'Finding Emily' Review
- Dempsey Pillot
- 12 hours ago
- 4 min read
Release Date: 08/28/26 [Cinemas]
Genre: Comedy. Romance.
MPAA: Rated PG13.
Distributor: Focus Features.
The Verdict: A Must-See
How far would you go to find a missed connection? Before modern technology, some people used to post newspaper ads. In the 2001 cult romantic comedy On the Line, *NSYNC’s Joey Fatone tried to help Lance Bass (yes) find an attractive woman (yes) he met on a train using a billboard and a phone number at the height of its popularity - and before the murders - strangers used to post about their missed connections on Craigslist. Just because technology has made it easier to reach out doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best way to find love. That’s the thesis of the new romantic comedy Finding Emily.
Owen is an aimless 23-year-old working at a university bar. One night, the woman of his dreams walks in. The two have a short yet memorable night together. Before she leaves, he manages to get her phone number. Because he’s so high off the experience, it isn’t until later that he realizes it’s incomplete. Using the few other minute details he knows about her, including her first name, he sets out to find his missed connection.
Now, Owen does eventually find an Emily, just not his. This Emily is a psychology student who is working on a research paper to prove that love is a form of madness. Realizing Owen might be the perfect subject for her study, she offers to help him find his Emily. But the search quickly spirals into chaos after he gets the idea to email every Emily at the school. Overnight, more than 300 women are made aware of his search. The situation continues to get out of hand as Owen grapples with his newfound popularity, and the public is split over whether his search is adorable or obsessive.
Despite this being a clear look at love through a modern lens, director Alicia MacDonald perfectly captures the feeling of some classic rom-coms, including When Harry Met Sally and You’ve Got Mail. While there’s no sequence where someone moans in the middle of the deli, MacDonald’s still got a knack for capturing exactly how Owen and the other Emily feel when neither of them is talking.
Equal praise should go to Spike Fearn and Angourie Rice, who play the respective Owen and Emily with such earnest chemistry you’ll forget you’re watching a movie at times. Having burst onto the scene as the hard-headed bully Bjorn in Alien: Romulus, Fearn pulls a total 180 here as a likable everyman. When we meet him, he’s just trying to hold a job. But the determination he develops while trying to find his Emily evolves into a realization that maybe he can do anything he puts his mind to. He’s a great avatar for the idea that love is inspiring, even if his idea of love is a bit hollow.
Rice is terrific as both a foil to Fearn’s Owen and an eventual love interest. What makes her character particularly enjoyable to watch is that, at the very beginning, she makes it clear she does not believe in love. As an aspiring psychologist, she believes humans are predictable, and emotions are quantifiable. However, the more time she spends with Owen, the less sure she becomes of anything at all.
Not once does Owen and Emily’s relationship feel forced or accelerated. It’s that same smoothness with which writer Rachel Hirons uses the story to have a conversation about modern relationships. In fact, Hirons’ script could technically be billed as the film’s third star because of how sharp it is. Shortly after sending out his massive email, Owen finally decides to show his face on a popular local podcast. It’s in this sequence that Owen believes he’ll get the platform to talk to the real Emily, but where he actually gets a reality check. During the interview, Owen is asked to think whether Emily intentionally gave him an incomplete number. Up until this point, it’s an idea that has not entirely crossed the audience’s mind, but which forces Owen to rethink his aggressive pursuit.
Now, both Owen and the audience do eventually get clarity about the events of that night. But, in the meantime, it’s a refreshing reminder from Hirons that no love story is one-sided. And that what could be considered romance by one party could be considered stalking by another - especially in the digital age. While technology seemingly complicates Owen’s search for his Emily, the organic bond he forms with the other Emily proves that the best connections are still made in person.
The film’s only major con is that there are a few too many threads to follow. Simply put, the film has too many characters. While large ensembles are a core characteristic of romantic comedies, this one stretches that limit quite a bit, especially with the hordes of girls named Emily who eventually pop up. Additionally, as likable as Owen is, there are times when he feels a bit one-dimensional. At some point, it’s revealed that he may want to pursue music. And although it eventually comes back in the film, it honestly feels shoehorned in to give him a bit more of a personality. For contrast, Rice’s Emily feels way more fleshed out.
Anchored by a cute coupling between two likable leads, and a script that dares to question social norms, Finding Emily is still enjoyable. At a time where technology has complicated human connection, it proves romance - and the art of making good romance movies - isn’t dead. You may need help finding it.
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