Earlier this year, myself and a small group of University of Manchester (UoM) students gathered in a meeting room in the grand and ornate Whitworth Hall and awaited the arrival of Alicia MacDonald, the director of Finding Emily (2026), a rom-com set in modern day Manchester and filmed across the city and UoM's campus. The director – who I was briefly mistaken for in a humorous mishap – has built her career directing short films and TV shows, such as the Lena Dunham-created Netflix show Too Much (2025). At the time we speak, Finding Emily is her first feature.
Once everyone was settled, and the identity of MacDonald confirmed, we began our panel-style interview and asked a series of questions. We unanimously agreed that the film resonated with us all for numerous reasons, but mostly for its ability to capture a sense of place. Finding Emily feels proudly Mancunian, from the shots of the ubiquitous yellow trams and the world-famous Piccadilly Records in the Northern Quarter, to the way it immerses the viewer in the world of being a Manchester student. We all know individuals like the ones represented onscreen, whether personally or not. A student protester character bears stark resemblance to the archetypal 'leftist student', while the film's Mancunian protagonist Owen, portrayed by Spike Fearn, is a near-parody of a Gallagher brother.
MacDonald perfectly encapsulates the experience of being a student in Manchester from the get-go. Seeing campus locations on screen, such as the stairs leading up to the SU building, or the back of the Alan Gilbert Learning Commons, adds a layer of strange poignancy to the themes in her rom-com. This relatability borders on real life as the film's opening sequence replicates a personal memory of mine: 'Blue Monday' by Greater Manchester band New Order playing in a nightclub. This, along with scenes set in Gay Village, are nods to the neon-streaked nightlife that is central to the experience of Manchester as a young person. The representation of nightclubs holds a lot of realism; they are the spaces that shape formative experiences.
Spike Fearn and Angourie Rice on the set of 'Finding Emily' (Credit: Working Title Films)
The soundtrack being comprised of songs from Manchester bands was an element of Finding Emily I particularly identified with. As well as 'Blue Monday' by New Order, 'Otis' by The Durutti Column, and 'There's a Reason Why (I Never Returned Your Calls)' by Blossoms – who appear with an exciting cameo performance in the film – are also featured. Not only is this a nod to Manchester's iconic music scene, it also contributes to the romanticisation of relationships that permeates rom-coms.
Finding Emily has been seen as a revival of the British romantic comedy. The film was produced by Working Title, the production company behind classic '90s British rom-coms such as Love, Actually, Notting Hill, and Bridget Jones, which brought the nostalgic charm and flavour that audiences seldom experience in this era of filmmaking. However, MacDonald subverts the formulaic structure consistent within romantic comedies by framing a romantic endeavour which would traditionally be seen as a grand, devoted gesture into something more sinister from a clinical psychological lens. The genre is oversaturated with idealisation, and so it was refreshing to see a different perspective on relationships, while still maintaining the generic framework.
Despite the formulaic structure, MacDonald infuses her film with a critical message that the majority of Gen Z doesn't want to hear: not every man is corrupt. I asked her about this personally when I interviewed her, specifically mentioning the backlash Owen received after he mistakenly bulk-emailed every Emily enrolled at the University in pursuit of a girl he had a romantic encounter with on a night out. The bulk emails create controversy: the students in the film view them as a form of harassment, and subsequently ostracise him.
I interpreted this as MacDonald demonstrating the danger of Gen Z not being unable to distinguish between harassment and innocent romantic pursuit; simply being eager, or being creepy. Alicia MacDonald confirmed my speculations and said she wanted to acknowledge that there is a boundary between the two dichotomies that sometimes gets blurred. MacDonald conveys the harmful effects polarised culture has the potential to create, which felt like an especially invigorating way of reframing gender roles. Owen’s isolation as a result of his ostracisation universalises the rom-com, providing the film with another multifaceted depiction of a relationship.
Ultimately, Finding Emily boasts all the wonderful elements that Manchester has to offer, and so will be the perfect feel-good comfort movie to accompany you as you find your feet in this sprawling yet exhilarating city, even if the predictability of the narrative resolution meant there lacked room for thematic nuances extending beyond the slight generic subversion. Perhaps being a UoM student has created some bias in my rating, as I'm unsure if it would have had the same effect on me if it had been set anywhere else.
3.5/5
Finding Emily is currently available to buy on Amazon Prime Video. You can also check out The Mancunion's interview with the cast on our Instagram.
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