Set It Up (2018)

In two words: Cobbled. Together.

This Netflix original rom-com packs an ironic lack of chemistry. With the quality of an amateur movie project, each sequentil line and scene feels like it was shot repeatedly and had the best takes cut and stitched together, which results in conversations sounding completely unnatural, characters spouting punch lines where they don't belong, and a general lack of flow from each moment to the next.

Relationships between characters seem forced and unconvincing, especially the two main characters who work in the same building, yet had never seen each other before and now just drop in and out of each other's office space like they've been best buddies all along.

So far as laughs, unfortunately there is not much to offer as the circumstances in which the slapstick potty humour arises, is too far fetched to instil any grain of relatability to the audience. To put it another way, the writers seemed to borrowed tropes from the horror genre that make you think "no, don't go there, don't do that, oh god why are you doing that?!".

Fmovies: I'm an avid fan of fluffy, contentless films from this genre, so it's quite hard to find an example of it that's truly awful. But this film nails it! From the unrelatable, unlikeable character played by the usually charismatic Taye Diggs, the unrealisism of Liu's character falling for such an a**hole (from a meet cute which devolves in to 'oh no, a fat guy with no shirt on')- Glen Powell wasn't really utilised at all and came off like a bland Alan Ruck, and Zoey Deutch has a lot of potential, but this film managed to wash even her out. I watched it with a group and we just kept saying 'Oh no...' This film is basically everything that's wrong with the romcom. It would have been a million times better if they'd given Taye Diggs a character who wasn't disgusting, or Lucy Liu had point blank refused to date him- which was what we'd expected from the outset.

I'm disappointed in all of the harsh criticism. This movie was fun and lovable. They set the tone for what to expect in the very beginning. "Over-acting?" It's a romantic comedy for crying out loud. I recommend this movie for the perfectly-delivered, witty dialogue. As an added bonus, the chemistry between Zoey and Glen was fantastic.

Set It Up fmovies. After watching other films from Netflix and others that reached mainstream media (ex. Kissing Booth, Ibiza, Midnight Sun, etc)... all of which are shallow, annoying and predictable movies with little to no significant scenes. Scenes that make you think, or etch your heart. Set It Up may be a bit over the top with the crazy bosses in the movie, it still resonared with me because of its memorable lines. "You like because, you love despite". I absolutely loved the ending as it sort of tied up all loose strings into a perfect bow.

Set It Up tells the story of-you're never going to believe this-a set up.

Two overworked and underappreciated assistants, Harper (Zoey Deutch) and Charlie (Glen Powell), serendipitously meet one night while working their typical late nights for their big shot bosses. After a brief exchange, they realize that they could give themselves more free time if their bosses started dating each other, so they agree to play matchmaker.

Their scheme begins with an initial meet cute that was less than stellar, but it was enough ignite a spark. The relationship is off and running, and Harper and Charlie guide their bosses along every step of the way.

Harper's boss (Lucy Liu) is mercilessly competitive and career driven, never giving a moment to consider her romantic life. Charlie's boss (Taye Diggs) is divorced, selfish and has some serious rage issues that are supposed to come across as humorous but are actually fairly alarming. They're far from an ideal pairing, but thanks to Harper and Charlie's "coaching," they hit it off.

Harper and Charlie spend more and more time together, becoming close friends as they successfully trick their bosses into falling in fake love, while they themselves possibly experience something real.

Let's be honest. Romantic comedies aren't ripe for spoilers because they're all predictable. This one isn't 100% that way, but you can probably guess where the story is headed.

Despite it's predictability and lack of originality, it's still mostly watchable. The two stars have natural on-screen chemistry, first as strangers, then as friends and so on. They're instantly likable individually and even more so when sharing a scene.

Although story isn't a strength of the film, the dialogue is quotable and the character development certainly isn't entirely weak. The bosses feel like trite phony concepts of successful movie bosses. They're abrasive, unfeeling monsters that inexplicably climb the success ladder without an ounce of people skills.

But the assistants feel like real people. They're competent yet flawed, courageous yet afraid, insulting yet caring. They mean well, even if they aren't always successful in their pursuits. Neither one is perfect, but they're a pretty much perfect set up team.

Ultimately, those two save what might have otherwise been a dull, run-of-the-mill rom-com. Thanks to them, it's one of the better movies of its genre that you'll find on Netflix.

Zoey Deutch and Glen Powell reunite after the excellent Everybody Wants Some (2016) in this low frills, high-chemistry rom-com. There isn't much to dwell on here, as 'Set It Up' proves the ideal low-stakes Friday night Netflix watch.

Deutch and Powell play Harper and Charlie, two young and ambitious characters working for a very special brand of pushy, domineering bosses. When they realize their common predicament, they set out to...set up their bosses, in the hope that it will lead to quality of life improvements for themselves. In an ironic twist, the ones being pushed around leverage their insights into personal scheduling and personal preferences to ensure the mis-match ends up matching. As is usual for mischievous do-gooders, there will be fraternizing and moral conundruming. And it will be fun.

Any successful rom-com hinges on the compatibility of its leads. Luckily, that's not an issue here, with both potential couples gelling or not gelling just as intended. It's the energy of all four key characters that keeps the movie alive, thanks to the odd piece of witty writing or amusing situation. I think I only rolled my eyes once at some ultra-corny moment that could have been avoided, but beyond that, director Claire Scanlon works gently and fairly with her characters. Everybody learns an important life lesson by the end and, surprisingly, it's a lesson I relate to, although I've never had the issue of overworking myself in order to avoid pursuing my passions. There are other, more pleasureful ways of doing it.