Finding Emily joins the ranks of the romcom resurgence with sincerity, wit, charm and all the winning tropes with a Gen Z twist.

 

Owen (Spike Fearn) has a once-in-a-lifetime connection with Emily, a girl he meets on a night out. But his dreams of a happily ever after come crashing down when he finds he's missing a digit of her phone number. As his hero's quest to find her begins, he meets the first of a long line of Emilys (Angourie Rice), a psych student who is NOT Owen's Emily from last night, and definitely not on board with his belief in true love. But she needs a research subject to prove her hypothesis that romantic love is no good, so she joins the search for Emily.

 

Set in Manchester, a bustling backdrop and colorful character in itself, Finding Emily is packed with charming characters. As Emily helps to blow up the search, Owen quickly turns from cutie to creep in the eyes of the Emilys. All while the real Emily is nowhere to be found.

 

Owen makes for a muddling romantic you can't help but root for, while Emily is a sweet cynic caught in one messy search, with some questionable motives behind her. 

 

Spike Fearn brings real sincerity to Owen, weaving tragedy and innocence into his backstory. His relationship with his brother, played by Jack Riddiford, is such a highlight of the film. 

 

Angourie Rice is bright and sparkly as Emily, but with an edge of sadness. While her natural Australian accent may have landed a little more honestly, she's still captivating on screen.

 

With all the landmarks of a classic romance combined with some very 2026 twists, Finding Emily is a fun trip to the cinema.