Meg Ryan and David Duchovny's New Film "What Happens Later" Fails to Impress Despite Strong Performance Chemistry

Critics accuse latest romantic comedy of failing to capture the genre's whimsy, despite crediting Ryan and Duchovny's chemistry as a rare redeeming factor.

Meg Ryan and David Duchovny's new movie 'What Happens Later' is a romantic comedy that falls flat according to critics, mainly missing elements of whimsy and heart - key constituents of the genre.
The film focuses heavily on the characters' past grievances, with a large chunk dedicated to discussing their shared dislikes but fails to offer any depth to the characters or their relationships.
Ryan's and Duchovny's strong performance chemistry serves as a rare redeeming factor in the movie, with distinct humor and a palpable connection between their characters portrayed effectively.
The movie does attempt to address some of the genre's cliches and offers a less-than-ideal ending, but doesn't substantially comment on topics like romance, life, and love.
Despite a promising premise of two exes stuck at an airport due to a snowstorm and the film's dedication to the late Nora Ephron - known for iconic rom-coms such as 'When Harry Met Sally' and 'Sleepless in Seattle', 'What Happens Later' fails to live up to audience expectations, eliciting feelings of lifelessness and defeat.