You, Me & Tuscany

After its ubiquity in the 2000s, the traditional romcom died a death. In addition to the genre’s famous designated leads, such as Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, ageing out of the girl-next-door role, the concept of the A-list “movie star” as we once knew it no longer exists. But a Disney princess and a Bridgerton heartthrob are here to change that. You, Me & Tuscany is a decidedly old-school romcom, and an enjoyable throwback to the genre’s heyday.

Halle Bailey plays flighty house-sitter Anna, a former culinary student who dreams of Italy. After a chance encounter with real estate agent Matteo (Lorenzo de Moor), she heads off to Tuscany to squat in his villa, much to the chagrin of her bestie, Claire (Aziza Scott), and the delight of Matteo’s family, who think the two are engaged. But it’s Matteo’s dashing cousin, Michael (Regé-Jean Page), who really catches Anna’s attention.

Director Kat Coiro appears determined to revive the romcom, having previously directed A Case of You and Marry Me (the latter of which was a callback to Jennifer Lopez’s erstwhile stint as romcom queen). The same charm of those movies is what makes You, Me & Tuscany such great fun. Bailey and Page are a joy to watch, fully embracing the silliness of the plot. 

It was exceedingly rare for Black women to front romcoms back in the day. In fact, beyond their seemingly innocuous scenes of upscale dinner dates and wry flirtations, romcoms were arguably among the most problematic of movie genres. They typically involved highly-strung (and invariably white) career women whose problems were all solved thanks to the love of a handsome suitor. But here, Anna finds love on her own terms while staying true to herself, with the effortlessly enchanting Bailey positively made for the role.

Of course, it’s undoubtedly clichéd, and the will-they-won’t-they, enemies-to-lovers narrative has been done countless times before. The Mediterranean stereotypes are also often dated rather than entertaining. With the classic romcom having succumbed to Hollywood cynicism, Coiro certainly doesn’t transform the formula beyond its limitations. That said, it’s still a fun, well-acted and aesthetically pleasing trip through Italy.

Unashamedly cheesy yet undeniably charming, You, Me & Tuscany is a sweetly nostalgic vacation romance – there’s even a PG variation of “I’ll have what she’s having” thrown in for good measure. And in this grim timeline, maybe that’s just what we need right now.

Antonia Georgiou

You, Me & Tuscany is released nationwide on 10^th April 2026.

Watch the trailer for You, Me & Tuscany here: