How to Date Billy Walsh

Maybe I was in the mood to watch a film about high school, maybe I'm having an existential crisis being in my thirties, but I really enjoyed this film and it had me tearing up at some of the sweet moments.

I watched 'She's all that' the previous night, clearly I'm in a teenage film type of mood and reminiscing about my teenage years, but that film is a classic. Is 'How to date Billy Walsh as good' as the classic teen films? No. Personally, I think the title is forgettable and we didn't get to know much about him except some obvious emotional moments. He's popular and he knows it, he doesn't shy away from it, but also he's not mean. But he knows people like him. I think there could have been more development of him...he was quite one dimensional.

But, what made me enjoy the film was the relationship between Charitha's Amelia, and Sebastian Croft's Archie. They were the heart of the film. And they're connection and chemistry was believable. It was very Dawson's Creek, but in reverse...instead of Joey being in love and not recognising the boy, it was Amelia who was oblivious.

As a fan of the Big Bang Theory, I loved seeing Kunal Nayyar play Amelia's dad. He gave a haunting performance as a widower who is trying to find love again. Whilst we didn't see much of his new relationship- it was more superficial - I enjoyed every scene that he was in, and his moments as a dad and with his friends. But I think he's a brilliant actor. Looking forward to see him in other stuff post Big Bang Theory.

Archie's parents were also good, if a little caricaturist. I wish I saw more of them and we got a moment where they had a heart to heart with their son. But alas, clearly a lot of moments were either edited away or not considered.

So this film was a solid 7/10. It could have been better with more character development. Perhaps it didn't meet the emotional drama of the Kissing Booth, but it did hit some of the Romantic notes, and I would watch this again on a rainy day.