Anyone But You Film Synopsis

Two people with instant chemistry sabotage their promising first date through miscommunication and hurt feelings, then fake a romance at a destination wedding to fool their exes before discovering their pretend relationship addresses real feelings neither can ignore.

The Perfect First Date

Bea attends Boston University where she studies law, pursuing a career path that presumably represents either her genuine ambition or her family’s expectations. One day at a local coffee shop, she encounters Ben, an employee at Goldman Sachs whose professional success suggests stability and financial security. Their meeting is not orchestrated through mutual friends or dating apps—it simply happens organically in a public space.

The chemistry between Bea and Ben is immediate and undeniable. What begins as casual conversation evolves into an entire day spent together, exploring Boston and discovering their compatibility. The connection feels natural and effortless, the kind of first date that suggests genuine potential for a lasting relationship. By the end of the evening, they return to Ben’s apartment where they fall asleep together on his couch, fully clothed but physically close in a way that indicates emotional intimacy.

Morning arrives and Bea wakes before Ben. Rather than waking him or leaving a note, she quietly exits the apartment without saying goodbye. The decision to leave without explanation suggests either panic about the intensity of their connection or simple uncertainty about what happens next after such a promising first date.

Bea reconsiders her hasty departure almost immediately. Whatever impulse drove her to leave without waking Ben now feels like a mistake, and she returns to his apartment to explain herself or perhaps continue where they left off. However, as she approaches the apartment, she overhears Ben talking to his friend Pete. Ben is insulting Bea, saying unflattering things about her and their date. What Bea does not realize is that Ben’s harsh words stem from hurt and rejection over her disappearance that morning. He is lashing out because he felt something real with Bea and her unexplained departure wounded him.

Not understanding the context behind Ben’s insults, Bea leaves without making her presence known. Both parties now harbor resentment toward the other based on incomplete information and miscommunication.

Forced Proximity

Six months pass with no contact between Bea and Ben. Their paths cross again through an unexpected connection: Bea’s sister Halle begins dating Claudia, who happens to be the sister of Ben’s friend Pete. When Bea and Ben encounter each other at a social gathering for the new couple, their interaction is cold and hostile. Each blames the other for how their promising date ended—Bea believes Ben genuinely thought poorly of her, while Ben believes Bea used him for a single night and discarded him without explanation.

Halle and Claudia’s relationship progresses rapidly, and the couple becomes engaged. They plan their wedding to take place in Sydney, Australia, presumably where Claudia’s family lives or where the couple has some significant connection. The destination wedding will require guests to travel internationally and spend multiple days in close proximity.

Bea’s life has undergone significant changes during the six months since her date with Ben. She has ended her engagement to a man named Jonathan, terminating what was presumably a long-term serious relationship. More significantly, Bea has secretly dropped out of law school without informing her family. She is concealing this major life decision, presumably because she fears disappointing her parents or lacks clarity about what path to pursue instead.

When Bea arrives at the airport for her flight to Sydney, she discovers that Ben will be on the same plane. The wedding party arrangements have placed them in the same travel group, and both will be staying at the home of Claudia and Pete’s parents in the days before the ceremony. The extended proximity to someone she actively dislikes fills Bea with dread.

Complications and Schemes

The tension between Bea and Ben creates an uncomfortable atmosphere for the other wedding guests. Their obvious mutual disdain manifests in cold exchanges, pointed remarks, and refusal to participate in group activities together. The situation becomes more complicated when two additional guests arrive: Jonathan, Bea’s ex-fiancé, and Margaret, Ben’s ex-girlfriend. The presence of their former romantic partners adds layers of jealousy and unresolved feelings to an already volatile dynamic.

The other wedding attendees recognize that Bea and Ben’s hostility threatens to disrupt the celebration. They devise a plan to push Bea and Ben together romantically, hoping that a reconciliation or new relationship will improve the atmosphere and ensure the wedding proceeds smoothly. The scheme involves creating situations that force Bea and Ben into close contact and romantic scenarios.

Bea sees through the transparent matchmaking attempt immediately. Rather than confronting the group about their meddling, she approaches Ben with a proposal: they should pretend to be in a relationship. The fake romance would serve multiple purposes—it would make Margaret jealous and potentially drive her back to Ben, while simultaneously preventing Bea’s parents from pressuring her to reconcile with Jonathan. Ben agrees to the deception, and they begin performing their relationship publicly.

Their act includes typical romantic gestures and public displays of affection designed to convince others of their supposed rekindled feelings. They hold hands, sit close together, exchange affectionate glances, and generally behave like a couple in the early stages of romance.

The Boat Party

A party is held on a boat in Sydney Harbour, bringing the wedding party together for a celebration on the water. During the event, Bea and Ben dance together, maintaining their performance of romantic involvement. Their dance becomes more elaborate and playful, eventually leading them to reenact the famous scene from the film Titanic where characters stand at the ship’s bow with arms outstretched.

The reenactment ends disastrously when Bea loses her balance and falls overboard into Sydney Harbour. Ben immediately jumps into the water after her, either from genuine concern for her safety or to maintain the appearance of being a devoted boyfriend. They swim to a buoy and cling to it while waiting for someone to rescue them from the harbor.

While floating together in the water, their conversation becomes unexpectedly honest. Bea reveals to Ben that she has withdrawn from law school, confessing the secret she has been keeping from her family. The admission represents significant vulnerability and trust. They then explain to each other what actually happened the morning after their first date—Ben clarifies that his insulting comments were defensive reactions to feeling hurt by her departure, while Bea explains why she left and why she returned.

These revelations reframe their entire antagonistic relationship. The hostility was built on misunderstanding rather than genuine incompatibility. After being rescued from the harbor, they make plans to visit the Sydney Opera House together for a proper date, giving their connection a second chance.

They return to the house and their pretend relationship becomes genuine when they have sex. However, afterward, Bea makes an offhand comment suggesting that her recent actions—presumably including sleeping with Ben—have all been mistakes. She does not mean the statement seriously or literally, but Ben interprets it as her rejecting him again. Feeling hurt and unwilling to be vulnerable to another painful rejection, Ben leaves while Bea is sleeping, repeating her actions from their first night together.

Bea wakes to find Ben gone, and the emotional pain of this abandonment devastates her. The pattern has repeated itself, with both parties running when emotions become too intense.

Wedding Day Crisis

The morning of Halle and Claudia’s wedding brings new complications. Pete inadvertently reveals to Bea’s parents that she has quit law school, a secret Ben had learned during their conversation at the harbor and mentioned to Pete without realizing it was confidential. Bea feels betrayed that Ben shared her private information, especially given the consequences when her parents discover her deception.

Bea and Ben inform the wedding party that their relationship was only pretend, that they were never actually together romantically. The revelation disappoints those who had hoped their matchmaking scheme succeeded. The atmosphere becomes tense as the wedding ceremony approaches.

The situation deteriorates further when Bea overhears Halle and Claudia arguing intensely. Concerned that their interference has somehow damaged the couple’s relationship and might ruin the wedding, Ben convinces Bea that they need to pretend to reconcile for the sake of Halle and Claudia. They agree to perform their relationship one more time to ensure the wedding proceeds without disaster.

The ceremony itself goes smoothly, with Halle and Claudia successfully exchanging vows. However, during the reception, Bea observes Margaret kissing Ben. The sight devastates her, confirming her worst fear that Ben has returned to his ex-girlfriend. Bea leaves the reception in tears, unable to maintain composure. She heads quietly to the Sydney Opera House, the location where she and Ben had planned their date.

What Bea does not witness is Ben’s actual response to Margaret’s kiss. He rejects Margaret’s advance, clearly stating that he no longer has romantic feelings for her. His interest now lies entirely with Bea, but she has already left and remains unaware of his rejection.

Grand Gesture

The wedding guests recognize what is happening and convince Ben that he needs to pursue Bea and explain the truth. Ben’s response is characteristically dramatic and excessive—he runs to a nearby cliff and jumps into the Pacific Ocean. He asks the wedding party to contact harbor rescue services, then requests that a helicopter pilot fly him to the Sydney Opera House where Bea has gone.

The helicopter delivers Ben to the Opera House where he finds Bea. He explains why he left her while she was sleeping: he feared their relationship would become another regret, another source of pain and disappointment. He was protecting himself from potential hurt by withdrawing before she could reject him again.

Bea counters with her own confession. She tells Ben that spending the night with him was the first thing she has not regretted in a long time. Her life has been filled with decisions she now questions—staying in law school too long, her engagement to Jonathan, her various attempts to meet others’ expectations. But being with Ben felt right and genuine.

They reconcile and return to the wedding reception as an actual couple rather than performers of a fake relationship. Halle and Claudia then reveal their own deception: their argument that morning was staged specifically to push Bea and Ben together one final time. The brides were in on the matchmaking scheme all along.

Meanwhile, Jonathan and Margaret, the respective ex-partners who attended the wedding, have begun their own relationship together.