I knew Always Be My Maybe was a film I needed to watch from the very first trailer. Starring Ali Wong and Randall Park, this funny romantic comedy centers around the two in this endearing film. The movie starts with an important backstory. We follow the two from childhood and into their high school years. The two bonded through music, food, and each other’s company.
Minor Spoilers
Food remains a common theme for Ali Wong’s Sasha. Sasha takes the lessons that Marcus’s mother taught her and goes on to become a celebrity chef. She and Marcus have not spoken to each other long after Marcus’s mother passes and an attempt at a romantic relationship seems to be the very thing that drives a wedge through the two and both move on with their lives in opposite directions.
Sasha and her successful fiance are going through a rough patch, but we see that not much has changed for Marcus. He still lives at home with his dad, he is in the same band he was in while in high school, and overall, we see that Marcus is not very motivated in life.
As it is with all romantic comedies, fate brings the two together, although it is not the blissful reunion one might expect. Both are at two different points in their lives. Both have things that hold them back. Each can see that in each other, but not within themselves. Despite this, the two fall back into a comfortable norm even though they haven’t seen each other in 16 years.
One of the things that I loved most about this film was the tug and pull between Marcus and Sasha. Their reunion didn’t immediately fix their fight from all those years ago. They didn’t easily mesh into each other’s worlds and it took time for both to understand each other. What I loved, was that Sasha did not compromise herself. She worked hard to get where she did and she did not give any of it up. She told Marcus that this was how her life was and she wanted him in it. But she wasn’t going to dig herself into the hole that he had. Sasha believed in Marcus, but Marcus didn’t have the drive to motivate himself.
Over All Thoughts
Always Be My Maybe is a lovely, fresh take on the typical romcom formula. It has an amazingly diverse cast and puts Asian American culture up front, which is not something we really ever see. Each cast member is perfect and yes, the Keanu Reeves moments are everything you hoped for and more. Not only was this film shot perfectly, with an excellent soundtrack, but thanks to this movie I am now incredibly hungry.
Always Be My Maybe gets a nine out of ten from me and if you turn on Netflix, I’m sure you will feel the same way.
A girl with too many fandoms to count.
