Anyone but You focuses on the fake romance between Ben (Glen Powell) and Bea (Sydney Sweeney), but the movie’s ending builds towards the possibility that the feelings they have are real. The 2023 romantic comedy from Easy A director Will Gluck has a fairly familiar genre setup in some regards. Anyone but You begins with Ben and Bea having a chance encounter and instantly clicking, only for a series of events to lead them to hate each other. The main story takes place as their lives interconnect once more as Bea’s sister, Halle (Hadley Robinson), gets engaged to Ben’s friend, Claudia (Alexandra Shipp).

Although they initially make their hatred of each other to be quite well-known, Anyone but You‘s two main characters each develop motives for wanting to fake a real romance in the days leading up to the wedding. Bea and Ben’s faked romance begins to get her parents off her back about calling off an engagement with Jonathan (Darren Barnet), while Ben wants to make his ex-girlfriend Margaret (Charlee Fraser) jealous and get her back. A series of wild events transpire after their fake romance begins that help explain Anyone but You‘s R-rating. But as the wedding approaches and their individual goals become possible, Anyone but You‘s ending changes the dynamic of the relationship.

Are Ben & Bea In Love In Anyone But You’s Ending?

How Real Is Their Romance By The Movie’s Final Moments?

The entirety of Anyone but You is about Ben and Bea convincing family and friends that they are in love, only for those fake feelings to become more real as time progresses. This leads to them hooking up the night before the wedding and seemingly being on the cusp of admitting how they truly feel. A fight the next morning splits them, and Bea leaves the reception after seeing Ben kissing Margaret. However, Ben does chase her down at the Sydney Opera House, where she is people-watching, and expresses his true feelings for her – similar to the story of Bea’s dad’s grand romantic gesture to her mom. It is through this act that Anyone but You gives Ben and Bea a happy ending.

However, Ben does chase her down at the Sydney Opera House, where she is people-watching, and expresses his true feelings for her – similar to the story of Bea’s dad’s grand romantic gesture to her mom.

Ben’s decision to chase after Bea and her decision to leave the wedding are both signs that they really are in love. Their fake relationship worked exactly as Ben had hoped, leading to Margaret making a move on him at the wedding and kissing him. However, he tells her that this is not what he wants anymore, signaling his true feelings for Bea. She leaves the wedding right away, thinking Ben has already moved on from any feelings he could have for her and is back together with Margaret. Bea explains that she can’t be at the wedding and see Ben and Margaret together because of how she really feels.

The reason why Ben and Bea wind up falling in love goes far beyond Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney’s looks and physical chemistry. Bea mentions that she broke up with Jonathan because they never fought, which made her feel like a spark was missing. This was not the case with Ben, as they fought constantly, but also began to truly care about each other. Meanwhile, Ben falls in love with Bea because she accepts him for who he is and does not view him as a mistake.

Meanwhile, Ben falls in love with Bea because she accepts him for who he is and does not view him as a mistake.

How Claudia & Halle Tricked Ben & Bea One Last Time

Claudia & Halle Were Always One Step Ahead Of Ben & Bea

 

One surprise regarding Ben and Bea’s relationship comes during Anyone but You‘s credits. A new piece of footage is shown that includes a conversation during the wedding reception where Claudia and Halle confirm they were never going to call off the wedding. The fight that Ben hears outside his window the morning of the big day was a staged conversation between the two brides. Claudia and Halle were among a group of people who tried to make Ben and Bea fall in love, and they repeatedly used the tactic of having loud conversations that either of them could hear to try and plant thoughts in their minds.

A new piece of footage is shown that includes a conversation during the wedding reception where Claudia and Halle confirm they were never going to call off the wedding.

It is only in the credits sequence that Anyone but You confirms that Claudia and Halle’s wedding was always going to happen. They simply decided that having the fake fight would be the best way to have Ben and Bea reconcile, hoping that this would lead to them finally getting together. The revelation pays off a running Anyone but You joke, but it also provides a slight twist to the outcome of Ben and Bea’s romance. It also raises questions about whether Claudia and Halle’s other conversation at the reception that helps convince Ben to go after Bea really was staged after all.

Anyone But You’s Much Ado About Nothing References Explained

How The Rom-Com’s Ending Compares To Shakespeare’s Play

 

One recurring part of Anyone but You is the movie’s references to William Shakespeare’s play Much Ado About Nothing. This can be seen through quotes from the play appearing in the background of scenes throughout the movie, as well as “Much Ado About Nothing” being written at the top of a baseball stadium in the conclusion. The reason why Anyone but You references Much Ado About Nothing is because the play is a loose inspiration for the movie. The play follows a similar setup where other characters take part in a plot to have Benedick and Beatrice fall in love.