Fly me to the Moon is an unexpected romantic comedy -- though, by the story, you might imagine the film could go the route of a historical drama or a conventional comedy. But forget about films like Hidden Figures: this production by filmmaker Greg Berlanti (Love, Simon) is a charming and likable movie that tells the story of a hard-nosed marketing director (Scarlett Johansson) who, on a mission to make the trip to the Moon more palatable and accessible to the general public, ends up developing feelings for one of NASA's directors (Channing Tatum). As a backdrop, of course, are the challenges of making this mission a reality, along with all the marketing tricks involved in the equation, reminiscent of what we saw in Air and other movies about the behind-the-scenes of products. Fly me to the Moon never manages to be truly bold and disruptive, despite the out-of-the-box idea, but it should still elicit some sighs.
With Ricky Stanicky, director Peter Farrelly (more recently known for the Oscar-winning Green Book) returns to the type of comedies for which he is best known, in the vein of films like There's Something About Mary or Dumb and Dumber. This movie follows a group of childhood friends who, after using a fake friend named Ricky as an alibi, have continued using him as an excuse throughout their adult lives to avoid responsibilities. When the truth is at risk of coming to light, the friends decide to hire a dubious actor (John Cena) to play the supposed Ricky Stanicky, a lie that soon reaches uncontrollable and chaotic proportions. It's a somewhat old-fashioned comedy for contemporary sensibilities. However, if you enjoy Cena's comedic talents (which are considerable), or if you liked the mentioned 90s comedies, this movie might be for you.
How many romantic comedies were born from lies? Upgraded is another one that comes to add to that list, alongside The Proposal, To All the Boys I've Loved Before, and the like. Directed by Carlson Young, the feature film follows Ana (Camila Mendes), a young woman promoted to first class on a business trip, where she meets the handsome Will, who mistakes her for someone else. It's this innocent lie that triggers a glamorous chain of events, romance, and opportunities – until her lie, as always happens in these films, threatens to come to light.