Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Always Be My Maybe’ on Netflix, an Irresistible Rom-Com in Which Ali Wong and Randall Park Create Sparks

Netflix rom-com Always Be My Maybe arrives with momentum thanks to its stars: Ali Wong’s Netflixography includes two stand-up specials and a voice role on the new, acclaimed series Tuca and Bertie; she also wrote four seasons of ABC’s Fresh Off the Boat and has a role in 2020’s Harley Quinn solo movie Birds of Prey. Randall Park has anchored the cast of Fresh Off the Boat for six years, and stole a few scenes from Paul Rudd in Ant-Man and the Wasp — quite improbably, I might add. Together, they collaborated on the screenplay for this new film, which is enjoying some well-deserved hype.

ALWAYS BE MY MAYBE: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: Sasha (Wong) and Marcus (Park) are BFFs AF. They were next door neighbors as kids, inseparable as teens — and then they had sex. Suddenly, the friendship between the BFFs who F’ed was F’ed, and they break up in a BK.

Fifteen years pass. Sasha is now a famous celebrity chef with piles of money, a bunch of restaurants, an apartment with one of those really long fireplaces, a lot of insane shoes and a boyfriend (Daniel Dae Kim) who’s one of those self-absorbed Capoeira assholes. Marcus smokes a lot of weed, plays in a dorky, dorky band that makes Sublime look like King Crimson, is dating an uber-loon (Vivian Bang) and still lives at home with his widower dad (James Saito), with whom he works installing furnaces and air conditioners.

A plot convolution reunites the old friends when Marcus knocks on Sasha’s door to check out her ductwork in the most boring, literal fashion. Sparks don’t fly immediately, but as these movies are wont to do, they eventually set aside old, awkward grudges and become friends again. And then Keanu Reeves shows up to make everything complicated.

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: Always Be My Maybe is in the same vein as The Big Sick and Crazy Rich Asians — consistently funny comedies with distinctly modern sensibilities. It also has the breezy, effervescent tone of stuff like I Love You, Man and Pitch Perfect.

Performance Worth Watching: As tempting as it might be to highlight Keanu’s outright scene thievery, this is ultimately Wong’s movie. She has a terrific feel for comedic nuance that brings to mind Leslie Mann. Wong seems to have no interest in the mushy stereotypes of so many female rom-com leads, and the result is a character who embraces her own intelligence, and contradictions. It’s a smart and refreshing performance.

Memorable Dialogue: “Can I interest you in a Whopper? You can get it to go if you want to eat it in your car and cry,” an observant Burger King employee says to Marcus after Sasha breaks up with him.

Single Best Shot: When the Corolla is rockin’ and all steamed up and there are too many hands on the back window because the sex is awkward, don’t come knockin’.

Sex and Skin: A perfectly PG-13 makeout sesh.

Our Take: Don’t judge Always Be My Maybe for its cutesy title, which makes it sound like a Hallmark Original aimed at Caucasian cat ladies. It’s consistently funny, charming and thoughtful. Wong and Park kindle some great comic alchemy together: the script is witty, their characters are substantive and the tone is airy without being airheaded. And they’re surrounded by a terrific supporting cast; I loved Bang as the screwloose girlfriend, who stops a hair shy of being an outright cartoon, and is all the funnier for it.

There’s another layer of funny in the screenplay, in the way it harpoons celebrity lifestyles — Sasha is the small fish, but Keanu is Moby Dick, and both enjoy a restaurant culture far beyond mere foodie-ism, to outright absurdity (one of Sasha’s high-concept restaurants is described as “trans-denominational”). The movie also paints Sasha as a snob and Marcus as a slob, but neither is unforgivably so, or beyond reproach. Although the movie follows some familiar beats, Wong and Park emphasize character first, then find the comedy within them.

Our Call: STREAM IT. Rom-coms were zombie-formulaic for a long time, and it was more fun to chop off their heads than appreciate their company. But the irresistible Always Be My Maybe absolutely contributes to the recent rejuvenation of the genre.

John Serba is a freelance writer and film critic based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Read more of his work at johnserbaatlarge.com or follow him on Twitter: @johnserba.

Stream Always Be My Maybe on Netflix