Always Be My Maybe Synopsis: A pair of childhood friends end up falling for each other when they grow up.
After being wildly disappointed in Netflix’s latest string of romantic comedies (most notably The Last Summer and The Perfect Date), I’m relieved that the streaming service can finally add another successful notch on their rom-com belt thanks to the endearingly romantic Always Be My Maybe.
Nahnatchka Khan has delivered a charming and clever romance that owes much of its success to the excellent chemistry between leads Ali Wong and Randall Park and a talented and hilarious supporting cast.
Wong and Park play Sasha Tran and Marcus Kim, childhood best friends who lose touch after an awkward sexual encounter as teenagers drive them apart. Over a decade passed, and the two finally reunite when Sasha, now a successful celebrity chef, returned to her hometown in San Fransisco to open a new restaurant. Marcus is now a wannabe musician who still lives at home, works for his widowed father’s heating and cooling business, and smokes weed nightly. Their conflicting lifestyles clash when their friendship and mutual attraction blossom again.
The script, co-written by Wong, Park, and Michael Golamco, adheres safely to the rom-com rule book, but that’s definitely not bad when it’s executed properly, like it is here. Comparisons to When Harry Met Sally are inevitable, and you can feel that movie’s influence and inspiration in Always Be My Maybe, but Khan excels in giving her film its own voice, creating a sweetly moving love letter to Asian-American culture while continuing the long overdue normalization of Asian-Americans as romantic leads.
I can’t say enough about the supporting cast. With the exception of Sasha’s wealthy ex-fiancé, Brandon (an underused Daniel Dae Kim), not one character in this movie felt one-dimensional. Michelle Buteau plays Sasha’s pregnant best friend, Veronica, and quite effortlessly steals every scene she’s in. I would love to see her star as the lead in her own romantic comedy. James Saito is hilarious as Marcus’s father, Harry. Marcus’s bandmate Tony (Karan Soni) delivers some of the best lines in the film.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that there is a brilliant cameo by Keanu Reeves playing… Keanu Reeves. A slo-mo entrance accompanied by AWOLNATION’s Sail sets the tone for what will be a maniacal and extraordinary 15 minutes of screen time. It also inspires a hilarious song that accompanies the end credits, so stick around for that.
As minuscule as they are, the movie is not without its faults. Some of the humor fell flat or didn’t properly connect with me. Sasha and Marcus’s barrier to a long-lasting relationship is legit, but their internal conflicts seem predictable and typical of rom-com leads. She’s too scared to sit still; he’s too scared to let go and succeed. Still, there is plenty to love in Always Be My Maybe, so those particular gripes aren’t enough to overcome my enjoyment. There are plenty of laughs, and Sasha and Marcus are well-rounded enough characters to root for them individually and as a couple.
If a movie is defined as a romantic comedy, I want to see both genres appropriately represented, and unfortunately, that seems to be a rare feat. Thankfully, Always Be My Maybe expertly balances both rom-com requirements, making it a refreshing and unique entry in this current rom-com renaissance.
Watched: 06/01/2019
Notable Song: I Punched Keanu Reeves by Randall Park
sati (harlequinade)
June 3, 2019Keanu's entrance was just magical <3 Sadly the movie around it wasn't 🙂
Often Off Topic
June 4, 2019I hope we get more great romcoms soon – the genre was really lacking a few years ago but we've had some great ones in the last 2 years.
That song in the credits is absolutely brilliant, I had to rewind and listen again because I laughed over it the first time!
Sara
June 4, 2019I did love Keanu's cameo! And I loved that he played such a douche version of himself when he's one of the nicest guys in Hollywood 😀
Sara
June 4, 2019100% agree! Netflix seems to be churning them out right and left but so far only a handful have been really well done. But I do love that there seems to be a rom-com renaissance afoot!
I saw I Punched Keanu Reeves is on iTunes so of course I had to download it!
Sonia Cerca
June 6, 2019Keanu’s entrance was so good it almost made up for how bad the film was (and me wasting time to watch it). I’m glad to hear it worked better for you
Sara
June 6, 2019It was pretty obvious that Keanu had a lot of fun with the cameo. I know he doesn't do a lot of comedy, but he really should!
KatyRochelle
June 10, 2019Nice review! I wasn't crazy about the film as a whole, but Keanu definitely lived up to the hype. 😀
Sara
June 11, 2019He was excellent! Makes me excited for Bill and Ted 3 🙂
Geekteller
June 14, 2019Great review! This sounds great, and the characters seem interesting, definitely cooler and more refreshing than what we usually see in rom-coms. I will definitely try to see it soon