Finding Emily Review – Hopeless Romantic Meets Cynical Nerdy Girl
British romcoms are a staple of our culture. And I think I’ve found my next obsession in the form of Finding Emily.
A romance film set in Manchester, it follows a boy whose idea of love is all-encompassing. He believes in fate, soulmates and finding “the one” – while a girl seems to think the complete opposite. To her, love is a kind of madness, and it can easily become selfish and obsessive.
Finding Emily has some familiar romantic tropes that you’d expect from the genre. Starring Spike Fearn and Angourie Rice, it’s a quirky, fun and charming romance bringing a fresh lens to the classic romcom genre.
The film includes plenty of the ingredients you’d expect – missed connections, mistaken identity, misunderstandings and unexpected relationships. It also explores love, obsession and the influence of social media.
Rundown of Finding Emily – What you need to know:
- Genre: Romantic comedy
- Stars: Angourie Rice, Spike Fearn, Minnie Driver
- Creators: Alicia MacDonald (director); Rachel Hirons (writer)
- Runtime: 1h 51m
- Release date: 2026
- Where to watch (UK): Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, Rakuten TV and Sky Store
What is Finding Emily about?
Finding Emily is a film about Owen Brompton. He’s a sound engineer living in Manchester after having has a short-lived music career. One night, when he’s working, he meets a girl. The girl of his dreams. In his mind, she’s perfect for him after the two end up catching for a few hours. When this girl heads home, she gives him two things: her name and her number. With Owen buzzing, things soon dampen his mood when he finds out that she had given him a number that is missing digits. However, thankfully, he has her name Emily and sets out to find her with the help of a third-year psychology student, also named Emily. This is a fun romcom following Owen’s relentless pursuit to find his love interest.
What I liked about it:
The storyline in Finding Emily is realistic and optimistic as it portrays the real-life struggles people face when it comes to dating. Not everyone is perfect, and the film shows that you either have to accept people for their imperfections or move on. In the relationship between Owen and Emily, we see that Emily gets some redemption towards the end after breaking Owen’s trust.
With the film being set and filmed in Manchester, there are a number of beautiful shots featuring well-known locations around the city. It also has a very late-2000s feel to it and the characters socialise in clubs, go for fish and chips or takeaways, and live in affordable, low-maintenance apartments.
Emily Raine is a very likeable character, despite the film initially painting her as more of the villain. She is clearly conflicted with her emotions and often struggles to find the right way to express herself to Owen. She is a girl who wants to succeed and is determined to achieve her goals, but at the same time, she also wants to be loved, even when her desire for a relationship goes against some of the views she is trying to stand for in her paper.
The pacing of the film also felt pretty quick. I was never bored, and despite being close to two hours long, it never felt like I was watching a two-hour film. It really does manage to transport you into the story and keep things moving.
Another interesting part of the narrative is the way Owen is portrayed as a weirdo or even a stalker, especially through the conversations taking place on social media. Women criticise him for not respecting Emily’s privacy and chasing her, rather than believing that he genuinely likes her and wants a relationship with her. It shows how social media and the press can sometimes create a completely different version of a situation.
What I didn’t like:
The plot was predictable from the start. Nothing really surprised me throughout the film, as I could pretty much tell where the story was heading. There wasn’t really a plot twist for me, but I wasn’t too bothered by the predictable trajectory of the story. I think the other elements of the film made up for it.
Overall Thoughts:
I really enjoyed this movie. It was a great watch, with beautiful cinematography, a satisfying ending, and a fresh and modern take on dating and relationships through the lens of social media and social commentary.
