Summary
- Glen Powell shines as a leading man in his smash hit rom-com, Anyone But You, which grossed $219 million worldwide at the box office and won audiences’ hearts despite underwhelming critics.
- Powell’s rom-com debut in the 2018 Netflix movie Set It Up was even better than Anyone But You, holding a 92% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes.
- Powell’s action rom-com Hit Man is already a hit with critics after premiering at the Venice Film Festival, continuing his successful streak in the genre.
It should come as no surprise that Glen Powell makes such a great leading man in his massively successful rom-com Anyone But You, considering his first rom-com from 2018 is even better. Directed and co-written by Will Gluck, Anyone But You is loosely based on Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing and follows Ben (Powell) and Bea (Sydney Sweeney), two embittered foes who pretend to be together at a wedding for each other’s benefit. Proving to be quite the sleeper hit, Anyone But You broke box office records, grossing $219 million worldwide (via Box Office Mojo).
Like many rom-coms tend to, Anyone But You fared better with audiences than with critics: in contrast to its “Rotten” 55% score on the Tomatometer, Anyone But You holds a solid 87% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Powell and Sweeney impressed viewers with their onscreen chemistry and individual performances as romantic leads. While Anyone But You served as Sweeney’s rom-com debut, Powell already proved himself capable of nailing the hybrid genre with his very first rom-com in 2018, which was a much bigger hit with critics.
Anyone But You
is available to stream on Netflix.
Anyone But You: 12 Rom-Com Easter Eggs & Shakespeare References
The rom-com Anyone But You is based on Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing and continuously references the play and other famous rom-coms.
Set It Up Is Still Glen Powell’s Greatest Romantic Comedy Movie
Glen Powell Starred Opposite Zoey Deutch In The 2018 Rom-Com
Set It Up
- Director
- Claire Scanlon
- Release Date
- June 15, 2018
- Cast
- Zoey Deutch , Glen Powell , Lucy Liu , Taye Diggs
- Runtime
- 105 Minutes
In 2018, Powell made his rom-com debut in the Netflix film Set It Up opposite his Everybody Wants Some!! (2016) co-star Zoey Deutch. Directed by Claire Scanlon in her feature directorial debut, Set It Up follows two overworked, underpaid assistants, Charlie Young (Powell) and Harper Moore (Deutch), who both work for demanding workaholics in the same building. To get their bosses off their backs, Charlie and Harper cook up a scheme to set them up with each other. Lucy Liu stars as Harper’s boss, sports journalism editor Kirsten Stevens, while Taye Diggs plays Charlie’s private equity investor boss, Rick Otis.
While Anyone but You has its own strengths, it doesn’t quite deliver the same quality or charm as Set It Up.
Set It Up received high praise for mastering the tried-and-true rom-com formula while breathing new life into the genre. Powell and Deutch’s natural, electrifying chemistry was also highlighted by critics and audiences alike. Set It Up boasts a whopping 92% score on Rotten Tomatoes, a rarity for any rom-com, especially in the late 2010s when the genre had begun to suffer. While Anyone but You has its own strengths, it doesn’t quite deliver the same quality or charm as Set It Up. As it stands, Powell’s first rom-com is still his best.
Set It Up
is available to stream on Netflix.
10 Best Movies Like Anyone But You
The 2023 rom-com Anyone But You offers a classic love story, reminiscent of similar films in the genre, perfect for fans of humor and romance.
Glen Powell Co-Wrote & Stars In Richard Linklater’s Action Rom-Com Hit Man
Hit Man
From director Richard Linklater comes Hit Man, a 2023 action comedy film based on a Texas Monthly article of the same name. Undercover and trying to catch a group of criminals, a Houston police officer poses as a hitman until he falls for a woman on assignment. Finding himself diving deeper into the world of crime, the Houston officer finds it increasingly difficult to escape his new undercover persona.
- Release Date
- September 5, 2023
- Cast
- Glen Powell , Adria Arjona , Austin Amelio , Retta , Molly Bernard
- Runtime
- 113 Minutes
While Set It Up still holds the title of Powell’s best rom-com, his next Netflix movie may be coming for the 2018 film’s crown. Based on a 2001 article in Texas Monthly magazine, Hit Man follows Powell’s Gary Johnson, an undercover cop who poses as a hitman to catch criminals and ends up falling for a woman named Maddy (Adria Arjona) while on assignment. Powell co-wrote the screenplay with Hit Man director and frequent collaborator Richard Linklater, who first directed Powell in his 2006 mockumentary Fast Food Nation.
The True Story Behind Hit Man, Glen Powell & Richard Linklater’s Netflix Movie
Richard Linklater’s upcoming movie Hit Man is set to become one of his best works yet and is based on the life of a real undercover agent.
After having its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival in September 2023, Hit Man was a hit with critics as reflected by its incredible 96% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Though not strictly a rom-com given its fusion with action, Hit Man is maintaining Powell’s successful run in the genre following Set It Up and Anyone but You. If this positive reception continues after its limited theatrical release in May and streaming release in June, Hit Man could end up being Powell’s best movie yet, rom-com or otherwise.
Hit Man
will be released in select theaters on May 24, 2024, before hitting Netflix on June 7, 2024.
|
Glen Powell & Richard Linklater Movies |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Movie Title |
Glen Powell Role |
Richard Linklater Role |
|
Fast Food Nation (2006) |
“Steve” |
Director, Co-Writer |
|
Everybody Wants Some!! (2016) |
“Finnegan” |
Director, Writer, Producer |
|
Apollo 10 1⁄2: A Space Age Childhood (2022) |
“Bostick” |
Director, Writer, Producer |
|
Hit Man (2023) |
“Gary Johnson,” Co-Writer, Producer |
Director, Co-Writer, Producer |
Sources: Box Office Mojo, Rotten Tomatoes, Rotten Tomatoes, Rotten Tomatoes
Anyone But You
Anyone But You is a romantic comedy by director Will Gluck starring Sydney Sweeny and Glen Powell. Sweeny and Powell star as Bea and Ben, two strangers with an incredible first date that goes sour following one incident at the tail end. Thinking the worst is behind them, the two are roped into a destination wedding in Sydney, Australia, where they’ll have to pretend to be a couple despite absolutely hating each other.
- Director
- Will Gluck
- Release Date
- December 22, 2023
- Cast
- Sydney Sweeney , Glen Powell , Alexandra Shipp , GaTa , Hadley Robinson , Michelle Hurd , Dermot Mulroney , Darren Barnet , Rachel Griffiths
- Runtime
- 103 minutes