I Want You Back
Vertical Entertainment | Release Date (Streaming): February 11, 2022 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
62
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 23 Critic Reviews
Positive:
11
Mixed:
11
Negative:
1
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
88
TheWrapLena WilsonFeb 10, 2022
Screenwriters Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger (“Love, Simon”) are no strangers to the subversive rom-com, and capable directing and editing by Jason Orley (“Big Time Adolescence”) and Jonathan Schwartz (“Stuber”), respectively, set leads Jenny Slate and Charlie Day up for maximum hilarity. The film ultimately feels a bit underdeveloped, but this seems a small price to pay for a romantic comedy with zero misogyny and relatively realistic characters. Read full review
80
Arizona RepublicAlexis PotterFeb 10, 2022
I Want You Back accomplishes what it sets out to do, and you almost can’t go wrong with this cast of hilarious people. Will it be the best romcom of 2022? Maybe. Will it be considered a classic in 20 years? Maybe not. But it is the exact film our current dating culture needs. Read full review
75
ColliderRoss BonaimeApr 12, 2022
I Want You Back largely relies on the overwhelming charm of its tremendous cast, and in particular, the magnificent dynamic between Slate and Day, but that’s all I Want You Back really needs. Read full review
75
ReelViewsJames BerardinelliFeb 10, 2022
Most rom-coms take vague stabs at humor while focusing on the romance. Here, the balance is shifted. There’s enough chemistry between Day and Slate to get us to root for their coupling but both are comedians by trade and that serves them well. Read full review
75
Original-CinLiam LaceyFeb 10, 2022
Like its characters, I Want You Back, is likeable but somewhat unambitious and complacent. Read full review
75
Chicago TribuneMichael PhillipsFeb 10, 2022
Director Jason Orley (”Big Time Adolescence”) handles it all well enough. It’s Day and Slate who make the very best of it. Read full review
70
Paste MagazineAndrew CrumpFeb 11, 2022
More studio comedies should take chances on their principal cast members the way I Want You Back does. Even if little else here worked, at least Day and Slate do. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterLovia GyarkyeFeb 10, 2022
The narrative cruises to a satisfying finish. The jokes go down easy. The characters grow in predictable directions. The film rarely strays from its genre’s conventions, and that’s not a complaint. Sometimes staying in one lane yields the most gratifying results. Read full review
70
VarietyCourtney HowardFeb 10, 2022
Despite some pacing issues and predictable plotlines, the film keeps us wholeheartedly engaged with well-drawn, well-performed characters, grounded shenanigans and sweet, sentimental commentary on heartache. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesMichael OrdoñaFeb 10, 2022
Despite I Want You Back’s heaping helping of the usual rom-com balderdash, both Slate and Day provide enough underdog charisma to make us root for their characters, if not their wrongheaded quests. Read full review
63
New Orleans Times-PicayuneMike ScottFeb 10, 2022
I Want You Back is sweet and enjoyable enough while it’s playing. At the same time, it’s not nearly memorable enough to earn a spot in most moviegoers’ annual Valentine’s Day rotation. Read full review
60
Screen RantNadir SamaraFeb 11, 2022
I Want You Back will definitely make viewers laugh. The film isn’t trying to make anyone cry or be overly dramatic — it simply follows funny performances through the 2022 dating world and lets the audience fill in the blanks. Read full review
60
SlateDana StevensFeb 11, 2022
I Want You Back is a sometimes underwhelming vehicle for Day and Slate’s considerable comic talents, but it’s a pleasure to spend two hours in their company. Read full review
60
EmpireJohn NugentFeb 11, 2022
It’s not trying to reinvent the romcom wheel, and its final bow could be predicted by anyone with half a brain — but I Want You Back is sweeter and more sensitive than you might expect from this kind of broad mainstream romp. Read full review
60
The New York TimesBeatrice LoayzaFeb 10, 2022
I Want You Back isn’t particularly clever or emotionally stirring, but it does briskly deliver on the corny promises of the genre, navigating relatable relationship issues by the least relatable means. Read full review
60
The GuardianBenjamin LeeFeb 9, 2022
It’s a far better version of a romantic comedy than we’re used to streaming of late. Read full review
58
The PlaylistLauren J. CoatesFeb 13, 2022
Though the film boasts an impressive comedic roster and delivers a surprising number of thoughtful, emotional beats, its aimless storytelling and tonal confusion result in a middling end product that ends up more forgettable than anything else. Read full review
58
IndieWireKate ErblandFeb 10, 2022
There’s a deeper, more serious film at the heart of I Want You Back, but a bent toward offering up off-kilter comedic set pieces instead keeps it from hitting any harder truths. Read full review
50
Austin ChronicleRichard WhittakerFeb 14, 2022
What I Want You Back really has going for it is Slate and Day. The set-up may be a Ryan deep cut, but their awkward energy, and shared ability to scattershot subtle one-liners without them getting buried by the sillier antics, harks back to another of her classics: When Harry Met Sally. Read full review
50
ObserverEmily ZemlerFeb 11, 2022
It’s mildly entertaining with a likeable cast. And when it ends, it’s a relationship you’ll move on from quickly. Read full review
50
Movie NationRoger MooreFeb 9, 2022
I Want You Back is a rom-com that sort of drifts along, not quite petering out, not exactly sparking to life, until that magical moment when Pete Davidson shows up. Read full review
50
The A.V. ClubVikram MurthiFeb 9, 2022
Everything from Peter and Emma’s inane backstories to their sweaty attempts to win back partners who were clearly not right for them in the first place mark this as a case of a creative team going through the motions. The ending hinges on a callback so obvious and manufactured that it provokes eye rolls, even as it slightly subverts expectations. Read full review
38
RogerEbert.comNick AllenFeb 11, 2022
Jenny Slate and Charlie Day deserve better than “I Want You Back,” a leaden rom-com that gives them a shot at being funny, charming, and sweet, only to squander it scene by scene. Read full review
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