Relationships can be tough, no matter what type or who they’re with, but many people say that if you’ve found the one, you’ll know...
Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake star in Friends with Benefits / Picture Credit: Screen Gems
2011’s Friends with Benefits is a brilliant feel-good romantic comedy that sees two friends take their friendship to the bedroom, but with no strings attached, of course!
The movie follows both Dylan (Justin Timberlake), an art director, and Jamie (Mila Kunis), a New York-based head-hunter, who meet when Dylan considers taking a job in the Big Apple.
When Jamie shows Dylan what she calls “the real New York”, he seems to be impressed with the city, and takes the job she offers him.
The pair continue to cross paths, and begin to spend more time together, becoming good friends. One night comes where Dylan and Jamie are discussing relationships, and the idea forms that they could try being friends with benefits.
After that, the pair explore their new level of friendship, but the question still looms; can two people ever truly be just friends with benefits?
Friends with Benefits is a genuinely brilliant film, as it has all the best qualities of a rom-com; Kunis and Timberlake bounce of one another perfectly, the setting of New York fits so well, and you can’t help but be in a good mood the whole time.
One of the best things about this film, is the rapport between the two friends. Their acting is so natural that it really sets the perfect tone for their relationship, both before and after they decide to sleep together.
They make an excellent friendship pairing, with their sarcastic attitudes and great sense of humour; they click so well, giving the movie a wonderful sense of realism.
As the film goes on, the humour only gets better and the two get closer, setting up what may be a predictable plot. However, just because you can potentially guess the ending, doesn’t make the film any less entertaining.
Speaking of the narrative, Friends with Benefits may be predictable, but it still has a lot to offer. Both Jamie and Dylan are so open with each other, especially when it comes to sex.
When they decide to add this level of intimacy to their relationship, the duo list things they like and don’t like, something (perhaps) not even seasoned couples do in such a way.
Each character has their personal hang-ups about relationships, allowing them to understand each other that much better, and why they begin to (separately and silently) realise that they might want to be more than just friends...
As well as Jamie and Dylan being perfectly cast, hilarious and somewhat relatable, the feature is also very well-paced, giving audiences time to love the characters on their own, and then as a paring.
This is a clever way to move the story along, as we already like both Jamie and Dylan individually, so when they decide to be friends with benefits, we’re immediately happy for them because, and it’s probably no surprise, we know they’re going to end up together.
Perhaps the film knows that audiences will figure this out (it’s hard to miss, to be honest), and lets you see them fall for one another, date other people, and so on. You see them go through the pitfalls of a relationship without actually being in one.
They know things about each other that no one else seems to know, and while this is common for best or close friends, there is a sense that this is more than that.
Throughout the film, we see Jamie and Dylan share things with each other, laugh, and treat one another as their closest friend. While this is sweet and how some of us may treat out closest friends, we know that their relationship will become more.
While the feature is pretty predictable, is that such a bad thing? If we’re sure what will happen, we get the satisfaction of getting it right, and also the happiness knowing that the characters have finally admitted their true feelings to one another in a satisfying ending.
Friends with Benefits is the perfect rom-com for a lazy Sunday. It’s got great humour, the perfect lead duo, and a well-paced, entertaining story; what more could you want?
Watch the trailer for Friends with Benefits below:
Written by Melissa, who you can follow on Twitter @melissajournal
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