Finding Emily (2026)
University? Take me back.
Going to university embarks a period of self-discovery, love, loss and turmoil. The lack of films focusing on this period is baffling, but it’s better now than never.
Finding Emily is a warm nod to the rom-com genre, showcasing young adults attending Manchester City University. Awkward music-loving Owen lives at home with his brother and his girlfriend after recently losing their mother. Academics are not his strongpoint so to make a living, he works at the university student union, where he has a life-altering — or at least it felt in the moment — meet-cute with a girl. They get to chatting, a personal highlight of romcoms where individuals bond for the first time in an unexpected manner. When Owen’s dream girl sets off with her friends, she gives him her number and tells him her name, a vague idea of her name. Later on, he realises the number given is wrong and is determined to find ‘Emily’. As a premise, it’s quite ridiculous, but when thinking about how the sheer prospect of finding the one at university can truly make you do dumb things — speaking from unfortunate experience.
Owen is introduced to the wrong Emily, played by Angourie Rice, who is a Psychology student researching essentially why love is a foolish concept. This already creates a great set-up for this romance that goes against everything she’s studying, especially as she uses Owen as her research subject, without his knowledge. While the film seems to be quite flat at this point, it does build the university world quite well. It resembles the typical American high school but on a large scale. Introduced are the outspoken ‘activists’ who are very necessary, knowing how unsafe university campuses can be. The campus news also holds an important status that later on provides much comedic value.
It does take some time for the film to find its footing, particularly balancing the ‘rom’ and ‘com’ efficiently. For a lot of the first act, it felt like characters were trying to be funny, but it did not land well, especially through the one-liners. A saving grace recharges this through a side character’s performance, which was particularly enjoyable and created many laughs. Anthony J. Abraham doesn’t have a significant role; he’s Emily’s best friend, Freya’s boyfriend, yet steals the show with his often random and unpredictable one-liners in response to the chaos the search for Emily creates on campus and nationwide. Once the film picks up the pace and drama starts to brew, the ridiculousness of this debacle ramps up the humour, where random strangers and radio host Laura Lewis deliver comedic gold.
Now comedy is important to make Rom-coms work, but the romance can make or break them. In this case, it succeeds massively. Rice and Fearn conjure up a chemistry between two characters that at first glance wouldn’t go well together yet exude the butterflies in the stomach feeling. It’s evident when each character has fallen for the other, and this confusing, giddy feeling creates a yearning for the other that is blocked by personal journeys the characters have to endure. Though both have their ‘idea’ of their true love, it doesn’t amount to the bond they’ve created with each other. It also delves into how their own fears and wounds set them back. Owen, though determined in his romantic quest, lacks this attitude in his actual life, an understandable product of recently losing a parent. Emily totally gives up on love, and in trying to prove the fickleness of this concept harms many people along the way. Rice and Fearn brilliantly portray these struggles while showcasing the electric feelings a newfound love can produce.
Director Alicia MacDonald does bring this university bubble to life; it really did feel like its own world. There were some visually creative moments, such as when Owen emails all the Emilys on campus. The soundtrack also blends known bangers such as Call Me Maybe, Mancunian tracks as an ode to this city and indie cuts which showed an intentionality with the direction of this film, especially with a character with a large passion for music. Spike Fearn’s song at the end solidifies him as a new potential UK heartthrob, with a lot of talent.
If you’re looking for a feel-good romcom that is ever so buzzy and captures how messy uni life is, Finding Emily is the perfect watch.