With films like Anyone But You, the romantic comedy is hotter than ever. Even though the sub-genre experienced a bit of a low period in the 2010s, there were still a handful of movies that made our hearts sing, as well as a few stories that never got the time in the romantic spotlight they deserved. One of those films to fall in the latter category is Why Him? starring the relatively unknown at the time, Zoey Deutch. The 2016 film may have come and gone in the minds of moviegoers, but now Why Him? has found a second life on Netflix.
The romantic comedy just hit Netflix UK this week, and it’s already tearing up the charts, landing in the worldwide film top 10. When the film was initially released, Deutch wasn’t a household name yet, best known at the time for starring in the critically panned Vampire Academy adaptation. However, in the decade since, she’s made quite a name for herself starring in critical hits like Zombieland: Double Tap and Not Okay for Hulu.
Deutch also has been the center of a few fun romantic comedies, like Netflixâs Set It Up and Amazon Prime Videoâs Something from Tiffany’s. Her growing star power might have something to do with Why Him?âs streaming success. However, it also helps when Bryan Cranston is playing your father. Cranston was coming off the massive hit show Breaking Bad at the time and, like Malcolm in the Middle before it, Why Him? proved that the actor has a knack for comedy.
What Is âWhy Him?â About?
Why Him? is a hilarious tale as old as time. Stephanie (Deutch) is bringing her boyfriend Laird (James Franco) home for the holiday to meet her parents, played by Cranston and Megan Mullally. However, Laird is a modern Silicon Valley tech billionaire, and he’s a bit too eccentric for Stephanieâs father’s liking. Even worse, Laird asks him for his blessing to marry Stephanie. What ensues is a chaotic family Christmas that offers more than a few laughs and heartwarming moments.
While Why Him? has a less than favorable 39% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it made an impressive $118 million at the worldwide box office. Whether that was bolstered by its Christmas movie backdrop and holiday season release can be debated, but the film is better than its Rotten Tomatoes score would imply with Deutch and Cranstonâs charm shining through every moment. With the holiday season quickly approaching, it’s definitely a film to have on your watch list.
Why Him? is currently available on Netflix in select locations, but the film can also be rented on major paid VOD platforms.
Why Him?
- Release Date
- December 22, 2016
- Director
- John Hamburg
- Runtime
- 111
- Main Genre
- Comedy
- Studio
- 20th Century Fox
- Tagline
- Of all the guys his daughter could have chosen…
