Rye Lane (2023)
★★★½ — Rye Lane (2023)
The romantic comedy has been declared dead so many times that any new entry in the genre carries a slight air of defiance about it. Rye Lane, released in 2023 and backed by Searchlight Pictures, BBC Film, and the BFI, arrives with a premise that is, by design, wonderfully simple: two young Londoners, both nursing fresh heartbreak, meet by accident in Peckham and spend an afternoon ricocheting around South London together. What could have been a modest, forgettable affair ended up making a fair amount of noise on the festival circuit, earning comparisons to the kind of breezy, sun-soaked European romance films that British cinema rarely attempts with quite this much confidence. At just 82 minutes, it is also, refreshingly, a film that knows exactly how long it needs to be.
The film marks the feature debut of director Raine Allen-Miller, who had built a reputation in the advertising and music video world before stepping up to the longer form. That background is visible in every frame: the film has a visual personality that is polished but never sterile, playful but never showy for its own sake. The production draws on the cultural energy of the Rye Lane area itself, shooting on location in and around Peckham's markets, side streets, and characterful interiors. It is the kind of South London that does not often get this kind of cinematic attention, and the choice to treat the neighbourhood as a genuine subject rather than a neutral setting gives the whole picture a distinct, grounded identity. For a debut feature made with the support of publicly funded bodies like the BFI, there is a real sense of creative ambition being channelled wisely rather than squandered.
The two leads carry the film between them with considerable ease. David Jonsson, who has since appeared in bigger productions (if you want a sense of quite how different his other work can be, have a look at my review of Alien: Romulus), brings a hangdog sweetness to his role that avoids tipping into self-pity. Vivian Oparah, perhaps best known to British audiences from Class, matches him step for step with a fizzing, quick-witted energy that keeps the film moving even in its quieter passages. The supporting cast, including Poppy Allen-Quarmby, Simon Manyonda, and Benjamin Sarpong-Broni, fill out the world around them with enough sharpness to make the broader comedy land without ever overshadowing the central relationship. The film understands, quite sensibly, that the leads are the thing, and keeps its focus accordingly.
Rye Lane (2023) is the kind of rom-com that knows it's treading well-worn ground, and decides to charm its way through anyway. Before Sunrise wishes it was this. The premise is familiar: two wounded twenty-somethings meet by chance in South London, spend a day wandering together, and slowly peel back their emotional baggage. Yes, it's predictable. Yes, the beats arrive exactly when you expect them. But sometimes formula isn't a flaw, it's a comfort. What elevates this above the pack is the sheer, irresistible chemistry of its leads. David Jonsson and Vivian Oparah don't just play off each other; they spark. Their banter crackles with wit and warmth, their vulnerabilities feel genuine, and by the halfway mark you're fully invested in whether these two damaged souls might just figure things out together. Visually, the film is a love letter to South London itself. Director Raine Allen-Miller and cinematographer Olan Collardy shoot the bustling markets, cramped flats, and vibrant streets with a painter's eye. Wide lenses expand narrow alleyways into cinematic playgrounds, colours pop with joyful saturation, and every frame feels alive with texture and movement. It's a film that understands how place shapes romance; the city isn't just backdrop, it's a character in its own right. A modest, endearing delight that wins you over through sheer likability rather than innovation. The jokes land more often than not, the emotional beats feel earned, and the whole thing wraps up before it outstays its welcome. It may not rewrite the genre, but it's a reminder that sometimes the oldest stories are still worth telling, especially when told with this much heart, humour, and visual flair.
I think what stays with me most, having sat with this one for a little while, is how rare it feels to watch a British rom-com that is genuinely comfortable in its own skin. It is not trying to be a Hollywood production, nor is it leaning on quirk as a substitute for warmth. It just gets on with it, confidently and affectionately. If you have been enjoying some of the other interesting British films coming through in recent years, Next Goal Wins and Tiger Stripes have both crossed my desk and are worth your time for different reasons, but Rye Lane sits in its own comfortable little pocket. It is the sort of film you recommend to someone who says they do not really watch rom-coms anymore. Sometimes that is exactly the right person to send it to.
Rating: ★★★½ | Year: 2023 | Watched: 2026-04-02
Trailer
▶ Watch the official trailer for Rye Lane (2023) on YouTube
Where to watch
Watch in the UK
Stream: Disney Plus
Physical: Amazon UK · Zavvi
Watch in the US
Stream: Hulu
Physical: Amazon US
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Related on Movies With Macca
More with David Jonsson: The Long Walk (2025) · Alien: Romulus (2024)
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More from the 2020s: Mononoke the Movie: The Phantom in the Rain (2024) · Mononoke the Movie: Chapter II - The Ashes of Rage (2025) · The Long Walk (2025) · Americana (2023)
More comedy: The Eagle (1925) · The General (1926) · Americana (2023) · The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)
More romance: The Eagle (1925) · The Last Picture Show (1971) · The General (1926) · The Docks of New York (1928)
