The Big Picture

Megan Ryan and David Duchovny have excellent chemistry and deliver standout performances in What Happens Later, bringing fun and charm to the film. While the story may follow predictable rom-com tropes, its elevated by interesting backstories and solid comic banter. The movie may lack flashy visuals, but strong casting and a solid script makes it an enjoyable and comforting watch for fans of the genre.

These days, great romantic comedies are few and far between. Unless it’s one of the few that we get going straight to streaming or the occasional awards-fare outing, we barely ever get any theatrically released movies in this subgenre anymore. So, what better than to have Meg Ryan, the queen of romantic comedies, come back from her eight-year hiatus and fill every major creative role to bring these movies back? Well, that’s exactly what she did with What Happens Later. Now, the lead-up to this hasn’t quite been the noisiest rollout ever, and it doesn’t have the level of prestige that maybe a Nora Ephron project might bear, but if you’re looking for an old-fashioned Ryan outing, then it’s hard to imagine that you could ask for anything safer than What Happens Later.

What Happens Later Two ex lovers, Bill (David Duchovny) and Willa (Meg Ryan) get snowed in at a regional airport overnight. Indefinitely delayed, Willa, a magical thinker, and Bill, a catastrophic one, find themselves just as attracted to and annoyed by one another as they did decades earlier. But as they unpack the riddle of their mutual past and compare their lives to the dreams they once shared, they begin to wonder if their reunion is mere coincidence, or something more enchanted. – Bleecker Street Release Date November 3, 2023 Director Meg Ryan Cast Meg Ryan, David Duchovny Rating R Runtime 105 Minutes Main Genre Romantic Comedy Genres Drama, Romance, Comedy Writers Steven Dietz, Kirk Lynn, Meg Ryan Distributor(s) Bleecker Street
Essentially, Ryan’s sophomore feature is a two-hander. Starring alongside her is David Duchovny, another star of ’90s pop culture, and that’s about it really (other than Hal Liggett, who provides the voice of the seemingly sentient airport announcer). Together, they play Willa and Bill, two ex-lovers who are stranded at a small airport overnight and are forced to unpack their relationship from top to bottom. Yes, that means talking about all the fun stuff… and airing out dirty laundry. It almost feels like a play while you’re watching What Happens Later, and that’s for good reason. The film is based on Steve Dietz’s play, Shooting Star, and together, they co-wrote it alongside Kirk Lynn. Go into Ryan’s second effort essentially expecting a one-location, dialogue-driven play, and you’ll be in the right mindset. Instead of hopping around from one lavish location to the next to settle you into the perfect rom-com mood, this movie relies solely on locking you into Ryan and Duchovny’s chemistry. It might have a bit too much cheese sprinkled in here and there, but for the large majority of its runtime, What Happens Later works surprisingly well.

‘What Happens Later’ Works Because of the Chemistry Between Its Leads
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There’s nothing that can derail a romantic comedy more than casting two leads that just don’t work together. Having to sit through 90 minutes to two hours with a pair of actors that can’t sync up no matter what is about as huge of a miss as one of these movies can make. Just look at Ashton Kutcher and Cameron Diaz in the forgotten What Happens in Vegas, or even Meg Ryan and William H. Macy in The Deal. This is usually not a comment on the individual actors themselves, but more of a mishap in the way they work off of each other. Because of movies like Sleepless in Seattle and When Harry Met Sally…, we know that Ryan is more than capable of bringing the goods, it just depends on who’s starring alongside her.

So what about Duchovny? By and large, he’s either known for being one-half of The X-Files or for performing in dramas like Californication, while a whole slew of comedies sits comfortably under his belt. But what about that kind of chemistry that we need in a romance? Well, you have all the proof you need in The X-Files. He’s proven for decades now that he and Gillian Anderson can line up together any day of the week and riff off of each other, while also seeming to have a bit of tension beneath the surface. Now we just have to see how well he plays off of a master like Ryan.

When paired together, Ryan and Duchovny work like dynamite. It’s uncertain whether or not these two have had any sort of friendship off-screen over the years, but in What Happens Later, they’re a great match. It really does feel like their history goes back decades. The movie’s more dramatic moments regarding why they broke up work well enough, but these scenes rely less on how well they can riff and more on their actual delivery. It’s in Later’s light-hearted and playful stretches where Ryan and Duchovny are at their best.

Meg Ryan and David Duchovny Brought their A-Game to ‘What Happens Later’
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It’s likely that you’ll walk away from What Happens Later a bit surprised. You’d expect to come to this movie to watch Meg Ryan cook, while David Duchovny is just filling the role of her love interest. In reality, both are whipping it up and having a great time, but she might be just a little too much. Given the fact that this is her return from an eight-year hiatus, she’s directing, writing, and starring in this, and it’s in her genre field of expertise, Ryan is coming out swinging. Her performance is shouting off the rooftops “The Queen is back!” Sometimes, she’s sliding right back into her charming and fun pocket that she’s always had, but every now and then she ends up playing the Hallmark Channel’s greatest emotional hits.

These moments aren’t lined up one after the other, but once Willa and Bill start breaking down all kinds of emotional walls, you might find yourself groaning a bit at some of her sappy line readings and exhaustive hippie knowledge. Rom-com mega fans might eat these parts up (minus the free-spirited sayings), but that’s just a fair warning to the casual viewers out there. All of that being said, by and large, Ryan’s still got it and is as fun as she’s ever been on-screen. The movie itself might not be on par with classics like You’ve Got Mail, but Ryan herself hasn’t lost her touch.

Duchovny, on the other hand, has no stake in this movie other than his performance. He strolls onto the screen calm and collected, as he always does, and doesn’t disappoint one bit. As a matter of fact, he kind of ends up stealing this movie. Given their chemistry, it seems as though Ryan allowed for there to be a good bit of improv while the cameras were rolling. You can see the two of them having a lot of fun and seamlessly riffing off of each other, but it’s mostly Duchovny who walks away with a lot of the laughs in this movie. He delivers so many of his lines with a Harrison Ford-like wit, shrugging off clever remarks and charming quips left and right. It’s not a game-changing performance, it’s just the exact type you want from a romantic comedy.

‘What Happens Later’ Isn’t Entirely Predictable
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The story of What Happens Later might feel by the numbers as it moves along, but it actually ends up subverting your expectations a little bit. These movies work because you typically know where the couple will end up, we just want to see how they get there. The same goes for this film. By and large, we’re just here to watch exactly how Willa and Bill comfort each other and help one another work out their problems. Ryan, Lynn, and Dietz concocted enough interesting details for these two’s backstories, all told either with solid comic banter or believable enough drama that it all goes by easily.

That said, there are a few moments where Ryan has the camera whipping back and forth as Willa and Bill sarcastically spout off at each other which gives the film some life visually. By and large, it all looks about as lively as a car commercial. The film is also peppered in needle drops that do work in theory but are mostly made up of tacky cover versions. These can be a bit distracting at times, but it’s no deal breaker. The movie has some truly… um… “choice” visual effects shots, with the most astounding being the last thing that we see. These would be unforgivable if they weren’t placed in a pretty schmaltzy movie.

There’s nothing about What Happens Later that revolutionizes the romantic comedy subgenre, but you don’t always need a movie to change the game. Sometimes, you just need comfort food. Meg Ryan is a face on the Mount Rushmore of romantic comedies. She’d have to go all the way out of her way to mess one of these movies up. Plus, David Duchovny is just one of those guys where it’s just a good time to watch him crack some jokes and wax about his problems. Even when he’s talking about his hardships, he makes it seem cool to have troubles in life. You will not walk away from What Happens Later as a changed individual, but if you have a soft spot for light-hearted comedies (specifically romantic comedies, which I usually don’t), you’ll be sure to find a movie that does its job way better than it needed to. Let’s be honest, you’d have to have a cold heart to hate this movie.

Rating: B-

What Happens Later is playing in theaters in the U.S. starting November 3. Click here for showtimes near you.