‘Set It Up’ Is One Of The Best Romantic Movies On Netflix Because It Stays True To The Romcom Formula
If you’re looking for the best movies on Netflix to watch over the weekend, and you enjoy romcoms, then Set it Up should be on the top of your list. Netflix original movies seem to largely disappoint their subscribers, unlike the majority of their original series, but Set it Up certainly hits the mark. Written by Katie Silberman and sharply directed by Claire Scanlon, the Netflix film features an all-star cast: Zoey Deutch, Glen Powell, Lucy Liu, Taye Diggs, Pete Davidson, and Tituss Burgess.
Since the film made its debut on June 15 of this year, thus far, the romantic comedy has received rave reviews by both critics and audiences alike. With a stunning score of 94 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, the site provides the premise for one of the best movies on Netflix in the romcom genre.
“Harper [Deutch] and Charlie [Powell] are overworked, underpaid assistants wasting their 20s slaving away for bosses [Liu as Kirsten and Diggs as Rick] who treat them like dirt and work them ’round the clock. When they realize that they would have much more free time if the people they worked for weren’t single, they concoct a plan to lure their bosses into a faux-romance.”
Typically, those who love romcom movies do so because of the heartwarming formula. In a world with so many negative happenings, and with so many other movies depicting tragedy, a romcom is a breath of fresh air to many. On the side of the coin, some moviegoers can’t stand romantic comedies because they are so formulaic. But when a romcom tries to break the trusty formula — meet-cute, conflict, quirky friends or co-workers, heroic speech or act, and the happily-ever-after ending — fans of the genre usually are disappointed. Set it Up succeeds not only because it doesn’t stray away from the formula, but the writing, humor, directing, and performances are all solid.
This Netflix gem is a throwback to ’90s romantic comedies, such as Never Been Kissed, You’ve Got Mail, Sleepless in Seattle, and My Best Friend’s Wedding. This is a feel-good film, and it will be hard for Netflix subscribers to not smile while viewing. The lovebirds in this story that we are rooting for is not the characters of Rick and Kirsten — Rick is far too much of a jerk to rally behind — but that, as you probably assumed, of Charlie and Harper.
Zoey and Glen play their romcom generic roles perfectly in this sweet film, and that’s not a knock, this is where many modern romcom movies mess up. The pair know what the story is, and they deliver their parts accordingly. They have a romantic on-screen magnetism that shines, and per her usual, Deutch is brilliant and charming with her delivery. But the biggest laughs are those delivered by Tituss Burgess. Though the talented Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt co-star is sparsely in the film, when he is in a scene, he steals the show.
Like some of the best romantic movies, you can probably guess the ending to this film, but the comedic ride is worth the journey. It will be hard to not laugh out loud during numerous scenes, and equally hard not to smile because of the endearing story that unfolds. Even if you aren’t a fan of romcoms, you will probably find Set it Up to be refreshing, and it’s one of the best original movies by Netflix in quite some time.
