, Cassidy and Ally have a drink at the bar and soon realize how much they have in common. 

Favorite Quote: 

"You can't just fully close off one whole side of yourself, that's no way to live."

Review: 

I kind of had high hopes for Somebody I Used to Know. As you probably can tell from that statement, I was let down by this film. Off the heels of watching GLOW on Netflix - which was damn good and just let me down that it wasn't renewed by Netflix - I really grew fond of Allison Brie's ability as an actor. So when I saw that she helped write this Amazon Prime vehicle and would be starring in it, I figured it would be in that same GLOW realm of quality. 

I was wrong. 

Somebody I Used to Know isn't terrible by any means. It's an okay movie that is worth a casual watch. The film's plot from the description is indeed as basic as it sounds. There are times you do think, "I've seen this film and story before."For most of the movie, you feel like you're hoping for a reason that this would be different, but in the end, it wasn't. And that's my biggest criticism of the film - it just falls flat. 

The characters are intriguing. Allie has her flaws and definitely a conflicting relationship with her hometown, the person she wants to be, and the person she used to be. This is the best part of the film. Her relationship with Cassidy is also intriguing, but never really moves out of second gear. 

When we meet Sean, he felt a lot more respectable than he did by the end of the film where he feels indecisive, weak, and sappy. 

The comedy in the film is decent and times, but feels crude for the sake of laughter - again, it can feel flat. 

Somebody I Used to Know has its moments that you can draw from and is still worth the watch. However, when it comes to the plot, the characters, and everything else, the film takes you out on a ledge and just leaves you there. 

Grade: 2.5/5
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