Rating: 3/5 stars

Rom-coms seem to be making their highly-anticipated comeback in the last few years (not that rom-coms have ever gone out). With this comes many fun, feel-good movies, and then some that just miss the mark. 

“Players” follows Mack, played by Gina Rodriguez (“Not Dead Yet”), who is a sportswriter, and her group of friends as they plan mini-games to catch people to entangle with in New York City. Adam, or Ad, played by Damon Wayans Jr. (“Raid the Cage”), helps her catch these guys even though it is clear he loves her. Mack falls for Nick Russell who is a famous journalist and writer, but of course he is better than he seems.

The movie had some really fun moments. The group’s chemistry was great, and Rodriguez seems to excel in acting in fun settings. The editing and jumps were fun; the music also really enhanced the movie help set the scene. 

“Players” lacked romantic tension. It feels like the film overplays the friends-to-lovers trope, especially because Ad and Mack have been friends for over a decade. This kind of story just does not make sense for the age group that they were in. 

Nick Russell, played by Tom Ellis (“Lucifer”), was a very likable character actually, until the end when he had to be unappealing so Ad and Mack could end up together. Yes, Nick and Mack were not compatible, but it did not make sense for how their story ended.

A lot of the aspects and plotlines of the movie felt rushed. A lot was going on, but it felt like nothing was happening to further develop the plot. Ad and Mack’s dynamic really just had a friend’s vibe to it and felt a little pushed. Ad clearly was in love with Mack, but Mack seemed platonically interested in him which is the typical plot for friends to lovers, but it lacked that tension from both sides.

Rodriguez actually really flourished in this role. She plays a more obnoxious and outgoing role, relying on a lot of facial expressions to add to her performance, but it felt like in this role she acted more subtly. She really shined, making the character seem very real and raw.

All in all, “Players” had its moments with funny jokes and good chemistry among the friend group, but it was very rushed and lacked that romantic tension. If a ‘friends to lovers’ trope is going to be played, it has to be done correctly, and it seems like “Players” fell short on this. Mack’s character was greatly developed, and Rodriguez did a great job playing her, but the script was lacking and did not have much depth to the storyline. 

No matter what, these romance genres are always something to watch when you need a feel-good time, and “Players” fulfilled that.

Image from Netflix via YouTube