Even though Players will make you grin during most of its run, you’ll be hard-pressed to recall something memorable or unique about it after the credits roll.
What it's about
Sports journalist Mack (Gina Rodriguez) devises an elaborate scheme, or “play,” to get Nick (Tom Ellis), a celebrated foreign correspondent she deems is out of her league, into falling in love with her.
The take
Those who thoroughly and unironically enjoy romantic comedies will find much to like in Players. Sure, it’s formulaic and predictable, at times even unintentionally parodying itself by parading a plethora of romcom tropes and traditions (of course the leads work for a newspaper, and of course, the best friend is secretly in love with the lead). But for some, that’s the joy of watching genre movies. Familiarity is the point, and if we were only checking boxes here, then Players would be an easy win. Unfortunately, that’s not all it takes to truly stand out, especially at a time when many other novel romcoms are being released. There are plenty of movies out there with more guts and gumption, more memorable performances and more daring scenarios, that are worth the time of day. But if you want an easy breezy flick, Players is pleasant enough with charm to spare.
What stands out
More than the romance, it's the dynamic of the friend group that really sells the chemistry here. I would watch a sitcom starring them any day.
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