Review: I Want You Back

Jenny Slate and Charlie Day team up to win back their ex’s, but will they win the heart of audiences?

Peter (Charlie Day) is dumped by his long-time girlfriend Anne (Gina Rodriguez). Meanwhile, Emma (Jenny Slate) feels the same pain when her boyfriend Noah (Scott Eastwood) breaks up with her. Failing to hold back their devastation, the two find each other in the stairwell of their office building. After a tear-soaked friendship begins, the two decide to use each other to win back their former lovers. Emma will seduce Anne’s new flame, and Peter will befriend Noah and point him back in Emma’s direction. 

This Amazon Studios original checks off all the standard romantic comedy tropes, and it works. 

It toes the line between awkward and witty beautifully. Just when it seems like “I Want You Back” is headed towards an over-the-top moment, it pulls back just enough for the joke to land. Some of the situations were a little too out there, but I appreciated that I never felt second-hand embarrassment from the characters. 

It’s cute and romantic while giving you the cheesy feels of an early 2000’s rom-com. I will say the jokes feed off of a crowd, so this one is better watched with a group of friends or in a theater if you’re comfortable enough.