Movie Review, Players 2024: People often find themselves caught up in funny situations, pretending to be someone they’re not. They try out different personalities, use strange accents, and come up with elaborate plans. Sometimes, these clichés work, like when Tony Curtis pretends to be a millionaire to impress Marilyn Monroe in Some Like It Hot – a classic move. These clichés are popular because they usually work. However, if there’s no substance or the main characters don’t connect with the audience, these clichés fall flat. Players, a movie written by Whit Anderson and directed by Trish Sie, struggles with the artificial setup it creates. The clichés take up so much space that real-life moments barely get a chance to shine.
Players follows a group of friends living in New York City, all single and spending their free time trying out different tactics to connect with potential romantic interests. They give each tactic a name (“The Betsy Ross,” “Drip Drop”) and work together to pull them off, collaborating to catch unsuspecting targets. These tactics can be quite elaborate but are definitely more entertaining than just swiping right.
Movie Review, Players 2024
Mack (played by Gina Rodriguez) is the leader of the group. She’s a sports journalist at a somewhat unrealistic newspaper, viewing everything through a sports lens. Her best friends include Adam (Damon Wayans Jr.), Sam (Augustus Prew), and Little (Joel Courtney), Sam’s younger brother. They meet up at bars to try out their tactics, but Mack feels it’s time for a real adult relationship. She has her eyes on Nick (Tom Ellis), a famous war journalist she has already been with, unfortunately. More info about Movie Review, Players 2024.
This creates a dilemma – how do you go from a casual encounter to a serious relationship? Mack and her friends come up with a detailed plan, even though Adam, the more mature one, doubts its success. “You can’t build a relationship from a plan!” he warns Mack.
The main issue with Players is that it’s pretty clear Nick isn’t the right fit for Mack. Adam is. The rest of the movie is just waiting for Mack to figure it out. Nick is okay, a bit self-absorbed maybe, but he’s busy finishing a book. The warning signs aren’t too obvious. But understanding what Mack sees in him or what she’s really looking for is a bit tricky. Mack doesn’t seem overly concerned with social status, although she is impressed by Nick. Her deceased parents were deeply in love, and she wants that for herself. But can she have the same kind of connection with Nick? It’s up for debate.
There are hints dropped throughout the movie, clearly setting the stage for future revelations. Mack procrastinates on a big feature (quite an unusual thing at this newspaper). She looks up to Nick’s writing, feeling insecure about her own work compared to his achievements in Syria and a Pulitzer nomination. The subplot involving Mack’s feature, Nick’s involvement, and how it all unfolds can be predicted from miles away. More info about Movie Review, Players 2024.
Despite the somewhat mechanical plot, the cast manages to create a believable sense of friendship. There are genuinely funny moments, like when they go undercover with headsets and disguises to execute their plan for Mack. Rodriguez brings a refreshing energy to the movie, making Mack a relatable character – strong yet flawed, independent yet insecure, a departure from typical rom-com heroines. Liza Koshy plays Ashley, a newspaper assistant who reluctantly joins in on the plan but becomes an enthusiastic participant. Koshy shows comedic talent even in the background. Wayans is a convincing leading man, and Ego Nwodim does well as Claire, a woman Adam starts dating, causing a stir among the group.
Some parts of “Players” may leave you scratching your head. The friends went to high school together, and now they all work at the same newspaper in New York City in their late 20s and early 30s? It’s a bit hard to believe. The movie’s portrayal of working at a newspaper feels outdated, like something from a startup in 1998, not the reality of today’s media world. The office looks more like a tech startup than a newspaper, and Mack covering “local sports” means she gets paid, with a salary, to cover ping pong matches. There’s a vague fear of layoffs, but everyone seems confident and secure in their jobs, almost like a scene from a sci-fi movie.
Romantic comedies are becoming rare, and the ones that do come out often lack charm – a crucial element for their success. People still want love stories; they yearn for them. So, why have we lost confidence in telling them? “Players” falls short as a romance, the core of its plot. The fun lies in the silly antics of the group: Ashley’s enthusiasm, Sam and Little’s banter, Adam’s dry humor. But the whole thing doesn’t quite come together. “Players” feels a bit worn out, lacking the spark that makes a rom-com memorable.
