I love the movie When We First Met. After a cursory scroll of the internet, I have learned that most critics decidedly did not. While there are some good points to be made about gender roles in rom-coms and the way they were handled in this movie, I remain a fan. Let me tell you why.

Here’s the thing: we all love a good romantic comedy. I firmly believe this. Sure, my broad statement is too general, and there are plenty of people that only like one or two. But at our core, all of us love the reliability and comfort of watching a movie that we know is going to end happily. It’s just nice! 

When We First Met delivers that happy ending. Not only that, it delivers it with a twist. Predictable yet refreshing, this film questions why we fall in love. And it offers plenty of laughs (as well as a few cringeworthy moments) along the way.

Noah Ashby, played by Adam DeVine, is head over heels in love with his good friend Avery (Alexandra Daddario). Unfortunately for Noah, Avery has a very happy relationship with the tall and handsome Ethan (Robbie Arnell). 

Noah’s support system mostly exists in the form of his successful (and slightly chauvinistic) friend Max (Andrew Bachelor). Carrie (Shelley Henning), Avery’s best friend, also has a constant stream of tough love — or straight-up discouragement, depending on your opinion. 

One night, feeling forlorn about Avery, Noah manages to travel in time thanks to alcohol and a photo booth with some unexpected properties. He is catapulted into a journey in which he learns about himself, travels a time loop, and does his best to develop the best Halloween costume ever. (Now that I’m thinking about it, this may be a Halloween movie.) 

Noah does a lot of wrestling with fate. He wants to get what he wants, and he does his best to manipulate people and circumstances so that the stars align and he gets the girl. But stars are finicky and it’s hard to align them and no matter what he does, things go wrong and the outcome is never quite what he wants. 

Stuck in his time loop, Noah starts to wonder whether or not he knows Avery as well as he thought he did. He wonders whether he’s as good a person as he’s always considered himself. And what is up with all the deep conversations he’s been having with Carrie?

I’m sure that you’re thinking: “there are lots of time loop movies! There are lots of guy-in-love-with-his-friend movies! These are not new concepts, so why is this movie special?”

Honestly? It’s not. But it is sweet (underneath all of its raunchy and occasionally questionable humour). And it is fun (no qualifying words here — fun is fun). And if you have an hour and a half to spare, this movie may be well worth your time. I guarantee you won’t feel stuck in it.