When we meet Simon (Brett Goldstein) and Laura (Imogen Poots) in William Bridges and Goldstein’s sci-fi romantic drama, All of You, we are instantly hit with their palpable chemistry. As someone unfamiliar with Ted Lasso, I was incredibly taken by Brett Goldstein’s presence as a romantic lead. He acts tough and unbothered by the fact that his best friend is undergoing a test to find her soulmate, but we can see in his gaze that he is head over heels in love.

We know as well as Simon this isn’t going to work out for him, but he isn’t tempted to distance himself from Laura just yet. As the movie ends, I was left with one strong feeling — the desire to see Goldstein as the next king of romantic leads.

Goldstein & Poots’ Romantic Chemistry Is At An 11
Laura and Simon have been friends for several years after meeting at university. Laura has decided to take a genetic test that can determine who her soulmate is. Unfortunately for Simon, this means he will never have a chance with her, especially as he is staunchly against the test. After some years of marriage, Laura initiates an affair with Simon, and the two must now navigate a love that can never be anything more.

The film has two major things going for it: Goldstein and Poots’ casting and their characters’ chemistry. The only thing that fully captures our attention from beginning to end is Laura and Simons’ undeniable spark and charming banter. Laura and Simon are perfect for each other as best friends, and from what we can glean from their affair, they would be suitable partners, too.

Throughout the film, some conversations indicate a difference in perspective on family, love, and life, but as they prove time and again, they know how to meet each other in the middle. In a romantic film, the chemistry between the leads is crucial in selling us an emotional rollercoaster ride. We get that in All of You, and we feel for Laura and Simon as they navigate their feelings for each other.

All Of You’s Troubled Premise Limits The Story’s Potential
All of You’s romantic premise rests on the fact that Laura’s marital relationship is 100% perfect and that her husband is her soulmate because the test that determines this is infallible. But that isn’t the case considering Simon and Laura’s relationship. How is Laura susceptible to falling into an affair with Simon if she is indeed with her soulmate? The film could have been more emotionally wrecking if this test wasn’t so absolute.

The only thing that fully captures our attention from beginning to end is Laura and Simons’ undeniable spark and charming banter.

There’s a pivotal conversation Laura has with Simon about her father and her parents’ marriage that seems to be the basis of Laura’s reluctance to make a decision, but the reality is the test is unwaveringly accurate. The test is an interesting starting point, but ends up being an albatross in the story. Without framing this test as an absolute and allowing the characters room to navigate their choices, the romance would have gained more emotionally. The highs and lows of Simon and Laura’s relationship would be more effective if neither felt they were being held to some strange inevitably.

All of You is not the kind of romance that will leave you feeling uplifted, or believing in love or swooning from the sheer power of the lead couple’s romance. But the actors’ chemistry is an immense draw; it makes our hearts feel something. As the film comes to a close, the emotions are running high, but there is a touch of dissatisfaction as we don’t really get the closure we hoped for.

A part of the problem is the film has a relatively narrow perspective as it follows Laura and Simon’s lives and that it simply ends. There is something oddly relatable about that; some relationships come to an end with little fanfare, but because of how emotionally wrought these characters have been, the film would have done well to end with a stronger gut punch.

All of You premiered at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. The film is 98 minutes long and not yet rated.