Diksha Sundriyal
Just as history repeats itself and fashion trends come back, the genre of romantic comedies also waxes and wanes. There was a time when such films were a surefire hit, but then the audience decided that they had seen too much of it. Thanks to Netflix, before the genre could completely die down, it met with a revival and is, once again, persuading comedians to dive into it and attracting audiences.
But revival does not necessarily mean complete transformation. In case of romcoms, it means reusing the same tropes, but with some tweaks here and there. ‘The Wrong Missy’ is just that. It uses the good old clichés of opposites attract, initial revulsion turning into attraction, finding your perfect half in the most unexpected places, and all that. It also uses very familiar angles of cringe and physical comedy with typical characters and a predictable plot. But familiar can also mean relaxing, and that is what the film benefits from.
The Wrong Missy Plot
Tim Morris is set up on a date by his grandmother. Within the first few moments of it, he realizes that it is not going to work-out. Melissa, aka Missy, is too overwhelming and a bit too psychotic for him. There is also no common ground between them. He doesn’t drink alcohol; she could be a certified alcoholic. He is a normal person who works a regular job, and she carries around a knife with her, which she has named Sheila. He tries to ditch her, but even that ends disastrously.
A few weeks later, he bumps into another Melissa at the airport. She has a lot of things in common with him. She likes the same books, has the same choice in liquor, and even has a similar failed relationship like his. She is also very beautiful and exhibits no signs of lunacy, which is a huge plus point. They almost hook up but then she has to leave. She gives him her phone number, and he promises to keep in touch.
After practicing his lines and mustering some courage, he finally texts her. Their chats go rather well, and it looks like she could be a bit wilder than he imagined. His friend suggests him to bring her to the corporate retreat with her, and to their surprise, she says yes. All the arrangements are made, and the time comes to finally meet her again. It is on the plane that Tim discovers that he had invited the wrong Missy.
The Wrong Missy Review
On a lot of fronts, ‘The Wrong Missy’ is all that you have ever seen before in a romantic comedy. But it would be a lie, if I said that it does not surprise you. The comedy of the entire film hinges upon the character of Missy, played by Lauren Lapkus. She is an over the top kind of person, who doesn’t care about the consequences of her words or actions, and is surprisingly an expert in a lot of things.
Had it been a lesser actress, the role, and hence the film, would have completely fallen apart. The craziness of Missy is already not easy to like, and with a bad performer, it would have made the entire thing unbearable. Luckily, Lapkus brings the right tone of eccentricity to the character. You start just like David Spade’s Tim, finding her inappropriate and unpredictable. But she kind of grows on him, and while you might not be willing to go as far to falling in love with her, you will admit that she is the kind of wild friend you might like to have.
Despite churning the same formula from the early 2000s, ‘The Wrong Missy’ has a couple of scenes where it leaves you in a riotous laughter. Spade tones down his form and strikes a spot-on balance with Lapkus’ outrageous character. The film does give a hint of silliness to him too, which makes it believable for us to find someone like him falling in love with someone like her.
One of the biggest reasons why ‘The Wrong Missy’ has the potential to surprise you is because you might not expect much from it going in. It’s not that it surpasses all expectations, but it does enough to keep you smiling all the way.
Rating: 3/5
Read More: Where is The Wrong Missy Filmed?
