Good romantic comedies are hard to come by, but Finding Emily sits comfortably in this style, with a sweet and modern spin on the much-loved genre. To mark the film’s May 22 release we had the pleasure in speaking to the two leads Spike Fearn and Angourie Rice, as well as the film’s director Alicia MacDonald.
Rice and Fearn talk favourite rom-coms, the authentically modern social media landscape of the story, and Angourie’s real-life experience of arriving in Manchester mirroring Emily’s own journey on screen. Spike also opened up about learning to sing and play guitar for the role — revealing that despite never seeing himself as a singer, the experience turned out to be something he found really good fun. While we also speak about British food – something we evidently feel passionate about.
Meanwhile, MacDonald revealed how she interrogated every classic rom-com trope to make them earn their place for a Gen Z audience, why Rice was always her Emily & what made Fearn the instinctive choice for Owen, and the unexpected joy of collaborating on an original song she describes as “the coolest thing” she has ever been part of. Watch both interviews in their entirety below.
Spike Fearn & Angourie Rice
Alicia MacDonald
Plot
When a lovesick musician is given the wrong number for his dream girl, he teams up with a driven psychology student to find her. Together, they spark a hilarious, campus-wide frenzy that tests their own hearts and ambitions along the way.
Finding Emily is out on May 22
