Tribeca 2021: Dating and New York Review

This will be one of several reviews from this year’s Tribeca film Festival. To follow our coverage, click here.

Romantic comedies are a timeless genre, offering viewers a feeling of escapism as we see a piece of ourselves through its characters and stories. Perhaps we need a little more of that these days which is why Dating and New York could not have come at a better time that is sure to last well past that. Harkening back to classic romcoms, the film may not bring anything new to the table though that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Putting a whimsical twist on a traditional romcom story adapted for today’s generation taking place in the aforementioned classic romcom locale of New York City (while of course putting it on display over the course of the film as the magical kingdom it was), the film overcomes its predictability with a strong script and compelling and relatable characters. With a brisk running time clocking in at around the 90 minute mark, it certainly doesn’t wear out its welcome but is full of hilarious and endearing moments to make it worthwhile.

Dating and New York follows two millennials named Wendy (Reale) and Milo (Young-White) who find each other through a dating app. After a seemingly innocuous encounter ending in a one night stand, the two went their separate ways back into the sprawling metropolis that was NYC. As much as they thought they were done with each other, the city still found a way to bring them back together. From there, the two agreed on a “Best Friends With Benefits” contract in order to avoid the complications of having a relationship. Knowing what we know about most romcoms, what happens next shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to anyone but nevertheless, Wendy and Milo and their respective friends were still fun to watch as they tried to make it work until their relationship evolved into something else which required some introspection on each of their parts. All of this ultimately works because of the superb not to mention charming performances from Reale and Young-White who hit all the right notes as Wendy and Milo.

In the end, Dating and New York doesn’t reinvent the wheel but still offers an entertaining watch that is sure to strike the right chord with audiences.

still courtesy of Tribeca

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.