Flirting over fried food

2024's best rom-com isn't a film - it's an interview in a chicken shop

KARACHI:

Imagine this: you're in a chicken shop in London, and instead of overhearing awkward small talk, you're eavesdropping on what might just be the most charming "date" of the year. But this isn't just any date. This is Chicken Shop Date, where host Amelia Dimoldenberg turns deadpan humour and awkward silences into viral moments. This time, her guest is none other than Andrew Garfield. And it's the best rom-com you'll see all year.

For those unfamiliar with the lore, Chicken Shop Date is Amelia sitting across from celebrities in an unfussy, casual chicken shop with a schtick to keep a straight face, letting her guests squirm in the discomfort of a first date vibe. Everyone from Jack Harlow to Jennifer Lawrence has braved her deadpan digs, but no one has done it quite like Andrew.

This episode was two years in the making, ever since they first met on a red carpet in 2022, and then again at another carpet, where sparks flew both times. The Spider-Man turned Oscar nominee's appearance felt inevitable, but could their chemistry hold up in the confines of an East London dive?

The rom-com formula

The moment their episode dropped on YouTube; social media exploded. Fans, rom-com lovers, celebrity gossips, and the painfully single were all over it, proclaiming things like, "The best rom-com of 2024 isn't even a movie. It's Chicken Shop Date with Andrew Garfield." And they're not wrong. This episode gave us everything a great romantic comedy should: awkward flirtation, genuine laughter, and just enough unresolved tension to keep you hooked.

It's the kind of chemistry that had viewers kicking their feet and blushing at their phones. I mean, when was the last time you saw a real date that played out like this? You'd think you were watching Julia Roberts telling a painfully handsome Hugh Grant she's "just a girl, standing in front of a boy asking him to love her", or a close up of Mr Darcy's famous flexing of the hand.

Andrew, swept up by the vibes about halfway through the date - sorry, interview - leans in and says, "If this wasn't here," he gestures to the cameras, "Do you think we'd actually go on a date? I actually believe, maybe, we could've." That's right - this man was practically begging for a real date, sans cameras.

And it wasn't just Andrew leading the charge on the flirty banter. Amelia, known for making her guests squirm, was visibly flustered. She blushed. She giggled. She even broke character. The cool, collected host was caught off guard, and it felt, dare I say it, real.

Andrew, for his part, was on a mission, asking Amelia if she wants marriage and kids, and when she fires back, calling him funny, he disarms her with: "You're funnier, that's a quality I really appreciate in you." How are we supposed to watch this and not believe there's something brewing?

Decline of a genre

We're all starved for good content. The rom-com renaissance we've been promised for years still hasn't quite delivered. Sure, Anyone But You was fun, but it didn't have the same emotional punch as the classics we rewatch endlessly. Where's the witty banter that makes you blush, the grand gestures, the chemistry that leaves you feeling giddy? Well, as it turns out, the trifecta is alive and well. It's just happening on Chicken Shop Date.

The nostalgic longing for classic rom-coms is palpable, and it's why fans reacted so passionately. "I can't believe the best rom-com of 2024 is an 11-minute promo interview between Amelia Dimoldenberg and Andrew Garfield," one user tweeted. Another chimed in, "The chicken shop date was Andrew legitimately asking date questions and trying to get to know Amelia, and you're expecting me to be normal about this?" The reactions echoed a collective frustration: "The chemistry between Amelia and Andrew has me blushing to my phone screen."

So why is the public so invested? The answer lies in the sad decline of the rom-com genre itself. Once the lifeblood of romantic storytelling, rom-coms have been reduced to occasional flickers on streaming platforms, often lacking the charm of their predecessors. We've lost the golden era of films like The Proposal, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, and 50 First Dates.

Now, modern filmmakers have largely turned their backs on the genre, opting instead for edgier narratives or genre-bending tales. Most of what we see today is relegated to streaming platforms, where the films often feel more like lifeless Hallmark specials than the cultural touchstones we once adored. The proliferation of newer movies in the genre like The Kissing Booth or To All the Boys I've Loved Before depict youthful romance, yet they don't inspire the same deep connection as the classics did.

Perhaps it's the ever-shifting tastes of audiences and filmmakers alike, or the fact that box office returns have forced studios to shy away from what was once a beloved genre. The truth is, romantic comedies aren't always box office hits, which discourages studios from investing time and money into what could be a winning formula.

So, what could possibly be next for these two? Andrew is newly single, so that bodes well. I think ideally, I'd like to see them do this every ten years, Before Sunrise style. That way, they can't give us too much of what we want, and it'll keep the spark alive.