A rom-com starring three Oscar winners is currently trending on Prime Video, and despite being over a decade old, it’s still worth revisiting. The 2000s saw the release of some of the best rom-coms of all time, and while not all of them were critical hits, they were a success with general audiences, which has allowed them to remain popular.
Among them is He’s Just Not That Into You, released in 2009. He’s Just Not That Into You was a box office success, earning $181 million against a budget of $40 million, and though it received mixed reactions from critics, it’s regarded as one of the best rom-coms of the decade.
Despite its flaws, as it does have a couple of details that haven’t aged well, He’s Just Not That Into You remains popular, and it’s now trending on Prime Video.
What Is He’s Just Not That Into You About?
Directed by Ken Kwapis, He’s Just Not That Into You is based on Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo’s 2004 self-help book of the same name. He’s Just Not That Into You has a format of different interconnected stories following nine characters, with the main one being Gigi (Ginnifer Connelly).
Gigi has been unlucky in love and repeatedly misreads her dates’ intentions and interest, leading her to disillusionment and disappointment. When Gigi befriends a bar owner named Alex (Justin Long), he coaches her on where she has been failing on her dates, but Gigi also misinterprets Alex’s intentions.
Gigi serves as the connecting link for the characters in He’s Just Not That Into You, with the movie also covering the story of a married couple where the husband cheats on his wife, a long-time couple where she was to get married but he doesn’t, a woman who only dates online, and a guy who wants casual relationships except with one woman.
He’s Just Not That Into You has an impressive ensemble cast, which includes Scarlett Johansson, Drew Barrymore, Bradley Cooper, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, and Jennifer Connelly, and while, to some critics, this wasn’t enough to save the movie, it definitely makes it engaging and fun to watch. On top of that, He’s Just Not That Into You is inevitably relatable, which also contributes to its popularity.
Why Reviews For He’s Just Not That Into You Were So Bad
At the time of writing, He’s Just Not That Into You holds a 42% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, with the critics’ main complaint being that the movie’s format makes it jump from character to character without time to go into their personal stories, while also perpetuating stereotypes.
Others thought that the characters were too obsessed with their love lives, though I will counterargue this with the fact that it’s a rom-com about different romantic and platonic relationships. Some critics have also pointed out He’s Just Not That Into You’s problematic female representation, which is even worse when remembering the movie is based on a self-help book.
Romantic Comedies Like He’s Just Not That Into You Are Becoming Rare
Despite its flaws (and some definitely shouldn’t be taken lightly, like the movie’s bad female representation), He’s Just Not That Into You is now a rare type of rom-com. Although it wasn’t the first to feature an ensemble cast and tell interconnected stories (like Love Actually and many others had already done), it popularized this style in the 2010s.
He’s Just Not That Into You was followed by similar rom-coms like Valentine’s Day and New Year’s Eve, but this format isn’t really seen in rom-coms anymore. As mentioned above, He’s Just Not That Into You is also relatable, which is a key element that rom-coms nowadays lack, and it’s important for a movie to connect with the audience and thus remain relevant.
