'Solo Mio' Review
- Connor Petrey
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
Release Date: 02/06/26 [Cinemas]
Genre: Comedy. Romance.
MPAA: Rated PG.
Distributor: Angel Studios.
The Verdict: A Must-See
You’ve probably met Matt Taylor over the last few months, the art teacher that stole the hearts of thousands on social media due to his love for his students, his art and romanticism. From day one people spammed the comments with confusion as this man that sprung up out of nowhere looks and sounds like Kevin James, but he declares himself Matt Taylor. Soon after people started putting the pieces together since IMDB clued people in that James had a film coming Q1 of 2026 with a character named “Matt”. Nonetheless with the information out in the open, people kept coming back for each new post from Matt Taylor and honestly… This is a brilliant way to market a movie.
Solo Mio opens with one of the latest social media posts of Mr. Taylor has his students assist him in his proposal to fellow teacher Heather - where she says yes to getting married in Italy. If you’re unfamiliar with the social pages of Matt Taylor, not to worry because they fill the audience in with a quick montage of moments with his students and on several dates with his now fiance (but oddly lacking his mesmerizing art skills found throughout his socials).
The film really begins right after this montage with Matt Taylor standing at the altar with no bride. After being informed his bride is missing and discovering a somber letter informing him she just couldn’t get married to him, he goes on a journey of self discovery through his non refundable honeymoon package (obviously meant for two). There, sorta trapped in Italy with the hopes of reconciling with his lost love, he meets Julian (Kim Coates) and Neil (Jonathan Roumie), two strangers that take time away from their own honeymoons to cheer up a disheartened man. On one side there’s Julian, a full of energy man that’s always offering the solution of having another fling, essentially rebounding right after to make Matt feel better. He is in a lot of ways the devil on Matt Taylor’s shoulder. While Neil is the angel, a naive man who thinks it's better for Matt to work on himself without going to lengths of finding someone random to take his mind off the break-up, with almost all of his advice filtering through his therapist wife.
A wingman and a morale boost are the literal definitions of these two men that try to help Matt, with their connection suddenly feeling fascinatingly strong from the jump. Yes these are strangers, but they have a sole purpose in mind and it’s not to manipulate this depressed man, but to help him see the light where he just can’t see it.
Amongst the honeymoon package, Matt Taylor encounters a coffee shop, where he meets the owner Gia (Nicole Grimaudo) and instantly ignites the smallest of sparks through their light conversation. From that moment on Julian and Neil take Matt under their wing and show him the city of Rome in hopes to open his soul up to new experiences. Within this, we easily fall for Matt Taylor and feel hope that he will find solace by the end of his trip.
Solo Mio is a sweet and charming film that truly wears its heart on its sleeve. It’s a film that doesn’t require prep work to get lost in the journey, but if you have been following along with Matt Taylor throughout the fall, you can’t help but feel an immediate compassion for the guy. In the modern age of cinema, it’s very rare that a romantic comedy comes to the big screen with this much heart on full display to offer. It’s humble, easy to get fully absorbed into and difficult to not come out of it enamored by Matt Taylor’s love story.