They Came Together (2014) Poster

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7/10
They Came Together is the same joke for 80 minutes. Thankfully, the joke is funny.
lnvicta22 April 2015
I wasn't sure what to expect going into this movie. It seemed like it was going to poke fun at romcoms while still maintaining a grounded story and genuine romance. Yeah, that's not the case at all.

They Came Together is the epitome of meta comedy. It never takes itself seriously for a second and continues to barrage you with joke after joke after joke, spoofing the same romantic comedy tropes we've seen a billion times. It may sound repetitive, and it can be at times (some scenes go on for too long) but it's also the most refreshing satire I've seen in a long time. There is no point where you should be analyzing the plot to this movie. If you do, you're an idiot. Simple as that. The movie is one long joke - if you want some artistic integrity in your comedies then this movie is not for you. If you love to laugh at the expense of cheesy romcoms, then you're in for a real treat.

The acting in this movie is superb, if the all-star cast didn't already give that away. Paul Rudd and Amy Poehler are ace in their roles as lead caricatures, and even during the dumber moments they still give believable performances. Let me clarify: you don't believe anything the characters are doing are real, but they're convincing enough in their roles that you understand exactly what it is they're making fun of and it works wonders. Christopher Meloni is another highlight - he plays a Don Draper-esque boss that all the corporate drones follow blindly (with Paul Rudd's character being the obvious exception). I never viewed him as a comedic figure but he absolutely owns this role; the only other actor I can see doing this role justice is Jon Hamm himself. Other standouts include Jason Mantzoukas as Bob, the friendly awkward coworker, and Ed Helms playing the cliché douchebag that the girl falls for even though he's clearly wrong for her.

The best part about They Came Together is that it's wholly self-aware. It breaks the fourth wall more than a few times, and it doesn't take you out of the movie because you're never really in the movie to begin with. It's like watching an 80 minute long sketch comedy held together by a flimsy love plot. Another positive is that the movie never gets boring. It's so short and so eccentric you don't have time to get bored. Again, it's joke after joke after joke - most of them are cheesy, some are crude, but they're all so relatable as romantic comedy jabs that you can't help but laugh at the stupidity.

They Came Together is definitely not for everyone - if you're looking for substance, go somewhere else. This movie is pure satire from beginning to end. Nothing is believable, and none of it should be. It's a spoof movie at its core, standing head-and-shoulders above other spoofs due to great writing and a brilliant cast. Why this has such a low score on IMDb I will never know. I got everything I wanted from this movie and more. Throw in a few surprise cameos and you have yourself a winner.
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7/10
Why did I laugh?
chris-a-crawford5 September 2014
I laughed at this movie. I laughed out loud. A lot. For the life of me, I can't figure out why. My wife is staring at me as if I'm the guy her mom said I was. I swear, every single moment of this movie is seconds away from becoming completely stupid. And yet, I keep cracking up as if it's the funniest thing I've ever seen.

WHY AM I RATING THIS SEVEN STARS? I'm so sorry.

It's not funny. I'm probably drunk, or maybe I'm deranged. I might have multiple personalities. THIS MOVIE IS STUPID. Don't waste your time.

HAHAHAHHA, a dead girl in the leaves.

Don't watch this. Totally sucks. Don't let the fact I've watched it twice make any difference.
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7/10
Satirical Brilliance
gavin694210 August 2015
A small business owner (Amy Poehler) is about to lose her shop to a major corporate development.

This film seems to get a bad rap, with people saying it is not a good satire or parody. I respectfully, and strongly, disagree. So many movie conventions are turned on their head. Obviously, the traditional romantic comedy blueprint, but even more than that. And some moments had me laughing out loud (literally).

Although "Wet Hot American Summer" is considered a modern classic by some, I think "They Came Together" is the superior film. It's more mature, more consistent. Maybe it will take a few years, but I see this becoming a cult film.
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7/10
Was bewildered at first, laughed hard in the end
bruziene30 June 2014
Warning: Spoilers
I should start saying that my husband "sold" the movie to me as a romantic comedy (which I love), so the first 15 minutes I didn't know what to make of the jokes, the style and the characters... I was sitting there with a "This is supposed to be funny or what?" face. Finally (!!!) I realized it was aсtually a parody and after that it got funny. It is full of cliché phrases, long (supposedly meaningful) pauses and glances, arguments and conversations with profound (again, supposedly) meaning, crazy arguments, passionate love scenes (by passionate I mean furniture breaking during foreplay and acrobatic poses during sex). All through that you can't stop wondering why you love those romantic novels and movies as much as you do :) Some episodes were a bit bizarre, but in general the movie is a good one. After some really crappy comedies I have watched recently, this one came out much better than expected. It is not a masterpiece, but I had a nice Sunday movie night.
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6/10
A Parody of Romantic Comedies
swellframe172 July 2014
2 1/2 out of 4 stars.

David Wain's "They Came Together" is a parody of all romantic comedies. It's a film that knows what it is and plays off of it. It's a simple story of boy meets girl, boy and girl fight, boy and girl separate, and boy and girl get back together. If you've ever seen a romantic comedy, you know what this story is and what will happen. Thanks to a talented cast, though, this film works for the most part. Paul Rudd and Amy Poehler (who worked with Wain on "Wet Hot American Summer") have very good chemistry and the rest of the cast laughs along with them.

I went into this film skeptical about it and walked away laughing more than I thought I would. It's a silly movie that feels like a cult film. The humor can be very forced at times, but, for the most part, the jokes work. If you're looking for a good short laugh, you won't be wasting your money. There's a bunch of cameos and witty humor that will keep you engaged. This isn't a film that's trying to be great, and if you accept that, you'll have a fun time.
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1/10
A rudderless waste of talent
randbish3 September 2014
Genre parody has, to a degree, become a cinematic genre unto itself and, on numerous occasions, has been carried off brilliantly, with hilarious results. Going back to early Woody Allen, through the Airplane and Police Squad series, on through the Wayans' myriad takes on horror, Christopher Guest's mock-docs, Walk Hard's spot-on lampoon of the bio-pic, and the silly, but laugh-riot sports-drama send-up, The Comebacks.

That brings me to one of the worst movies I've ever seen, They Came Together, which attempts to skew the most formulaic of all movie formulas, the rom-com. It takes real genius to make a successful movie crammed with dumb puns, hackneyed plot points, and cliché characters. And, one would think that casting Paul Rudd and Amy Poehler as the hate-you-then-love-you ad nauseam love interests would be the perfect place to start.

How do you assemble an ensemble this strong and end up with such a horrible film? The root of the problem lies in a very unfunny, seldom surprising script that never really commits itself to true parody. It's almost as though the writers set out to pen a legit rom-com, then realized that it was so bad, the only chance the script had at reaching the screen was to start making fun of their own lame stab at the genre.

David Wain's direction is even less committed than are the words on the page. Poor Amy Poehler mugs from scene to scene, as if she was constantly trying to remind the director what kind of movie they were making. Or, maybe she was trying to tell the audience that she was fully aware what a stinky pile of doo-doo she'd gotten herself into. Rudd was far more animated in I Love You Man and his other Wain collaboration, Role Models, than this rudderless waste of talent.

Red Box! I demand my buck-twenty back!
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6/10
Not as bad as people say
nataliey951 July 2014
Warning: Spoilers
I didn't know what to expect of They Came Together at first. I knew it was a sort of pastiche-meets-parody of rom-coms but I wasn't sure I would like it because spoofs are a hit or miss. But I watched it anyway.

It didn't exactly have a strong plot, just mashes of different rom-com elements in them. The scene in the bar is something you should look out for.

This entire feels like a joke itself, but that's the point. I would recommend this to anyone looking for just a good laugh and loads of fun.
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1/10
Surprisingly Bad
hp-mcclendon3 July 2014
I am a huge fan of comedy and satire and I'm even okay with the occasional absence of plot for the sake of laughs... Cheap laughs. The type of film that may be void of intellect but still provides entertainment and gets me laughing. But this movie has foregone the plot for the sake of nothing. The comedy found here isn't even good enough to be labeled juvenile or sophomoric. It is down-right stupid. I was not entertained. I was disappointed. Especially since several of the cast members are people whose movies and shows I have enjoyed on numerous occasions. I thought I might find something comparable in this film. Boy, was I wrong. In fact, I hated seeing these people in such a low-level production. The writing is horrid, and yes, that is taking into account the fact that it is "supposed to be cheesy" as the movie's intro explains. It just failed to do so in a way that worked and so it fell flat. Very, very flat. I do not recommend this film.
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7/10
Funny satire. Prepare for parody.
Sergeant_Tibbs11 July 2014
It's odd how our favourite TV star's movies slip right under the radar. You'd think the cast of Saturday Night Live and Paul Rudd's star power would be enough to gain some traction. Either way, they're having fun here in what seems to be a movie-length sketch. You have to know the comedy that they have in mind here. They Came Together is a satire, on the brink of a parody movie, but a clever take on rom-com conventions. They perpetuate them, sprinkling vulgarity in the sickly sweet clichés. It's an often hilarious film, although frequently misfires with jokes that aren't measured in the same way as the rest of the film. They're funny, but they don't make you laugh. Sometimes it spoils it with absurd moments of fantasy and it becomes the melodrama that it's pretending to be, but for the most part, it's a joy to watch a handful of your favourite comedians riff of each other and deconstruct the clichés they so often have to utilise when they get a chance on the silver screen. Killer cameos too. Worth watching if you're a Poehler or Rudd fan. Certainly beats David Wain's dire Role Models anyway.

7/10
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4/10
Comparing this movie to Airplane! is an insult to Airplane!
windsorinline22 August 2014
Even with an incredible cast and a great subject this movie has no identity.

It is not outlandish enough to be considered a parody and not articulately written enough to be a satire.

Don't get me wrong, some jokes (few and far between) are very well written however the movie just failed in so many ways which is a disappointment because I really love the cast.

This movie is no where near A Might Wind (7.3 IMDb Rating)or Airplaine! (7.8 IMDb Rating) perfect examples of Satire and Parody respectively Don't believe any rating above a 5 because it's not
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10/10
Why Don't People Get It?! This Movie Is Fantastic!
nbrimmerbeller30 June 2014
They Came Together is the first great film satire in years. It skewers everyone, from the most renowned romantic comedies to the most idiotic chick flicks. Paul Rudd and Amy Poehler are perfect, parodying the roles they could very conceivably be cast in (and I believe Paul Rudd has done a few times). Not every joke lands, and most of them go by so quickly it could all be a 30 Rock cutaway, but nevertheless this movie is a delight for anyone who has noticed how brainless and predictable most romantic comedies end up being. Cheers to everyone involved in this movie, and to everyone who gets the joke. Watch it; I hope you find yourself laughing as hard as I did (all three times I watched it).
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Worst movie in 20 years
myopnionis2 September 2014
Even w/Paul Rudd (I love), this movie w/a bunch of talentless SNL cast members is the worst movie I've seen in 20 years! Seriously, wouldn't even give it ½ a star. I feel offended to have spent a $1 on it via Redbox. I cannot believe these people of such high acclaim and success read the script & liked it. Only rationalization I can think of for them doing this horrible film is that it must have been a favor for a friend. We get it's a parody but the writing is beyond terrible and there wasn't one solid laugh at all in the whole thing. It is meant to be really dumb in the way dumb and dumber is but without actually being funny at all. You just stare at the screen thinking about why these actors would allow this on their resume. Just Awful!
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7/10
A very funny and great satire of Romantic Comedies. *Ignore the 1 star reviews*.
halfbloodmoose17 September 2014
Reading a good amount of the 1 star reviews, I realized that these people do not at all understand the movie's satire and comedy one bit; it's like the YouTube comment section has leaked onto IMDb. Here are some highlights from those reviews with my feedback in parenthesis:

  • I realize they're making fun at a bunch of great movies (that's the thing you don't realize, they're making fun of BAD movies, not great movies).


  • This movie is just a rip off of other romantic comedies, and it is supposed to sort of parody them, but instead it takes them all on as though it has a right to those stories because this is a "true story not a movie". (no it doesn't, it really is just a parody of them)


  • clichés were even too cliché! (what?)


  • The jokes aren't funny at all, they are very very stupid and not American Pie stupid like, which can be actually funny. (This is parody that doesn't rely on over-the-top shocking scenes and fart jokes).


  • The rest is just a repetition of what we have already watched in this genre of films.Acting is wooden and in-natural. (That's exactly the point that you're missing, they are making fun of things you've seen in cliché romantic comedies and that acting "in-natural" is party of the comedy).


  • There is no way to emotionally bond with the characters. (Were you emotionally attached with the characters in Scary Movie and Hot Shots?).


They Came Together has a wonderful cast that nails the silliness of romantic comedies on the head. As you can see from many of the reviews, it's not everyone's cup-of-tea, but if you're a fan of most of the casts' work such as The State, 30 Rock, Parks and Rec, The Office, etc., then you would enjoy this as well.
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1/10
Supposed to be ironic, but just plain boring and bad
beatrizongaro18 January 2015
I get that this is a satire and all, but it's just a plain bad movie. The jokes are not funny, I didn't laugh one single time during this movie. It's all so over the top and in your face that it becomes desperate. The movie is desperate for the audience to laugh at the silly romantic comedy, but it becomes the worst kind of movie in my opinion: the low, explained, in your face jokes, brainless humor. There is not one joke that is not explained with some gesture or phrase after it. It's a movie for people who can't, or don't want to, think about anything at all, and for that I prefer romantic comedies that actually have at least one joke that I can laugh at, or at least good comedies. There are so many celebrities in this movie that it was actually more fun spotting them than the actual story and jokes.
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7/10
I laughed the entire way through and really enjoyed it, though it doesn't seem like a movie you could watch over and over.
cosmo_tiger1 September 2014
"Your story really is like a cheesy movie." Joel (Rudd), who works at a huge candy corporation looking to take over the New York candy market has just caught his girlfriend cheating on him and is now alone. Molly (Poehler), who owns a quaint little candy store in the city has just become single as well. Mutual friends set them up at a party but things don't go as planned. After meeting at a bookstore the next day and discovering they both like fiction books and coffee they decide to give it one more try. I will start by saying that I laughed the entire way through and really enjoyed it. My wife on the other hand did not like it at all. This movie is an Airplane style spoof of romantic comedies. Every cliché from that genre is in here. The arrogant co-worker who thinks he's better then you. The un-trusting sister and the surprise son who loves the new boyfriend. The break up scene which leads to Molly marrying someone not right for her...etc... They are all in here and all are really funny when they come up. Since this is essentially a spoof movie there really isn't too much to say about it but I will say that I really enjoyed it and laughed a ton. On the other hand though it doesn't seem like a movie you could watch over and over. Overall, a movie that I highly recommend seeing, especially if you have seen a ton of romantic comedies. I give this a B+.
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7/10
The raunchier reboot of Annie Hall you've all been waiting for.
jake-law12318 March 2015
Despite this film's pretty horrid reviews, I was looking forward to seeing it because my brother said it's humor we'd get. He was so right. It's pretty stupid, but it relates to me in every way. It's dumb, but it kind of knows it is and is just having fun, and boy it is.

The story is just kind of a corny romantic comedy, except it's real life, (queue Amy Poheler and Paul Rudd staring at the camera). It's a romantic comedy like no other, there are a few clichés, but it's overall pretty unique. The humor ranges to pretty typical SNL cast members talking about stinky poos and how awesome sex is. It definitely plays into the immature kid we have inside of us, but it works.

With that said, it's pretty much Annie Hall staring Paul Rudd and Amy Poheler. 1. Fourth wall breaks, (check) 2. Love interest is a clutz and leading man is a hopeless romantic, (check) 3. It's all about them breaking up and getting back together over and over again, (check).

The terrible writing should bother me, but it didn't, because Paul Rudd and Amy Poheler are perfect for each other...in this movie. They make every scene work because they work so well with each other. It's hard to resist that fussy face that Paul Rudd makes at Poheler.

The jokes are a little forced, heavy handed and immature, but Paul and Amy make the absolute best out of it. They crack me up in every scene they're in. If you don't like them, then I can completely understand why you wouldn't like this movie. It was just my style of humor, so I had a blast watching it. If you're tired of corny romantic comedies trying to be touchy feely all around, then watch this, because this film basically takes a big fat stinky poo all over the genre.
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3/10
A parody that takes itself far to seriously. Everyone looked as uncomfortable as I felt.
face-819-93372628 June 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Total crap!!! Sorry but this is not worth your time. My time is free, and it was not worth my time so that is where I get off saying so. Avoid this thing at all cost. I just kept asking "Why isn't this funny?" I just thought it was supposed to be funny, but instead it is just forced, and empty. Paul Rudd is wasted in this, everyone else is just as bad as they always are lately. This movie is just a rip off of other romantic comedies, and it is supposed to sort of parody them, but instead it takes them all on as though it has a right to those stories because this is a "true story not a movie". I did not enjoy one thing about this movie, and do not recommend it to anyone.

Jesse of www.Jesse.ca
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6/10
Amy Poehler and Paul Rudd star in this movie
nms198223 September 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Boy, what a surprise! I was expecting something lighthearted from the guys behind "Wet Hot American Summer." Something funny and stupid. Heck, even a bunch of the same actors are in this. Instead I found this movie to be very serious, and to quite obviously take itself very seriously. This film even crosses over perhaps into "mega-serious." Sure, it was likely nominated for a couple of big Oscars, but it could really have benefited from a little levity, in this humble reviewer's opinion. I will say this though: the screenplay was very original. If I had to say it bore any similarity to any pieces of cinema I've seen I would call it maybe, in my mind, kind of like a mix of "The English Patient," that one movie where the one guy likes to blow stuff up and the other guy has a job where he stops bombs from blowing up and he tries to stop the one guy from blowing stuff up, and that Richard Gere/Julia Roberts movie where Roberts is a bride who wears tennis shoes or something. And also sort of that Robin Williams movie in which he's a robot who becomes human ("Millennium Man" I wanna say), because - if I remember correctly - Poehler's character dies at the end and is replaced by a six foot-seven titanium robot that the Rudd character falls even more madly in love with (and has a lot of (hot) sex with). In any event, if you are in the mood for a dry downer of a film that kind of drags on, is mainly only worth watching for the person-robot sex scenes in the final act, and stars two probable Canadians (Rudd and Poehler), then I would Highly recommend this title: an oddly super serious film by the makers of and performers in "Wet Hot American Summer" and its sequels/spinoff, "Wetter, Hotter American Summer," "Wet, Lukewarm Russian Summer," and "Wet Hot American Summer: The TV Series."
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1/10
Completely awful
ivygurl18723 August 2014
I was excited to see this movie it has such a great cast of people and I heard good things about it. To be fair I did set my hopes higher than I should have leading to a giant disappointment. I really tried to like this movie so I kept watching thinking maybe it gets better... maybe by some miracle they switched writers halfway into production but no such luck! Seriously nothing about it was funny! Paul Rudd was the only one who could even remotely carry this movies terribly written script because watching Amy trying to make this script work was painful to say the least. Lets just say that nothing about this movie "came together" the jokes didn't land, the acting didn't work and the clichés were even too cliché! I wouldn't recommend this to anyone who actually enjoys comedy.
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Hilariously awesome
moonhiddenside8 April 2020
If you like silly jokes and absurd gags, of the type of Leslie Nielsen movies, you will love this movie.
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7/10
Hilarious Farce Takes Aim at Hallmark Tackiness
actaction17 January 2022
Takes a lot of comedy risks & elaborate visual gags, like Mel Brooks & the Scary Movie franchise decided fo make a made-for-tv movie. The acting is taken seriously and even toned despite the hard to achieve "bad acting" done on purpose.
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3/10
Worst film of 2014 so far
jamesbridges5 July 2014
I get it that this is supposed to be a satire of romantic comedies. Every interview he does David Wain says that about 45 times. I would have preferred to see any of those ROMCOMs besides this. I don't know how he did it but he found a way to make me dislike Paul Rudd and Amy Poehler. That took real skill. And, the cinematography was dismal. It looked like they lit scenes with available overhead fluorescent lights. This is the worst film of 2014 so far. This seems like a SNL skit that lasted 110 minutes too long. I wish some of the other SNL players had more screen time. If I hear David Wain say ROMCOM one more time I am going to have an aneurysm.
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10/10
A crack at old school comedy - overlooked
nrapny-0169417 January 2019
This is seriously one of the funniest movies I've seen in the last 10 years. We need more movies like "Airplane" which this movie is in the same style as. It really shouldnt be a dying thing. This movie has a fantastic cast and the jokes are unpredictable and I laugh every time.

Seriously, these types of comedies need to be revived!
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7/10
Making fun of RomComs
gallopman17 July 2019
I get the jist of this movie... basically a droll send up of RomComs. I think the biggest problem with this movie is that it tries to plant its feet in both worlds... RomCom and parody of RomComs. The acting and writing is purposefully less than artful and the acting is purposefully wooden for effect. Sometimes the jokes land other times not so much. The story is told from one couple telling the other couple how they met and fell in love... it's an interesting premise for a movie, just not well executed. So, if you catch this movie on tv, just know it's definitely a hit or miss type of endeavor...
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1/10
One of the worst movies I've seen
rsmith19601 July 2014
I gave this film 1 point for each laugh, total score was 1. Great cast, really stupid plot. I realize they're making fun at a bunch of great movies but it was a waste of 80 minutes of my life I'll never get back. I watched the whole thing but should of turned it off after 15 minutes. Hopefully these writers never do another movie again or try a live performance somewhere to see how often it got a laugh or if it didn't work.

I looked at Michael Showalter & David Wain's movie collection & there was nothing that stood out. From now on I'm keeping close watch for anything they write & keep as far away from it as possible. I'd advise anyone else to do the same. BTW IMDb 5 lines would be more than sufficient writing a decent review.
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