Players is a romantic comedy recently released on Netflix that centres its storyline on the lives of four high school best friends who are now in their late twenties and mid-thirties, working in the same workplace, as journalists. This group of friends who live in New York City are all single. They spend their free time ‘running plays’ on potential hookups. This review dives deeper into the nuances of love, loss and the camaraderie that the plot of the film revolves around.
The plot of Players
Players is a 2024 American romantic comedy film directed by Trish Sie and written by Whit Anderson. Its cast includes Gina Rodriguez, Damon Wayans, JrJoel Courtney, Augustus Prew, Liza Koshy, Ego Nwodim, Marin Hinkle, and Tom Ellis. The four high school best friends now working together helping each other with their hookups, name each play (The Betsy Ross, Drip Drop) and perform them together, tag-teaming their unsuspecting prey. These plays are sometimes overly complex, but they usually work. To them it’s much more fun than swiping right.
Mack, the sportswriter from New York City, spends her time devising hook-up schemes with Adam, her best friend. When Mack meets Nick, a war correspondent, she decides she’s ready for a relationship. Adam, along with her other friends, helps Mack persuade Nick that she is relationship material. Navigating the complex landscape of Netflix’s rom-com, the final act raises of Players questions about who eventually wins Mack’s heart and delves into the intricate web of manipulative plays. This uncovers the layers of deception, unexpected emotions, and the true significance of the film’s ending.
The performances in Players
Gina Rodriguez is a welcome presence, and she helps Mack make sense. Mack is strong but flawed, independent yet insecure. People in real life frequently exhibit these contradictory characteristics, but this is uncommon in rom-coms, particularly in the heroine. This is a welcome change. Liza Koshy plays Ashley, an administrative assistant at the newspaper who is tasked with “running the play,” and quickly becoming one of the most enthusiastic participants. Koshy possesses the characteristics of a true comedian. Watch how she reacts to things in the background, even in scenes where she is not the main focus. Whatever is going on with her is always amusing.
Gina Rodriguez is a welcome presence, and she helps Mack make sense. Mack is strong but flawed, independent yet insecure.
Wayans is a believable underdog lead actor. Ego Nwodim is also effective as Claire, a woman Adam begins dating at one point, causing alarm among the codependent group of swindlers. The nuances of love, loss, and camaraderie are central to the film’s plot.
The presence of the cliched storyline of a predictable love story
The film’s plot lacks originality. The common storyline of the female protagonist not revealing who is truly meant for her until she is with an unsuitable individual is evident in the film.
Players has a major issue since Nick is not “the one” for Mack. “The one” is Adam. The rest of the film is devoted to Mack’s waiting for it. Nick is doing well. He is working on finishing a book, so maybe he is a little conceited. He’s preoccupied. The warning signs are not severe. It’s unclear, though, what Mack finds appealing about him or what she is searching for. Despite her admiration for Nick, she doesn’t seem to be too concerned with her social standing. Her parents were deeply in love with one another; they are now deceased. She desires it for herself. Does she, though? Could she have with Nick what her parents had? It is dubious.
Mack thinks she deserves to be in a relationship fit for an adult. She also knows exactly who she wants: Nick (Tom Ellis), a well-known war journalist with whom she has already had a sexual relationship. The conundrum is this: how does one go from a hookup to a relationship? Adam was hesitant, but Mack and his friends managed to mastermind the shift to a romantic relationship by creating the most elaborate play ever performed. He tells Mack, ‘You can’t build a relationship from a play!’ The storyline ultimately hits home when it talks about being true to who you are and not hiding who you are.
Unrealistic depiction of a journalistic setting
The unrealistic portrayal of a workplace and the characters in Players make you scratch your head. After attending the same high school, the group of friends are now in their late 20s or early 30s and work at the same newspaper in New York City. How does that come about? Given the media landscape of today, the film’s depiction of working at a newspaper is so antiquated as to be downright tragic.
The office space is large and features tall windows resembling the antique workspace setup. Mack writes about ‘local sports’ for the newspaper, but in the world of “Players,” this means that she gets paid to cover ping pong matches. She gets paid a salary for this work. Despite the film’s best efforts to win over viewers with its timeless charm, it becomes less credible due to the ensemble’s non-typical portrayal.
The use of half-baked humour to justify the lack of originality in the plot
The generally charming crew goes to ridiculous (and sometimes hilarious) lengths to keep it locked down, including stalking and binders full of personal information, but the stakes feel genuine. Even though Mack is a parody of a guy’s girl who watches wrestling, eats greasy Chinese takeout straight from the carton, drinks tall boy Sapporos, and goes out to bars every night looking toned and attractive but never succeeds in her career, Rodriguez manages to keep her desires for love, success in her career, and change and direction at the surface.
The generally charming crew goes to ridiculous (and sometimes hilarious) lengths to keep it locked down, including stalking and binders full of personal information, but the stakes feel genuine.
Nick is portrayed in Anderson’s script as an adult who is more complex than his statistics, rather than as a villain or perfect catch. However, who hasn’t mistaken someone’s idea for love.
Mack’s whole cool girl and the centre of attraction routine has a stale uniformity. Making a character all about their love of sports, beer, and sex, along with the fact that all they have in their refrigerator is cheese, feels a little reductive. However, there are plenty of women who share these interests but making it the whole stance of the character in a whole lot of scenes makes her character less appealing.
The camaraderie of the characters does act as a breath of fresh air
The humorous antics of the group are where Players shines: Adam’s witty asides, Sam and Little’s squabbling, and Ashley’s enthusiastic demeanour add charm to the film. With her megawatt smile, puppy dog eyes, caffeinated energy, and unusually sunny presence, the former Jane the Virgin star has a natural affinity for the romantic lead. She strikes the highly sought-after sweet spot between gorgeous and relatable. She is, quite rightly, the centre of attention for Players.
Another beautiful part is the group dynamics of the four characters. As the four waltz around New York doing New York things (hanging out in the park, eating brunch, doing shots, and ogling beautiful strangers), they’re entertaining to watch, especially Adam and Mack who have the kind of chemistry that takes over a scene. However, it lacks the oddly observed details—one character’s primary characteristic is essentially his bisexuality—that elevates a romantic comedy, which seems unfortunate given this group.
The beauty of Mackenzie’s character is also reflected in the unconventional contradiction that her persona shows.
The beauty of Mackenzie’s character is also reflected in the unconventional contradiction that her persona shows. Though she is portrayed through layers of the hot-it-girl sameness, she is shown as someone who is both strong yet doubtful, and smart yet insecure, giving us an insight into the authenticity of how a person is.
Players ultimately captured attention, partly due to its characters’ genuine concern for each other: It’s a tale of love between friends as much as it is of a romantic partnership, and a few well-placed jokes and outstanding acting keep the action moving forward. But the hope for a big romance comeback still lies lingering.
