The Other Zoey

StarringCinematographyEve CohenEdited byMaysie HoyMusic byJohn SwihartDistributed byBrainstorm MediaCountryUnited StatesLanguageEnglishBox office$168,099^[1][2]

The Other Zoey is a 2023 American romantic comedy film directed by Sara Zandieh and written by Matt Tabak. The film stars Josephine Langford, Drew Starkey, Archie Renaux, Mallori Johnson, Patrick Fabian, Heather Graham and Andie MacDowell.

Zoey Miller's love life is turned upside-down when Zach MacLaren, the school's soccer star, gets amnesia and mistakes her for his girlfriend, who is coincidentally named Zoey as well.

It was released in limited theaters on October 20, 2023 and on Amazon Prime Video both in streaming media format and as video on demand.

Plot

Zoey Miller, a highly intelligent computer major junior, at Queens University of Charlotte does not believe in the traditional concept of romantic love, but rather that having similar ways of thinking is the key. On Valentine's Day she speaks up against fellow student Becca's presentation on Saint Valentine in a history class, saying that the holiday is a capitalist creation. She has designed an app that will effectively match people based on algorithms.

As Zoey is crossing campus with her roommate and friend Elle, the school's soccer star Zach MacLaren accidentally launches a ball into her head. He rushes over, apologizing and offers to take her to get her head looked at. Elle sees it as a kind of meet-cute, but Zoey shrugs it off. In a subsequent class, a dark-haired guy has an almost identical view as Zoey when another professor brought up love, but disappears before she can tell him so.

Binge watching rom-coms with Elle in honor of the day, Zoey's mom Paula calls, and she reiterates her dislike of the genre, in disagreement with the others. She considers them to be formulaic and contrived.

Zach comes into the campus bookstore where Zoey works, and they banter in a mutually insulting way. Forgetting his credit card after ordering a book, she runs after him as he speeds off on his bike, and he crashes into a backing car. Zoey is the first person Zach sees when he comes to, and as he hears her name, he mistakes her for his girlfriend, who is coincidentally named Zoey too.

Asked by the EMT to accompany Zach to the hospital as Zoey's presence calms him, she bumps into his parents at the hospital. They also confuse her for his girlfriend, but as he has amnesia no one realizes the error. The doctor tells Zoey to avoid upsetting Zach until he recovers, so his parents have her to dinner. She meets Zach's little sister Avery and his cousin Miles, the guy she'd seen with similar views as her from the lecture. She continues to discover things she has in common with him. They invite her along for a family ski weekend, so she cancels her flight to see Paula to join them.

As Zach has to stay in the rented house to rest, Zoey goes to the slopes where Miles teaches her to snowboard. They are mutually attracted so, that night in the hot tub as they are alone briefly, they kiss. In the morning when Zach mentions Miles' girlfriend, she confronts him, but he explains they have a polyamorous relationship.

Disappointed, Zoey chooses to spend the day keeping Zach company. As he must avoid screens, they play games like Jenga and chess. Zach even shows his culinary skills by preparing a gourmet pizza with her. By the end of the day, Zoey feels a bond with him, saying that she hopes he remembers how well this day was once his amnesia is gone.

Riding back to the MacLarens', the soccer playing Zoey arrives, accusing Zoey of identity theft. She is able to explain the circumstances, and apologizes for deceiving them. As Zoey leaves, Avery blurts out that she prefers her to soccer Zoey.

Back in class, outlandish rumors circulate about Zoey, and she's videoed lashing out at the negative attention. Later, she lashes out at Elle, upset that she'd convinced her to lie. Elle reveals she is seeing someone- a guy she had met while babysitting who brought her food by delivery service- but says she didn't tell her because she didn't want to hurt her feelings and that she's never been into anyone. Fed up, Zoey goes to her mom's. Paula makes her realize that she needs to be brave and go after what she wants.

Returning to her college, Zoey writes Elle an apology poem and they make up. Then Becca proposes she help them promote the upcoming Jam Fest to recover her image. They'd like her to set up a web page with geotags and simultaneous multiple video feeds.

Successfully getting the website up and running after an all-nighter, Zoey plans on watching from home in her pjs. However, Elle drags her to the Jam Fest before it finishes, as Zach is there and is likely available. Throwing her coat over her pjs, she stops the music to find him. Once she does, Zoey confesses her feelings, Zach admits he broke up with soccer Zoey because of his feelings and they kiss.

Cast

Production

In December 2021, it was announced that Josephine Langford, Drew Starkey and Archie Renaux were cast in the film.^[3] Later that month, it was announced that Andie MacDowell, Heather Graham and Patrick Fabian joined the cast and that production began in North Carolina.^[4] In January 2022, it was reported that Mallori Johnson, Maggie Thurmon, Jorge López, Gabriella Saraivah and Amalia Yoo joined the cast of the film.^[5]

Release

The Other Zoey was released in limited theaters by Brainstorm Media on October 20, 2023, followed by a video on demand release.^[6]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 80% of 15 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.2/10.^[7]

Dennis Harvey of Variety called it "a pleasant enough diversion for those who want familiar genre beats sounded by the usual attractive actors in the customary attractive settings."^[8]

References

External links

• Official website
• The Other Zoey at IMDb