Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
Dylan is done with relationships. Jamie decides to stop buying into the Hollywood clichés of true love. When the two become friends they decide to try something new and take advantage of their mutual attraction - but without any emotional attachment.
Friends with Benefits is a competent but formulaic rom-com that self-consciously mocks genre clichés while ultimately delivering every single one of them. The plot follows a well-worn path with few genuine surprises. Timberlake and Kunis have real chemistry and elevate the material above the script's limitations, earning a modest acting bump. Cinematography is serviceable New York City postcard work — attractive but unremarkable. Novelty suffers because the film arrived alongside the near-identical No Strings Attached (2011) and does little to distinguish itself beyond its cast. The ending is exactly what audiences expect, undercutting the film's own anti-romance posturing with a predictable grand gesture finale.