Film Review: '#Roxy'

At his high school, Cyrus Nollen (Jake Short) is well known for two things: his expansive hacking abilities, and his very large nose. In addition to using his hacking against anyone who ridicules his abnormal facial feature, Cyrus also uses his skills to protect his best friend Roxy Rostand (Sarah Fisher), with his partner-in-crime being his cousin Bronwyn (Pippa Mackie).

Unbeknownst to Roxy, however, Cyrus has also harbored a secret crush on her, but fears rejection from her because of his nose. So when Roxy confides in Cyrus that she has a crush on new student Christian Newville (Booboo Stewart), and that Christian feels the same but can't find the right words to win Roxy over, Cyrus strikes a compromise with Christian: He will help him win over Roxy by posing as him over text and coaching him on how to earn Roxy's affections. But as Cyrus simultaneously deals with helping Christian, dealing with his own feelings for Roxy, and being targeted by the vengeful football team due to his latest prank, Cyrus will find his scheme spiraling out of control—and having to confront his problems head-on to make things right.

Coming out a month following the popular yet critically divisive Sierra Burgess Is a Loser, #Roxy is a similarly themed high school-set retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac, this time without the gender-swapping. For much of itself, #Roxy fares more on the comedy side than its more well-known counterpart, but includes many moments of emotional depth to keep the film from becoming too ungrounded. A side plot regarding Bronwyn and a guy she is in an unexplained grudge match with, however, is one that proves fairly inconsequential to the main action and—while allowing dark horse cast member Pippa Mackie some more screen time—could easily be erased from the story without much changing.

As for our main players, Cyrus proves to be a difficult protagonist to get to like; something I dare say is a given considered he is introduced to the audience committing revenge porn against a teenager (albeit, one who turns out to be an obnoxious and entitled bully) and having a past for using his hacking abilities against anyone who dares say a word about his nose. But to the movie's credit, #Roxy takes a few good moments to point out that Cyrus's behavior is not justified, with the climax ultimately being Cyrus coming to accept his actions as such and that he has to change his own attitude and behavior to better his life. As such, the film's ultimate resolution rings true, with Short managing to strike a nice balance between Cyrus's initial "Cynical Teen Hacker" persona and his ultimate redemptive arc.

Sarah Fisher is similarly likable as the film's titular love interest, though viewers can be forgiven for believing that she will end up as a cookie cutter "Manic Pixie Dream Girl" character. While Roxy is initially made out to be a wide-eyed idealist and hopeless romantic, the film (like with Cyrus) takes time to show depth hidden in what could've been a poorly written caricature. Rather than fall hook, line, and sinker for Cyrus and Christian's deceptions, Roxy has many moments when the facade almost crumbles, and ultimately, delivers the best moment of the film in her telling off of Cyrus for manipulating her emotions and (in a greater sense) allowing his insecurities to make him selfish and cold to those around him. Christian, similarly, avoids being lumped into the "Buffoonish Jock" trope in a combination of Booboo Stewart's charming performance and his story arc culminating in him realizing that despite his feelings for Roxy, he doesn't want to be with her if it means she doesn't like him for who he really is.

As a teenage rom-com, #Roxy won't be everyone's cup of tea, and the resolution would've been far more powerful had it ended things on the ambiguous note the buildup made it appear to be going for. But as a whole, #Roxy proves to be stronger in emotional depth and character development than most give the genre credit for, with strong performances from its three primary players proving significant in allowing for this development. While it may not strike a chord for some, this is a film that is worth giving a chance, even if the stylized title gives you a sense of cringe.

Score: 7 out of 10 backyard book nooks.