Review: Set It Up

Directed by: Claire Scanlon

Written by: Katie Silberman

Starring: Zoey Deutch, Glen Powell, Taye Diggs, Lucy Liu, Joan Smalls, Meredith Hagner

Rating: [4/5]

So much needs to go right for a movie to succeed but when it comes to a romantic comedy, getting the chemistry right between the two leads can make up for deficiencies that may exist. Set it Up gets it just right with the pairing it brings together as their infectious charisma helps elevate a more than adequate plot into something incredibly enjoyable. 

Both working themselves to the bone as assistants, Harper (Zoey Deutch) and Charlie (Glen Powell) connect regarding their shared struggle of lacking a social life because of the demands of their bosses. They devise a plan to set their bosses up with each other, which will leave them more free time as their superiors will be preoccupied with each other. 

A decent setup and excellent execution perfectly summarize what makes Set it Up one of the better romantic comedies of recent years. You get two actors like Zoey Deutch and Glen Powell together and their endless charm makes for something easily watchable and infectious in what they can create together. Separately they have each found ways to excel and create niches for themselves. Powell loves navigating in either the asshole or endearing roles where he can navigate with his good looks and provide a sly smile. Deutch carries this manic energy in the roles she takes on and has found success there. They each carry some terrific comedic chops and bringing them together allows for an explosion that makes every scene they share absolutely electric. It only solidifies what makes them such exceptional talents and their elevation of this material. 

The two leads also receive the benefit of having Taye Diggs and Lucy Liu round out the main cast as those demanding bosses and those two also bring it in this film. Both effortlessly portraying these terrible people but both conveying what makes them individuals who can undoubtedly command the respect of others. The chemistry Diigs and Liu strike up together as well adds to the infectious energy within this film filled with incredibly good-looking people. 

The issue bringing them together comes from a struggle many professionals encounter as they start out in an industry. This country loves to share the story of those who start at the bottom and make their way to the top, thus making the abuse taken in order to climb the ladder nothing more than a rite of passage in order to reach success. You have Charlie dealing with a demanding boss but knows the connections he can forge through his relationship with him makes him endure terrible treatment and he just deals with it. The same occurs with Harper as she aspires to be like her boss, who succeeded as a woman in a male-dominated industry but, thus serving as an excuse for her to withstand unideal treatment. The plight they share undoubtedly brings them closer together while also shining a light on the unnecessary hell these young folks need to go through. The fact they need to fraudulently set up their bosses in this relationship in order to have any semblance of healthy work-life balance truly says it all in the level of toxicity we’re dealing with here. You just laugh it off with them and root for their plan to work out. With that being said this feature does delve into whether this abuse they take provides the benefits they seek and if the end result justifies what they must endure in a fairly mature manner, which leaves something else to take away from the movie. 

As dark as this idea presented is, this film has so much fun aided by its sharp script by Katie Silberman, who does a marvelous job of shaping together this story and providing the necessary words for Powell and Deutch to shine. Her collaboration with director Claire Scanlon brings New York into this story as an active participant and helps shape the relationships operating in this feature. They set the stage for these actors to do what they do best and they certainly succeed in this regard. So many of the gaffes in this feature work to perfection in putting Charlie and Harper in some awkward positions as they mull over how their actions could benefit them. No section of the film drags by any stretch and only ratchets up the stakes with each scene until we reach the climax of the feature. 

Following the familiar beats of a romantic comedy but doing it with so much charm, Set it Up strikes the right balance in putting effortlessly talented people together for an incredibly enjoyable story. Most of the comedy lands very well, the plot lands on some very specific lessons for these characters as they must navigate their dubious decision-making but it all comes down to the romance at the center of it all and this film nails it with the casting and how each actor contributes into something so entertaining to watch and a true bright spot in the genre.