'Upgraded' and the Love Behind the Rom-Com
Camila Mendes and Archie Renaux pinpoint the nostalgia of the romantic comedy in Prime Video's Upgraded.
Let me be honest: I was always going to stream Prime Video’s Upgraded.
It’s a romantic comedy starring Camila Mendes and Archie Renaux, two of my favorite actors from Riverdale and Shadow and Bone. Not to mention, the supporting cast couldn’t be more appealing and star-studded. It would always be a match for me, but I couldn’t have anticipated how much I’d truly enjoy it.
Starting with a voiceover (à la Bridget Jones’s Diary and 27 Dresses) piqued my interest, and the opening credits, where Mendes’s name appeared just as her character Ana did on the other side of the door, hooked me. The former is still used within the genre, but the latter is becoming a lost art form. But if I’m extra candid, Ana’s fight to protect her Art History degree, even if it’s not always profitable and sustainable, made me feel for her from the opening scene. As someone with an English degree, I constantly have conversations about what I could do with my degree because writing couldn’t possibly be fulfilling.
Some of those people would likely stick their noses up at me for having a newsletter about comforting media I love, especially romantic comedies. In fact, they have when I was floating the idea for Notes on Nostalgia to people. It’s always been a challenge to explain writing as a profession, and it’s no secret that the genre that gives us so much happiness and love doesn’t always get the same response, professionally or interpersonally. Put those two things together, and, well, you get an even more difficult dialogue with people who don’t want to get it, like Ronnie. Still, like Ana, I work to prove myself to others, but mostly to myself.
(If you want to hear more about what this role means to Camila Mendes, I would suggest this answer in an interview with ScreenSlam.)
So, chronicling Ana’s professional pursuits alongside — often detrimentally entangled with her romantic life because, of course — makes Upgraded a win for me. As exciting and swoon-worthy as it is to see Ana and William’s love story unfold, it’s equally worthwhile to see Ana step out amongst Suzzette and Renee, prove to Claire that she’s a capable employee, and eventually run her own gallery. That last bit made me want to follow Upgraded with 2019’s Broken Hearts Gallery, another rom-com that finds the love behind the art in a friends-to-lovers story.
This movie also joins the ranks of rom-coms with career-driven women in the big city (New York City and London!) and adds the flare of a more comedic The Devil Wears Prada (I’d call that iconic film more of a dramedy) with Tomei’s turn as Claire Dupont. Her delivery of “Are you implying I’m hallucinating?” made me laugh out loud and sold me on the character. The line “You’re a terrible waste of potential” sold me on Claire and Ana’s dynamic, making their scene when Ana recognizes how hard Claire worked to get so far a real standout. Those lines and Claire’s motivations to get the job she deserves make the supporting character vibrant instead of spiritless — a key ingredient to a successful romantic comedy.
Nevertheless, Ana's relationship with her boss being similar to The Devil Wears Prada’s Andy and Miranda Priestly reflects the nostalgia embedded in Upgraded.
The movie even names the nostalgia that weaves its way throughout the story. Catherine, perfectly played by the always excellent Lena Olin, convinces Ana that she wants to keep a collection of art because it makes her nostalgic for her dead husband, Boris, and the romantic side of him she never realized. Of course, this ploy is revealed as such in the third act. Despite Catherine’s clever scheme to get more money, the believability of Catherine’s performance translates through how Ana receives it. Ana believes her because she believes in the love behind the art. Upgraded’s leading lady believes that the nostalgia Catherine feels is love worth holding onto, even if it means losing significant compensation.
Not only does Ana see the Brovil Collection’s artistic value, but she also understands its emotional value. Aptly, this movie does the same for the romantic comedy. Written by Christine Lenig and Justin Matthews & Luke Spencer Roberts and directed by Carlson Young, Upgraded doesn’t feel as though the characters are poking fun at their existence within the formula (Well, besides Anthony Head, who is only here for a good time as the thought-to-be-dead painter). Rather, they find the earnestness that is frequently missing from modern rom-coms.
Camila Mendes and Archie Renaux are specifically great with this, individually as Ana and William and together as a romantic pairing.
The extremely brief scenes between Ana and her sister Viv or her friend Amy (This movie needed more of Aimee Carrero & Saoirse-Monica Jackson!) and William and his youth football team (!) provide such insights into the characters. While that starts on the page and extends into the production, much of that authenticity and charm comes from Mendes and Renaux.
For a romance in a rom-com to work for me, both characters must feel independently realistic and have interesting motivations in their respective arcs. I need to be invested in both characters for everything to fall into place — Upgraded ticks that box with Ana and William. As the heroine, Ana’s arc is more sharply defined from start to finish. Nevertheless, William’s desire to make a name for himself outside his mother’s fame and fortune is believable. His existence is tied to his mother’s success — from the yogurt ad to her famous parties.
Ana and William’s arcs make their conversation just before Act 3 so charged. Without it, William’s feeling hurt after being used and Ana’s comments about her job being in jeopardy because she doesn’t have William’s resources would fall flat. Rom-coms have a domino effect — for better and worse. Ana and Williams’s reconciliation and reunion wouldn’t be worth it without the belief in their arguments and overall perspectives. In turn, all of that story and character work ties back to the strength of the romance. Rom-coms fail when they don’t consider all of those storytelling elements in favor of prioritizing the romance. Then, the romance becomes paper-thin and stereotype-heavy. The uniqueness of the characters and the story gets lost somewhere in between. But not here.
Upgraded avoids that pitfall with genuinely interesting characters played by charismatic actors with great chemistry. William saying he’s more of a Bridgerton guy before that first kiss is one of the best swoon-worthy moments I’ve seen in a romantic comedy lately. Mendes and Renaux sell the sweet yet steamy scene with easy chemistry, and Young shoots it like the big, romantic beat it is. Upgraded understands what makes a rom-com shine and earnestly leans into all of it.
Something as simple as a romantic montage that quickly showcases how close its romantic leads have become and set to “Iceblink Luck” by Cocteau Twins, no less — showcases the consideration, energy, and love put into this rom-com.
Even the movie’s release date spoke to a near-bygone era for the genre when they released so frequently that there was no need to beg for new additions. To name a few, Upgraded started streaming nearly two months after Anyone But You debuted in theaters and a few days before Players premiered on Netflix. For Prime Video, specifically, this rom-com comes after Red, White & Royal Blue in July 2023 and before Five Blind Dates on February 13. It’s a great sign that rom-coms are releasing closer together and mostly maintaining their quality.
What more is there to say (for now) than rom-coms are SO back!
💌 Shelby
*Featured photo courtesy of Prime Video