Always Be My Maybe - A Movie Review

You don’t want to wonder ‘what if.’

Always Be My Maybe is a 2019 film. Sasha and Marcus have always been the best of friends. They have a falling out in their teens when everybody tells them they’d make a good couple. Fifteen years later, the pair reconnect and wonder the same question.

I always enjoy films about reconnection. Always Be My Maybe follows the story of a friendship. As much as we all want it to be easy, finding romance is challenging. Not only with love, but the film encourages audiences to live the life they want. While holding romance tropes we’ve seen, the film has a strange scene that I’m still unconvinced is real.

Sasha and Marcus have been friends for the longest time. They have always been there in the most demanding times. Best friends can act as weirdly as they want. They were cute friends. Except, puberty ruins their bond.

Ali Wong and Randall Park were fantastic in the roles, finding their character's chemistry. Their characters are established well. Park is a talented beatboxer. My favorite scene was them walking back to the car (that started it all). Wong and Park’s chemistry made for some truly hilarious and touching moments. The characters were so relatable.

Once Sasha and Marcus reunite, from there, the usual rom-com tropes are set in stone. The pair have several conversations. With each other or with significant others on why they would and wouldn’t make a good couple. Every character believes that Sasha and Marcus would make a good couple.

The film has memorable characters. James Saito is a talented actor. I have seen him in two other films where he played contrasting personalities. He was funny as Marcus’s dad. Other credits include Michelle Buteau, Vivian Bang, Susan Park, and Daniel Dae Kim. Credit also goes to the young actors who portrayed them as kids.

The weirdest part of the movie was Keanu Reeves. Reeves plays himself. Sasha claims that she’s had a history with Keanu Reeves which leads to a scene where the characters go on a double date.

This scene was absurd. I was wondering the whole time if the scene was a dream. No, it’s real. After this scene, Reeves is never heard from or mentioned for the rest of the movie. I couldn’t take it seriously. I didn’t see the point of Reeve’s presence. This scene felt forced.

One thing that could have been better about the film was the pacing. There were a few moments in the story that felt a bit slow. Other story components deserved more attention. For example, Sasha has a dysfunctional relationship with her parents. They could have been in the story more instead of showing up at the end.

Always Be My Maybe is a predictable love story. The film spends too much time with back-and-forth relationship drama. I got so tired of characters talking about their relationship.

However, it presents themes like brandishing your name in the business world to accomplish your dream job. You should never wonder about anything. Do it. Nohnatchka Khan added more elements to the narrative. He did the best job establishing the heartwarming story of childhood friends reconnecting and falling in love.

The film may be the answer for anyone dealing with relationship issues. Dating can be a terrifying experience. Try new things and if it doesn’t work don’t make a big deal out of it.

If you are looking for a feel-good romantic comedy with a diverse cast and hilarious moments, check out Always Be My Maybe on Netflix.