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What Happens Later

2023

Meg Ryan

Meg Ryan, David Duchovny

4.3

114

Romance. Comedy Willa and Bill are ex-lovers that will see each other for the first time in years when they both find themselves snowed in, in-transit, at an airport overnight.

	Media	Author	Review
		Frank Scheck The Hollywood Reporter	"[It] is not so much a rom-com as a comic drama infused with strong doses of magic realism that some viewers will find charming and others insufferably twee"
		Courtney Howard Variety	"Sparkling comedy (...) Meg Ryan not only dazzles before the camera in “What Happens Later,” but behind it as well, as director and co-writer"
		Richard Roeper Chicago Sun-Times	"This might have worked as a short film or a 30-minute TV episode, but as a feature film, it grows increasingly cloying as the minutes tick on (...) Rating: ★★½ (out of 4)"
		Benjamin Lee The Guardian	"With mostly so-so results (...) Rating: ★★ (out of 5)"
		Mick LaSalle San Francisco Chronicle	"Maybe somebody somewhere has made a better American film about mature love, but at this moment, I can’t think of any (...) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 4)"
		Christy Lemire rogerebert.com	"[It] doesn't reach the heights of Ryan’s beloved romantic comedies, but its sweet comforts might be just the ticket if you’re looking for laughter-through-tears on the couch on a Sunday afternoon (...) Rating: ★★½ (out of 4)"
		Rachel Labonte Screen Rant	"[It] isn't without some hiccups in its execution, but with Meg Ryan back at the helm, it's impossible not to feel charmed"
		Coleman Spilde The Daily Beast	"A major disappointment (...) [It] is far from the magic you’d expect"
		John Serba Decider	"It must be said that 'What Happens Later' will not be tenable at all for anyone who’s too young to have seen Meg Ryan films in the theater during her rom-com peak. Its teeth are a little sharper for its target audience, who might STREAM IT and find it at least slightly enjoyable and insightful"
		Steve Davis Austin Chronicle	"A young audience may not fully appreciate the existential quandary the two principals face here. But those with a little more life under their belts will likely feel differently (...) Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)"
		Moira MacDonald Seattle Times	"It is no rom-com, but it’s a surprisingly moving chapter in Ryan’s screen story; a gentle reminder that we carry our pasts with us — and that sometimes, we get a second chance to make things right (...) Rating: ★★★ (out of 4)"
		Samuel Williamson Collider	"Though not her best romantic comedy, there is still much to love about Meg Ryan's latest"
		Wendy Ide The Guardian	"Two ex-lovers exchange banalities through the night in Ryan’s hellish second stab at directing (...) Rating: ★ (out of 5)"
		Alison Willmore Vulture	"[It] has such a chip on its shoulder about its relationship to its own maligned genre that it never actually gets around to much by way of pleasure, which you might argue is that genre's main purpose"
		James Berardinelli ReelViews	"Life and love have a different taste when there are more years behind than ahead (...) Rating: ★★★ (out of 4)"
		Adam Graham Detroit News	"If it doesn't all the way work, it's a commendable effort and a reminder of Ryan's considerable charms"
		Tara Bennett Paste Magazine	"Ryan and Duchovny both have the charm, mileage in life, and acting chops to adeptly shift from comedy to drama on a dime, which makes 'What Happens Later' work very well"
		Johnny Oleksinski New York Post	"Drab, grayscale shots of a man and woman sitting at the gate are not my idea of a good time (...) Rating: ★ (out of 4)"
		Rex Reed The New York Observer	"Meg Ryan and David Duchovny are ready for a better, more rewarding film than 'What Happens Later' (...) Rating: ★★ (out of 4)"
		Katie Walsh Los Angeles Times	"Deeply heartfelt and beautifully performed"
		Claire Shaffer The New York Times	"While it's unlikely to join the rom-com pantheon, its charming leads and humorous truths do invoke the spirit of Ephron, to whom the film is dedicated"

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