If there’s one genre that has gained a reputation for undercooked efforts in recent times, it’s that of the romantic comedy. We’ve seen time and time again cases of Hollywood studios tossing together an ensemble cast that swaps star power and drawing in an audience for, you know, actual character development. But how does one stand out from the white noise in a category brimming with half-baked efforts? For writer-director Leslye Headland, Sleeping With Other People embodies a departure from the norm.
Community‘s Alison Brie and Jason Sudeikis feature in the rom-com, which is setting itself out as a refreshingly frank and candid take on two adults who, after losing their virginity to one another in college, cross paths much later in life during a help class for sex addicts. Low and behold, the pair strike up their friendship once more on the condition that they don’t sleep together and, well, you can probably figure out where we’re going on this one.
Adam Scott, Amanda Peet, Natasha Lyonne, and Adam Brody round to the cast for Sleeping With Other People, which will bring its own take on the romantic comedy to select theaters on September 11.
Years after impulsively losing their virginity to each other in college, Lainey (Alison Brie) and Jake (Jason Sudeikis) meet at a support group in New York (“What’s a nice girl like you doing at a sex addicts meeting?”). A spark resurfaces, but they’ve walked this road before. Abject failures in romance who lead lives of serial infidelity and self-sabotage, they agree to a platonic friendship to mutually support their recovery—and what’s more supportive than teaching your friend proper self-stimulation? Can love bloom while you’re sleeping with other people?
