‘Somebody I Used to Know’ Plot Synopsis
Co-written by director Dave Franco and star Alison Brie, Somebody I Used to Know follows Ally (Brie) as she faces the potential cancellation of her reality TV show. When she returns to her hometown of Leavenworth, she reconnects with her ex, Sean (Jay Ellis).
Wanting to rediscover the person she was before she moved away, she tries to become closer to Sean–but is it worth it to get in between him and his fiancée Cassidy?
Why does Ally return to Leavenworth?
Ally produces a reality TV show in its third season, called Dessert Island. When the show is canceled, she pitches a docuseries about naturism she’d love to do next, but others convince her it would make no profit. So, Ally decides to accept the cancellation and go home to Leavenworth to visit her mom.
Are Sean and Ally still in love?
In Leavenworth, Ally reconnects with her ex-boyfriend, Sean. She left him 10 years ago to pursue her dreams of working in the TV industry, but old feelings for him are now resurfacing. Even learning of his upcoming wedding doesn’t deter her from getting closer to Sean. When his mother invites Ally to film all the wedding events for them, she accepts–to the chagrin of Sean’s fiancée Cassidy.
Ally does still have feelings for Sean, and Sean’s feelings about her are clearly complicated. The more time Ally spends with him, the less she cares about Dessert Island, even when she learns a streaming platform might want to pick up the show for another season.
What are Cassidy’s reservations about getting married?
Eventually, Ally learns that Sean and Cassidy have only known each other for a short while. Cassidy and Ally start to become friends, and Cassidy informs her they decided to get married only after thinking Cassidy was pregnant. Because Sean wanted it, they decided she would give up touring with her band to stay home with the baby. When they learned she wasn’t pregnant, they didn’t even discuss whether they still wanted to go through with the wedding. Cassidy still plans on giving up her band for Sean, although it’s clear she doesn’t want to.
During their rehearsal, Cassidy’s parents show up because Ally earlier invited them to interfere. Cassidy believes this is Sean’s fault, however. She told him many times she didn’t want them there because they vocally disapprove of her bisexuality. This the last straw for her. She tells Sean that everything is always about what he wants, and she can’t live like that for the rest of her life.
Does Ally end up with Sean or Cassidy?
Sean thinks Cassidy is being unfair and thanks Ally for helping him see he may have rushed into getting married. Ally feels touched, but starts to pull away when he mentions how they both wasted a big part of their lives. She didn’t waste her life in L.A. She tells Sean he always wanted her to change her life for him, and now he’s doing the same thing to Cassidy. Sean turns some blame onto her as well. She’s running away again to manipulate people for her show.
Ally then tries to make things right with Cassidy. She admits to her that she pursued Sean to fill a void left by a meaningless work life. But then she saw how amazing Cassidy is and how passionate she is about her music, and she can’t give that up. She deserves someone who will love all of her. Cassidy gives her a brief kiss, and they both eventually fall asleep.
The next morning, Sean talks to Cassidy through the door. He apologizes for the way he’s been. He still wants to be with her, and he doesn’t want her to give up the band. That was just past insecurities speaking for him (like being abandoned by his birth parents and by Ally). Ally then admits it was her who invited Cassidy’s parents to the wedding.
With nothing left in their way, Sean and Cassidy reconcile and prepare to get married that day. Ally, meanwhile, goes home.
How does ‘Somebody I Used to Know’ end?
At home, Ally’s mom helps remind her that the old Ally wasn’t defined by her relationship to Sean. Ally used to do whatever she wanted, no matter the consequences. She was a nudist; she shaved her head right before college interviews. Somewhere along the way, she lost that person to pursue more mainstream success.
Ally then remembers her dream of creating a docuseries about naturism. Six months later, and she’s shooting the series, just like she dreamed.
Read More: Somebody I Used To Know Movie Review