Romcom Movie Review: Finding Emily

I just discovered a fun new movie! Finding Emily is a newly released British romantic comedy, and it’s a breath of fresh air. I loved it!  It’s about Owen who meets the girl of his dreams, who is dressed as a fairy, at a club where he works as a sound engineer.

They dance and laugh and when her friends tell her they need to leave, he asks for her number. He’s walking on air when she gives it to him, but when he tries to text her, he finds that it’s one number short. Was it an accident because she was in a hurry, or was it on purpose because she wasn’t as into him as he thought? He decides to try and find her at the university, even though he only knows her first name, and the story takes off!

Someone tells Owen that there’s an Emily in a psychology class, so he goes to see if she’s the one, but she’s not the right Emily. However, Emily #2 offers to help Owen – she has her reasons. The story moves along quickly, and it’s really funny when he emails all the Emilys on campus.

The story is set in Manchester, England, on a university campus and in the surrounding neighborhoods. There are colorful supporting characters who stood out, including Emily #2’s roommate and friends, and Minnie Driver is fun as the university dean. I really enjoyed watching Owen and Emily #2 as they team up to search for the right Emily. There’s plenty of romcom humor along with awkward, funny and sweet situations. 

There are some emotional moments when Owen is grieving his mother who died a year ago. Plus, his brother and sister-in-law think it’s time to sell the family home and move on.

It feels more like an indie-style movie, which I found refreshing, compared to the big Hollywood blockbusters we usually see. This brought back memories of Bridget Jones’s Diary and Love, Actually. There’s even some singing!

If you like British romcoms, look for Finding Emily. It’s a heartwarming delight! I gave it 5 stars.