Dave Franco’s ‘Somebody I Used To Know’ Non-Spoiler Review – How Much Of The Truth Can Be Told?

Two-and-a-half years since his feature directorial debut, The Rental, Dave Franco is back with a new film project, Somebody I Used to Know. Starring his partner, Alison Brie (Community, Scream 4, Get Hard, GLOW, Promising Young Woman, BoJack Horseman, The Rental, Star Wars: Visions Season 1), in the lead role, the film follows in the same path as P.J. Hogan’s 1997 romantic comedy film, My Best Friend’s Wedding.

In this review, I will be discussing Dave Franco’s Somebody I Used to Know. There will be no spoilers present, as the title of this article suggests. Nonetheless, please read ahead at your own discretion as I will discuss some character developments and some parallels with My Best Friend’s Wedding.

Please note that I have the film twice ahead of its release.

Somebody I Used to Know Synopsis

According to Amazon Studios Press, here is the synopsis for Somebody I Used to Know.

Workaholic TV producer Ally (Alison Brie) faces a major professional setback, which sends her running to the comforts of her hometown. She spends a whirlwind evening reminiscing with her first love Sean (Jay Ellis), and starts to question everything about the person she’s become. Things only get more confusing when she discovers Sean is getting married to Cassidy (Kiersey Clemons), whose confidence and creative convictions remind Ally of who she used to be. 

Directed by Dave Franco, and written by Franco & Brie, ‘Somebody I Used to Know‘ is an unconventional love story about three people who unexpectedly help each other re-discover who they really are, where they came from, and where they’re going.

Amazon Studios Press

Discussion

Somebody I Used to Know contains some old-school romantic-comedy references, although they do not necessarily have anything to do with the film’s plot. However, while not directly stated in the trailer, it does hint at a closeness to My Best Friend’s Wedding. In fact, the film pays great homage to it as if a relative to the latter. They share similar skeletons, like the presence of the line “somebody I used to know” and the protagonist who embodies that.

While this line is spoken at a VIP section of the Julia Roberts-led film, Franco’s film does it more organically. In addition to that, the image of Brie’s character running naked on grass is an explicit allusion to the trio of characters running along the lawn–one after the other–in Hogan’s film. There is even a bar scene reminiscent of that from Hogan’s film, and I quite enjoyed how it played out via narrative beats and some scene directions.

I was worried that the film might end up becoming too heavy on popular cultural references. However, by the conclusion, I found that there was nothing to worry about. There is a mid-credits scene, but that is something that you could skip as it is merely to get a laugh out of the viewer.

What I also love about Somebody I Used to Know is Phillips’s music supervision and the soundtrack that plays throughout the film. Many of the songs work well with the scenes, such as Darondo’s “Didn’t I” as Brenner looks reminisces on her past at home and Eunice Collins’s “At the Hotel” during a narrative beat when the plot takes a turn for the worst. The music selections can be resonating and happen to add a layer of flavor to the story.

Shooting the Script

Still, Franco and Brie’s screenwriting is commendable. The viewer is introduced to the protagonist, Ally Brenner (Brie), along with the catalyst that puts her on her path. It does take a little while to get to the title card, but once we get to the actual story, it is full of captivating shots by Lannin. I was not too sure about the narrative means of having the protagonist reunite with her ex-boyfriend, Sean Campbell (Jay Ellis). However, once they do, Lannin and Gilbert provide us with some of the neatest montages I have seen. Of course, this is just the beginning of the film.

There are parts of the film that I felt were executed well. For instance, Lannin shows us a frame of Campbell before the revelation of the engagement to his partner. By the moment Brenner learns of this, we see another shot, where Cassidy Rivers (Kiersey Clemons) enters the frame. There is also a riveting transition from one scene to another through the use of Chance the Rapper’s “I Might Need Security” playing in the background, in which we see a parallel between Brenner and Rivers through their perceptions and the lines they speak.

Representation Matters

One element of the storytelling that is merit-worthy is how the writers do not get too in-your-face about the rom-com trope of “the love triangle”. Yes, Campbell and his soon-to-be partner are portrayed by Black actors. On that note, in case there are people who want to bring up its “wokeness”, what really lends to the ethos of these two characters is their humanity and the fact that they do happen to make mistakes. Additionally, Clemons and her character are queer, but unlike Disney movies these days, the film does not parade any announcements about this portrayal of queerness. Again, that is what is organic about the film.

I do like this representation angle, which might arguably be post-modern. Brie’s character is accepting of this, and as hinted at through her ecological background–her professional career and her personal life–she is rather a liberated kind of individual. Although, more on that in a bit.

The Catalyst: The Prologue’s Initial Conflict

With everything that is going on in the world of television recently, Amazon Studios/ Prime Video might be the last production company and streaming platform to play a part in the cancelation of programming titles. Brenner’s role in the “love triangle” is the primary conflict of the film. Meanwhile, what we get in the background is the initial conflict introduced in the prologue. Brenner learns about the cancelation of her television series, and from there, she figures out where to go next. One minor character tells her to “start fresh” but also “stick with what works”.

What I love about this aspect of the film–even if it is not the main issue of the narrative–is depicting how television cancelations affect creatives. Franco and Brie show us how harsh it can be in the industry, and the latter is not a stranger to this with shows such as Community and GLOW. It is one thing to strive to have an idea made, but it is another thing when some people fail to see how much it can reach out to others. Fortunately, there is a resolution to this problem by the end of the film. Viewers might be excited to see what happy ending awaits them.

The Crew Behind Somebody I Used to Know

Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey (Babylon), Isaac Klausner, Ben Stiller, Michael Heimler, and Leigh Kittay serve as the producers of Somebody I Used to Know. Dave Franco, Alison Brie, Teddy Schwarzman, Laura Quicksilver, and Bart Lipton are the executive producers.

Brian Lannin serves as the director of photography. Ernie Gilbert (Atlanta Seasons 1 & 2) is the editor of the film.

Danny Bensi & Saunder Jurriaans (The Rental, Ozark) score the music for the film. Maggie Phillips (Moonlight, Ingrid Goes West, The Gifted, Altered Carbon, The Umbrella Academy, Mr. Robot, Fargo, We Can Be Heroes, Our Flag Means Death, Kindred) serves as the music supervisor.

Brandon Tonner-Connolly is the production designer. Jenelle Giordano is the set decorator. Sean Roney is the art director, while Alan Schwanke is the set designer.

Amanda Needham serves as the costume designer. Courtney Goe is the assistant costume designer.

Jessica Needham is the head of the makeup department. Eva Lohse is the key makeup artist.

Eric Gonzalez is the barber for Jay Ellis. Jennifer Serio is the head of the hair department. Emie Otis is the key hairstylist.

Simon Max Hill (The Green Room, Pig, The Rehearsal) is the local casting director. Lexi Morsch (Pig, The Rehearsal) is the casting associate, while Angelica Prado is the casting assistant. Adam Rosko is the background casting director, while Sarah Oliveras is the background casting assistant.

Additional Photography:

Michelle L. Hall is the set Decorator, while Arielle Ness-Cohn is the art director.

Claudia Orozco is the head of the makeup department, while Ursula Simpson is the key makeup artist. Eric Gonzalez is the barber.

Rich King Casting is the talent agency for background casting.

Post-production:

Riley Adamson is the assistant editor.

Mark Coffey is the assistant sound editor, while Dean Menta is the music editor. Kristen Higuera is the co-music supervisor.

The Cast of Somebody I Used to Know

Alison Brie portrays Ally Brenner, the main female lead of the film. Jay Ellis (How I Met Your Mother, Insecure, Escape Room, Top Gun: Maverick) portrays Sean Campbell, Ally’s ex-partner. Kiersey Clemons (DOPE, Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, Scoob!, Zack Snyder’s Justice League) portrays Cassidy Rivers, Sean’s current partner, the bride-to-be, and the lead singer of Dirty Blush.

Danny Pudi (Community, Captain America: The Winter Soldier) plays Benny, a close friend of Ally and Sean’s.

Olga Merediz (Requiem for a Dream, Orange is the New Black, In the Heights, Encanto) and Ted Rooney play Joanne “Jojo” and Barry Campbell, Sean’s adoptive mother and father, respectively. Haley Joel Osment (Forrest Gump, The Sixth Sense, Tusk, What We Do in the Shadows) plays Jeremy Campbell, Sean’s adoptive brother.

Julie Hagerty (Airplane!, Just Friends, Marriage Story, A Christmas Story Christmas) plays Libby, Ally’s mother. Ayden Mayeri appears as Kayla Shah, Ally’s assistant at work.

Fabi Reyna plays Jules, Dirty Blush’s bassist and a close friend of Cassidy’s. Marian Li-Pino plays Cyrina, Dirty Blush’s drummer and a close friend of Cassidy’s.

Secondary Characters

Rochelle Muzquiz appears as Mel, Jeremy’s partner, while London McCleery plays Bradley “Brad”, Jeremy and Mel’s son. Phillip Ray Guevara appears as Ev, an old friend of Ally and Sean’s. Hannah Barefoot appears as Michelle, Ev’s partner.

Amy Sedaris (Elf, Jennifer’s Body, Puss in Boots, The Mandalorian) appears as Deedee, Ally’s boss in Los Angeles. Sam Richardson (Promising Young Woman, M.O.D.O.K., Werewolves Within) and Zoë Chao appear as Dar and Ramona, producers from Ally’s television program, Dessert Island: All Stars. Kelvin Yu (Wonder Woman 1984) appears as Christian, a cameraman at Dessert Island: All Stars. Evan Jonigkeit appears as Chef Jamie, a subject on Dessert Island: All Stars.

Leigh Guyer appears as Sheldon, Libby’s sexual partner and Ally’s third-grade teacher.

Rachel Pate and Jeb Berrier appear as Teresa and Mike Rivers, Cassidy’s mother and father, respectively.

T’ai Hartley appears Matt Nolan, a former peer of Ally, Sean, and Benny’s. Erika Vetter and Nick Bryant play a young mom and dad, respectively.

Jeanine Jackson plays Grace. Anaïs Genevieve plays Roxy.

Janet Scanlon plays a masseuse. Jason Rouse plays a crew member.

Gouda plays Harry the Cat.

Performances and Character Developments

Brie is a gem as Ally Brenner. The character is open to new experiences and puts in the extra effort when accomplishing goals and leaping over or going through obstacles. This is the case with both her work life and her love life. No matter the circumstance, she almost always finds her way. Consequently, people’s true selves are manifested, even if hers does not.

Unlike Julia Robert’s Julianne Potter, the film does explore the wider aspects of Brenner’s career and how it intertwines with the main plot. I do believe that that is one part of the film that is laudable in comparison with Hogan’s film. Brie has amazing chemistry with Ellis and with Clemons, but when it comes to her dynamic with Danny Pudi’s Benny, it is Annie Edison and Abed Nadir all over again–just a down-to-earth kind of bond.

The Lovebugs

Ellis as Campbell is not too far from his character, Martin Lawrence Walker, from Insecure. Campbell is an outgoing man who happens to like having control over his life and does not want matters to interfere. This is where his world with Brenner’s collides. Ellis is great for this role, but I am curious to see why he is triggered by not knowing his biological parents. It does get mentioned somewhere in the film, but it does not happen at all. I would like to see the impact this has on him and why it affects his interactions with other parental figures.

Something about Clemons’s Cassidy Rivers reminds me of her character, Cassandra “Diggy” Andrews, from Rick Famuyiwa’s Dope. Rivers enjoys the camaraderie of her rock band, Dirty Blush, but it is not something we get too much of. What both Rivers and Brenner have in common is their passion for what they love to do–Rivers with music and Brenner with filmmaking. Like Brenner, Rivers’s rock life conflicts with Campbell’s yearning for a family of his own, and it is interesting to see how these worlds have been written into the film.

Secondary Characters

Pudi as Benny serves a similar role as Rupert Everett as George Downes did in My Best Friend’s Wedding, which is to function as the voice of reason to the protagonist. Benny is on the sidelines, but when he is on the screen, he is just remarkable. Pudi deserves so much credit for bringing the character to life from the page to the screen.

On the note of parental figures, there is not enough of Joanne “Jojo” Campbell, portrayed by In the Heights‘s Olga Merediz. She does get emotional in one scene towards the end, but there does not appear to be any build-up on her end to get to that point. Likewise, Julie Hagerty’s character Libby–Ally Brenner’s mother–gets even less screen time. There came a point where I felt anxiety about the mother and daughter not having sufficient time together, and by the end, I had an ominous feeling about Libby. I only wish that that little subplot had been better resolved, as it did nothing to exhibit Brenner’s relationship with her only parental figures.

Final Thoughts on Somebody I Used to Know

As a romantic comedy, Dave Franco’s film is full of many lovely moments, and it might be due to its similarities with My Best Friend’s Wedding. However, considering all of its elements, it is essentially its own entity. (And for those who might be wondering, no, the film does not feature the hit song by Gotye featuring Kimbra.) This film might not be for everyone, but that is okay. Where it lacks in some character development, it succeeds in cinematography, music, and chemistry. When it comes down to it, Somebody I Used to Know is about human beings being content in their own skin and not being confined to the spaces of other people’s worlds. It is about traversing beyond their limits and what new adventures they can have in store.

Somebody I Used to Know streams tonight, February 10th, via Prime Video!

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