No one can resist a good rom-com, but to say there’s been an abundance of good ones lately would just be a lie. We’re slowly reverting back to our former selves, carving out a place for these lovely films to return to the box office and our hearts. Still, our expectations are high—and rightfully so. When you’ve been given films like When Harry Met Sally, The Wedding Planner, While You Were Sleeping, and My Best Friend’s Wedding, you can’t just settle for anything less.
With new voices come new stories that bring the genre up to date while still embodying the essence of the core themes that keep us coming back. Films like Rye Lane and Always Be My Maybe are just a couple in recent years that have reminded us these films can still exist in our current climate. And now, the SXSW Film & TV Festival brings us The Threesome, a charming yet wonderfully messy addition to our ever-growing list of standouts.
Connor (Jonah Hauer-King; The Little Mermaid) has been pining after his ex-coworker Olivia (Zoey Deutch; Juror #2) for quite some time. He’s the type to catch feelings easily, while Olivia is more of a free spirit—a “live in the moment, don’t tie me down” kind of person. This is why he’s still reeling from the night they slept together while she’s perfectly content keeping him in the friend zone.
One evening, Connor visits the restaurant where his best friend Greg (Jaboukie Young-White; Rap Sh!t) and Olivia work. After a failed attempt to get her attention, Greg encourages him to move on. As luck would have it, there’s a girl sitting alone who’s just been stood up by her date. Connor moseys over and introduces himself to the alluring Jenny (Ruby Cruz; Bottoms), and the two hit it off immediately.
Now he’s got Olivia’s attention—and she inserts herself into the mix. After a night of fun, the trio heads back to Connor’s place for a game of truth or dare, which ends in a night of uninhibited desire. Surprisingly, this tryst sparks something between Connor and Olivia, and they decide to attempt a real relationship.
But their love story barely exits chapter one before Olivia discovers she’s pregnant. Before this news has time to sink in, Jenny arrives on their doorstep with the same announcement—a revelation that alters the trajectory of everyone’s lives indefinitely.
If you thought Challengers was a messy film, strap in. Director Chad Hartigan (Morris from America), known for his ability to tell tender stories, brings his signature touch to this project. He didn’t have to work too hard, though, thanks to Ethan Ogilby’s sharp script, marking The Threesome as his first produced screenplay. The double pregnancies are just the tip of the iceberg, but none of the plot points feel like gags or unrealistic occurrences that no one can relate to. It’s grounded and authentic, which invites the audience to place themselves in the character’s shoes. That’s actually the best part of the film. These people are adults, and they act as such.
Audiences are over the days when adults would interact and respond like children with pettiness and manipulation. None of these characters are dumb or foolish. Instead, they’re navigating to solve what feels like an impossible situation with minimal damage.
Connor is committed to Olivia, but his feelings for her don’t cloud his duty to Jenny. Jenny understands the relationship that Connor and Olivia have and doesn’t try to invade their situation to make her family “whole.” In the same way, Olivia holds no anger toward Jenny either, and they both try to share support and understanding for all parties involved.
As we move throughout the film, the story unfolds like a soap opera, with unexpected twists and turns that you don’t see coming. Yet when they’re revealed, you’re both elated by the excitement and tortured by how it affects the characters.
Speaking of characters, The Threesome wouldn’t work as well without ones you can connect to. Hauer-King gives the best performance of his career to date in his portrayal as Connor which ironically is somewhat of a Prince Charming. He strives to be there for both Olivia and Jenny but often stifles his own needs to put theirs first. Cruz’s Jenny is a headstrong conformist. She’s a confident yet conflicted character who still cowers under the thumb of her parent’s expectations. Meanwhile, Deutch’s Olivia is, at times, hard to like. She’s a sour patch kid—endearing and exasperating as she spirals in the chaos unfolding around her. And yet, despite the clashing personalities and competing desires, Ogilby finds a way to masterfully balance each character with moments that will frustrate and move you. Listen, there’s a lot in this film, but it never feels weighed down by drama. There are a lot of comedic moments that bring levity to the story before we dive back into more serious aspects.
The Threesome is remarkably charming, despite what its title might suggest. While some older films in the genre feel outdated, it’s not because love has changed—it’s because the digital age has introduced a whole new set of rules (or lack thereof) that those films fail to capture. Here, we get a fresh, modern take that feels much more aligned with today’s dating scene.
The film serves as a reminder that living young, wild, and free still comes with real-life consequences for irresponsible choices. Yet, even amidst the chaos, it’s astonishing how much support and love you feel for each character (some more than others). This speaks to the care that director Chad Hartigan and screenwriter Ethan Ogilby took in fleshing out the nuances of a not-so-taboo and entirely plausible situation—one where everyone must take accountability for their role in the mess.
The Threesome is on its way to becoming one of those revered romantic dramedies we love so much. Imbued with warmth, The Threesome is a winsome film that invites us to peek into the lives of three individuals on their journey through uncertainty to hope and joy. And if nothing else, it’s a playful PSA for contraceptives.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
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