Film Review: WHICH BRINGS ME TO YOU (2023): Lucy Hale and Nat Wolff Make This Comedy/Drama a Memorable One Despite an Unbelievable Ending

Which Brings Me to You Review

Which Brings Me to You (2023) Film Review, a movie directed by Peter Hutchings, written by Steve Almond, Julianna Baggott and Keith Bunin and starring Lucy Hale, Nat Wolff, John Gallagher Jr, Genevieve Angelson, Alexander Hodge, Ward Horton, Britne Oldford, Marceline Hugot, Avery Cole, Laura Kai Chen, Mitzi Akaha, Chase Liefeld, Erin Ruth Walker, Shannon O’Neill, Cyndee Rivera, Marcus Brandon and Jamie McRae.

Which Brings Me to You, directed by Peter Hutchings, has many of the ingredients for a decent romantic comedy but gets sidetracked by too many characters and too much drama. This film certainly has appealing stars in its two leads, Lucy Hale and Natt Wolff, but ultimately fails to achieve the success it could have had it not revealed one too many secrets at the end. The big secret which was revealed by Wolff’s character, Will, comes out of left field and although the movie probably hints at it, I didn’t see it coming. Hale’s stand-out performance makes the movie a memorable one, though. This is a film which could have been better if it did less. It’s too ambitious and that fact ultimately undermines the movie’s integrity as a rom-com.

The story revolves around Lucy Hale’s Jane and Will who meet cute and find themselves drawn to one another. They spend time recounting their old relationships in flashbacks and that method of storytelling is only effective in spurts. One of Jane’s ex-boyfriends, Elton (Alexander Hodge) interrupts her during a lecture in her English class. He’s wild, spontaneous and, we soon learn, mentally unstable too. He makes a scene on a rooftop and Jane comes to see him when he seeks treatment. But, Elton is in a fantasy world. It’s a somewhat realistic scenario but it makes Jane feel like a saint. She’s good-hearted to a fault and tries hard to make relationships like this one work but they, alas, never seem to work out, for whatever reason.

Will and Jane spend time hanging out and trespassing on private property which gets them into trouble. They have a connection which is undeniable. However, when Will reveals his secret towards the ending of the picture, I didn’t know which character was more disappointing. Will for holding in this information or Jane for reacting to it the way she does. The way she reacts is very in touch with what would happen in reality. Will’s not disappointing her as much as surprising her in revealing some huge information a bit late in the game.

Britne Oldford is Audrey, one of Will’s memorable exes. Audrey is an artist (a singer) and ends up making a choice in terms of what happens between herself and Will. It’s not a believable choice given the circumstances but it could happen. Oldford creates a sympathetic character for sure but the chemistry between Audrey and Will is only sometimes on the mark.

The chemistry between Hale and Wolff is there. There’s some steamy romance just in terms of them walking beside each other. Hale, in particular, creates a genuine woman on screen whereas Wolff’s performance is ultimately underscored by the revelation Will makes late in the picture regarding his past and, in fact, his present. Will has a heart but also a bit of selfishness that makes his character feel a little less relatable than it should have been.

Which Brings Me to You has three credited writers. There could have been more of a “checks and balances” system between the writers to ensure that the main characters would both strike a chord with viewers. If your characters don’t ring up as likable, that opens up the door to criticism. By showing the past relationships of Jane and Will, the film breaks a cardinal rule of thumb when beginning a new relationship: Don’t bring up the past, except for the one thing Will doesn’t bring up until the end which should have been brought up almost immediately.

Lucy Hale has been an actress who has constantly turned out movies recently. This is one of her more insightful films despite its flaws. There’s depth to Hale’s character here and Hale gets the mannerisms of the role down pat. Nat Wolff’s Will has enough charisma to suggest his character wouldn’t have had to get in the messy situations he has gotten into in the past. The movie does do both characters a disservice at times by not following through on some of their distinct character traits throughout the picture. The writers don’t always entirely follow through on some key plot points, unfortunately.

On-screen romance comes naturally to Jane and Will’s characters, though. That’s because the performers have charm to spare and, in the end, are interesting to watch despite their flaws. Which Brings Me to You, though it’s a bit talky at times, could be an “On Demand” possibility for viewers looking for a Valentine’s Day-timed romantic movie.

Rating: 6.5/10

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