Sleeping with Other People

Twelve years ago at university Lainey (Alison Brie) and Jake (Jason Sudeikis) lost their virginity to each other. Now Jake is a happy and financially successful womaniser, while Lainey is sabotaging any chance at a real relationship by clinging to the man (Adam Scott) she was originally trying to sleep with 12 years ago. When they meet by chance at a sex addicts meeting, they decide that they’re going to try to keep their friendship platonic.
They may have a safe word (“mousetrap”) for when things get too sexy, but what happens when they get too close emotionally? Good-looking people who are also funny talking about sex? What could go wrong? And for large chunks of this film, nothing does.
But while there are plenty of laughs and a few heartfelt moments, tonally it’s a bit wobbly (he’s a cool guy, she’s a bit of a wreck), which means that not everything here gels. Eventually this becomes a real problem as the film stumbles towards a finish that’s both predictable yet anticlimactic. Great performances from the two leads and a lot of solid jokes somehow make the misfires here more disappointing than they’d be in a film that was a wreck all the way through.
Reviewed by Anthony Morris