Meet Minnie, a harried thirtysomething woman who seems to have the worst luck. Especially on New Year’s Eve. You might be skeptical about jinxes but as we see her simple commute to a New Year’s Eve Party turn into a haphazard series of unfortunate mishaps, we can understand why she’d rather stay home.
This misadventure carries her to New Year’s Day (aka her birthday), when she meets Quinn. He’s a dreamboat. A charming management consultant who appears to have it all without a hint of arrogance. We are smitten until we find out that Quinn, born a minute before her at the same hospital, had “stolen” her name. Quinn also seems to have stole all her luck with it. Her piqued interest immediately sours to haughty disdain of this thief.
And so begins the slow burn of their will they, won’t they relationship.
Minnie and Quinn’s evolving relationship may be the focus of the movie but the secondary storyline involving both characters’ mothers is an intriguing subplot that adds richness to the narrative.
Through flashbacks, we see the day both women met in the maternity ward and the resulting fallout from it. Fast forward to the present day and we see two women struggling through their lives until Minnie and Quinn’s chance meet cute throws them together.
This subplot gives This Time Next Year depth in comparison to the stereotypical light and fluffy romcoms.
I initially attributed Minnie’s woe-is-me, blame-it-on-the-system attitude, to a mixture of superstition and plain old rotten sulkiness. However, having the insight of her past through her mother’s lens makes her much more relatable.
By dedicating screen time to their mothers, we gain an understanding of our protagonists’ psyches. We are reminded that we don’t live in a vacuum. Our personalities are shaped by our families and circumstances. As the movie progresses, we are reminded that these changes are not necessarily permanent. We are reminded of the butterfly effect; that a seemingly small step forward can make a significant impact.
So yes, while this rom com does feature the expected tropes, it is made all the more enjoyable with this extra effort to build relationships beyond the spotlighted couple.
This Time Next Year is showing as part of the Russell Hobbs British Film Festival at Luna Palace Cinemas. Grab your tickets here.