Based on its trailers, one might assume that How to Be Single is just another Sex and the City wannabe about young women living it up in New York and half-heartedly looking for love along the way. To be fair, the film is certainly tailor-made to appeal to the young female demographic. After all, the stars of Fifty Shades of Grey and Pitch Perfect are probably its biggest selling points. However, while those moviegoers looking to blast “Single Ladies” on their way to the theater will find plenty here to satisfy their desire for vicarious living through the characters onscreen, the film itself has a bit more on its mind than just rounds of shots and casual hook-ups.

Dakota Johnson (the aforementioned leading lady of Fifty Shades of Grey) stars as Alice, a twenty-something young woman who moves into the city after a melancholy breakup with her longtime love Josh (Nicholas Braun). Let’s just say it’s the type of situation that will seem all too familiar to fans of TV’s Friends. Alice moves in with her sister Meg (Leslie Mann), a doctor who’s at an emotional crossroads of her own, and soon becomes best buds with her rambunctious co-worker Robin (Rebel Wilson). From there, the three women embark on a tumultuous journey to figure out who they are, what they want and who, if anyone, they should be with.

True to its title, How to Be Single never truly centers on any one specific relationship involving one of its central ladies, including that of love-thirsty Lucy (Alison Brie of Community fame). In fact, the film makes a distinct effort to avoid the sentimental pitfalls and clichés that most other comedies of its sort typically pratfall into, and on a few occasions, director Christian Ditter deliberately misdirects viewer expectations, making for some of the best and most surprising laughs in the film.

Fans interested in seeing How to Be Single for the outrageous antics of Wilson, who has fast developed her “unlikely party girl” screen persona, won’t be disappointed. The actress gets the bulk of the one-liners, which fly out of her mouth as if regurgitated after a particular hard night of drinking. As a result, many of them fail to land, and viewers who find Wilson’s shtick tiring will likely only see their opinion crystallized by the time the credits roll.

On the other hand, Johnson brings a real vulnerability to her role, proving that she has a genuine knack for comic timing and a big-screen charisma deserving of far better than her major film roles to date would indicate. Meanwhile, Mann is charming as always, lending her flawless blend of comic chops and strong emotional beats to the most endearing of the subplots. She shares many of her best scenes with up-and-comer Jake Lacy, and the young actor — who was also a standout in last year’s ensemble comedy/drama Love the Coopers — more than holds his own with Mann.

Those who are turned off by crude humor and/or the idea of single women navigating the perilous waters of the urban jungle might not find a whole lot to like in How to Be Single, but those who are interested in wringing some laughs out of a surprisingly poignant exploration of modern-day single life will likely walk out of the theater with a smile on their faces, even if the film demonstrates only minimal effort to tread new narrative ground.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

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