Guitar bands, alternative culture, two good-looking and incredibly likable leads, and a whole load of nostalgic needle drops, Finding Emily is the kind of romantic comedy you rarely see anymorel. It’s a film with a huge mid-80s heart that somehow feels completely at home in the modern world. Even the aesthetic feels pulled straight from the late ’80s and early ’90s, with warm colours, vintage fashion, scrappy student flats, and campus hangouts that make the whole thing feel comfortingly timeless. Were it not for the constant presence of smartphones and social media, this could easily pass for a film made thirty-odd years ago. That’s not a criticism; if anything, it’s one of the film’s quiet achievements.
Directed by Alicia MacDonald and written by Rachel Hirons, Finding Emily takes a simple rom-com premise and turns it into something genuinely charming and emotionally sincere. The story follows Owen Brompton, played with awkward charisma by Spike Fearn, a hopelessly romantic musician who accidentally ends up chasing a girl called Emily after being given the wrong phone number on a night out. Teaming up with a focused American psychology student, also named Emily and played beautifully by Angourie Rice, the pair stumble through misunderstandings, university chaos, and an increasingly ridiculous search that slowly becomes more about finding themselves than finding the mystery girl.
It’s worth noting that the film comes with serious pedigree behind the camera. Produced by Working Title’s Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner, the team behind Bridget Jones, Love Actually, Notting Hill, and About Time, Finding Emily comes from a creative tradition that understands precisely what makes a great British rom-com. Co-producer Olivier Kaempfer, whose credits include Polite Society and Lollipop, rounds out a producing team that clearly has a real affection for the genre.
What really sells the film is its warmth. So many modern romantic comedies feel overly polished or cynical, but Finding Emily embraces sincerity without becoming cheesy. The dialogue feels natural, the humour lands because it comes from character rather than forced punchlines, and the romance develops at a believable pace. Rice and Fearn have the sort of chemistry that carries the entire film effortlessly, and is surprisingly emotional when the story slows down.
The supporting cast also adds a lot of personality, particularly Minnie Driver, who brings a sharp comedic energy as thewhenever she appears. The film is packed with memorable side characters and running jokes that make the university setting feel lived-in and chaotic in the best way possible.
The soundtrack deserves special mention too. The indie and alternative tracks give the movie a huge sense of identity, helping it capture that dreamy, youthful feeling of classic British rom-coms while still feeling fresh. It reminded me of the kind of films that used to dominate video store shelves in the late ’90s — funny, romantic, a little messy, and completely unashamed of wearing its heart on its sleeve.
Finding Emily may follow a familiar formula, but it does so with style, humour, and a genuine emotional core that’s difficult not to fall for. It’s nostalgic without feeling dated, modern without trying too hard, and charming from beginning to end.
