Med-school dropout Wallace (Daniel Radcliffe) is living with his sister and nephew while he mourns the end of his relationship after he catches his girlfriend cheating at work. His friend and college roommate Allan (Adam Driver) finally gets Wallace to attend a party, where Wallace meets Allan’s cousin, Chantry (Zoe Kazan). The two hit it off instantly, and they walk home together, where Wallace finds out Chantry is living with her long-time boyfriend, Ben (Rafe Spall).
Chantry laments that it’s been tough to meet friends, especially male friends, because they don’t seem interested in friendship once they find out she has a boyfriend. Wallace insists he can be her friend without romantic interest, and the two begin to spend more and more time together – platonically. Of course, over time, it’s pretty clear that Wallace is in love with Chantry, and maybe she has feelings for him too. Just as in When Harry Met Sally and countless other friends-to-lovers rom-coms, What If asks if it is genuinely possible for men and women to be friends without involving sexual or romantic feelings.
I enjoyed this movie because it didn’t throw Wallace and Chantry into a “friends with benefits” trope only to have them fall in love. Clearly, they are attracted when they meet, but they agree to become friends, and they become friends. We get to watch that particular relationship build and become something meaningful.
While you pretty much know the ending you’ll get, What If does a great job of making you doubt the happy ending. Chantry seems quite happy with Ben, who may be a little suspicious of Wallace’s intentions, but he’s not a jerk to Chantry or a sleazeball. He has to be the kind of guy Chantry would have been believably in love with for five years. A fundamental obstacle to Wallace and Chantry’s future.
Along for the ride are Allan and Nicole (Mackenzie Davis), a partygoer whom Allan meets at the same party where Wallace and Chantry also met. Allan and Nicole’s blossoming relationship is in direct contrast to Wallace and Chantry. The two are instantly attracted, and their relationship forges quickly and passionately ahead. Honestly, Adam Driver is hilarious in this movie. He’s there to give Wallace blunt advice but also carries much of the comedic weight.
I truly loved the script. The dialogue was fun and sharp, and Radcliffe and Kazan had plenty of chemistry to keep me invested in their story. It also had a wonderful score and soundtrack, and I downloaded most of it after watching What If again for this review. I believe this is the only rom-com Daniel Radcliffe has starred in, which is a shame. I’ve always found him to be a good actor and quite charming. He chooses some incredibly quirky roles, which is excellent, but I can’t lie; I do hope he stars in another romance sometime soon.
Kazan is also one of my favorite actresses, and I think I could watch her in just about anything. What If came out in 2013, and I don’t think it gets the recognition it deserves in the genre. I think it balances originality with some expected rom-com tropes quite well. While it’s not on the level of When Harry Met Sally, it nearly captures the same genuine, hopeful feel as the classic. It’s definitely one of the better “friends to lovers” movies of the past decade.
Watched: 02/10/2020
Notable Song: Lighthouse by Patrick Watson
