Finding Emily

While working as a sound engineer at a local pub, Owen Brompton (Spike Fearn) encounters a mysterious young woman in the men’s bathroom. After an evening spent dancing and talking together, she leaves him with only her name—Emily—and a phone number missing one crucial digit. Determined to find her, Owen searches the local university, only to cross paths with another Emily (Angourie Rice), an ambitious psychology student who decides to use his romantic pursuit as the subject of her final dissertation. What follows is a chaotic and awkward series of events that tests their ambitions, expectations, and understanding of relationships. 

Director Alicia MacDonald (Mr Turner) manages to tap into this generation’s complicated perspective on romance and connection. More psychological character study than traditional romantic comedy, the film wraps modern anxieties about dating, identity, and emotional vulnerability within the familiar framework of a British rom-com. Angourie Rice and Spike Fearn gradually develop an engaging chemistry that helps ground the film amidst its commentary on TikTok culture, podcasts, emotional oversharing, and online vitriol. 

At times, the film struggles under the weight of all the contemporary relationship issues it attempts to address. In trying to normalise and unpack modern romantic attachments, some of the messaging becomes muddled. Yet, by the conclusion, the story manages to find enough emotional clarity to satisfy romantics willing to stay invested in Owen and Emily’s journey. 

What distinguishes Finding Emily is how firmly it embraces the British romantic comedy tradition. Unlike many American rom-coms that lean heavily into optimism and sentimentality, British romances often balance humour with melancholy, blunt honesty, and emotional awkwardness. Irony tends to replace grand romantic gestures, while realism often takes precedence over fantasy. Finding Emily stays true to this tradition, offering an honest, occasionally messy reflection on modern relationships rather than an idealised fairytale. 

While the film’s mature themes and conversations make it more suited to adult audiences, it may resonate strongly with younger viewers navigating the realities of modern dating. Beneath the humour and confusion lies a simple truth: despite all the noise of modern culture, people are still searching for connection, understanding, and love. 

REEL DIALOGUE: Is romance meant to make us laugh? 

Romantic comedies may seem like light entertainment, but they often reveal deeper truths about relationships, vulnerability, and the human longing for love. Finding Emily highlights how awkward, confusing, and even humorous relationships can become, especially in a world dominated by social media and public opinion. 

The Bible has much to say about love and how people should treat one another. Throughout Scripture, love is presented not merely as emotion or attraction, but as patience, sacrifice, kindness, and commitment. 

Even laughter itself is presented as a gift. Relationships are not only meant to endure hardship, but also to bring joy and companionship into life. 

“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” — Proverbs 17:22 

Perhaps one of the unexpected gifts of romantic comedies is that they remind us not to take ourselves too seriously. Sometimes laughter, honesty, and vulnerability are exactly what help relationships grow stronger. 

Reel Dialogue has entered the world of YouVersion: Download the app, dive into the plans, and engage with the Bible in a fresh and exciting way.

Learn More

Reel Dialogue has entered the world of YouVersion: Download the app, dive into the plans, and engage.

Learn More