We’re inundated with rom-coms right now, which makes every entry responsible for doing something unique or pushing the boundary with chemistry in order to stand out. Finding Emily relies on the classic British romantic comedies made by the producers backing this project, invoking the DNA of beloved favorites like Bridget Jones’s Diary and Love Actually. Through the lofty expectations the film sets up, it succeeds as a funny, romantic coming-of-age rom-com, excellently directed by Alicia MacDonald and brilliantly performed by Angourie Rice and Spike Fearn.
Finding Emily Review
Minnie Driver stars as Dean Whittaker and Prasanna Puwanarajah as Professor Westlake in director Alicia MacDonald’s FINDING EMILY, a Focus Features release.Credit: Courtesy of Focus Features / © 2026 FOCUS FEATURES LLC
Spike Fearn stars as Owen and Angourie Rice as Emily in director Alicia MacDonald’s FINDING EMILY, a Focus Features release.Credit: Courtesy of Focus Features / © 2026 FOCUS FEATURES LLC
Angourie Rice stars as Emily in director Alicia MacDonald’s FINDING EMILY, a Focus Features release.Credit: Matt Squire / © 2026 FOCUS FEATURES LLC
Finding Emily, originally developed under the title CC: Emily, follows Owen (Spike Fearn), a 23-year-old aspiring musician employed by his local university in Manchester, who has a chance encounter with a woman who’s surely the love of his life. One night at a bar, the two form an instant connection and promise to reconnect. Her name is Emily, and her hastily scrawled digits aren’t enough to make up a real phone number.
Their connection seems authentic, and the mistake is obvious, so Owen goes on a cute crusade. He begins posting flyers all over campus, trying to get this mysterious girl, whom he knows next to nothing about, to reach back out to him. This piques the interest of Emily (Angourie Rice), an American exchange student who was pulled out of class by Owen during his random campus sweep to find his missed connection.
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The dilemma presented here is a classic rom-com formula that feels thoroughly inspired. Emily is trying to complete her master’s thesis, which includes a presentation arguing that love is an illusion. Owen, being the quintessential hopeless romantic, makes the ideal subject for Emily’s cynical academic experiment. I think you understand where the conflict is going from here, and over the course of the movie, Emily and Owen find themselves drawn to each other more than they anticipated. I’ll leave it there for your mind to pick up, but you know the rest.
Alicia MacDonald is keenly aware of the beats she has to hit as a rom-com director. You can’t deviate too much lest you risk alienating your audience, but you also can’t play by the same rules as everything else. MacDonald elevates the standard beats with a notable sense of style. This comes through a vibrant sense of color, brilliant pacing, and timed visual gags, backed by a score that feels ethereal and beautiful. In all the right ways, Finding Emily makes up for any potential shortcomings it might have on paper.
Spike Fearn stars as Owen and Angourie Rice as Emily in director Alicia MacDonald’s FINDING EMILY, a Focus Features release.Credit: Matt Squire / © 2026 FOCUS FEATURES LLC
Spike Fearn stars as Owen in director Alicia MacDonald’s FINDING EMILY, a Focus Features release.Credit: Courtesy of Focus Features / © 2026 FOCUS FEATURES LLC
It’s helpful that Angourie Rice and Spike Fearn have chemistry in spades. Fearn is relentlessly optimistic and charming as Owen, while Rice softens the typical pretentiousness of playing a precocious young woman taking emotional “advantage” of her partner. Their banter is effortless, making the gradual shift from calculated academic project to emotional vulnerability feel natural and sweet.
MacDonald is keenly aware of any moments where the film risks feeling generic. At times, she embraces the classic tropes that you naturally have to hit in the genre, but she also understands how to put a fresh spin on them when necessary. In these ways, the film feels modern and new, yet respectful of the genre it works within. There are a few beats involving modern social media elements and oversized secondary characters that might earn a small eye roll, but aside from that, I found myself increasingly charmed by the humor of it all.
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Is Finding Emily worth watching?
The romance is nicely teased out, and the dramatic beats feel earned. Most importantly, the comedy is carefully crafted and well executed. Many things can be attributed to the excellent script and the performances, but MacDonald’s direction stands out. In her feature directorial debut, she has proved herself to be a stronger filmmaker than most modern rom-com directors churning out forgettable hits for streaming platforms. It earns its theatrical scale and stands tall among the high-caliber romantic comedies it models itself after. Finding Emily is a gem in a genre that only produces a few winners each year, working in a crowded theater or as a comforting watch on its own.
Finding Emily is in theaters on August 28.
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