It's been a great time for double features, what with 2023's Barbie-meets-Oppenheimer phenomenon and the recent cinematic coupling of Wicked Part 1 and Moana 2 (a.k.a. "Theater Kid Barbenheimer"). Sydney Sweeney wants to keep the multi-title movie events going with a pair of her most recent theatrical releases.
While sitting down for a recent interview with CinemaBlend Managing Editor Sean O'Connell alongside her Madame Web castmates Isabela Merced and Celeste O'Connor, Sweeney—who plays Julia Cornwall/Spider-Woman in the Spider-Verse superhero thriller—was asked which of her movies she'd recommend couples go see on Valentine's Day: Madame Web or her recent rom-com with Glen Powell, Anyone but You.
Ever the cheerleader (she plays cheer-squad member Cassie Howard in Euphoria, duh), the actress proclaimed:
I think you should have a double feature!
But here's the big question: which to see first? Choosing the viewing order of a double feature is an art, as "Barbenheimer" moviegoers heavily debated last summer when both of those blockbusters hit theaters on the very same day. (The correct answer, clearly, was meaty Oppenheimer as your main course first, and then Barbie as a sweet, pastel confection for dessert... at least, that's how I see it.)
Confronted with a similar dilemma, Sweeney thoughtfully offered up her take:
Ooooh. Madame Web first. Have a good, grounded experience, watch some people bond, figure out who they are and unlock their potential powers. Then go [to Anyone But You]. Laugh, cry and dance on your way out.
Neither Anyone but You nor Madame Web got stellar reviews from the critics, but the box office is a whole other beast.
The romantic comedy starred Sweeney and Powell as college arch-nemeses "who reunite years after graduation for a destination wedding" and "pretend to be a couple for their own personal reasons," as described in the movie's official logline. Of course, having two people with Sydney and Glen's faces and bodies, "through pretending, they actually fall in love.” Despite middling critical opinion (CinemaBlend's Anyone But You review found it not raunchy nor romantic enough), it ended up raking in a whopping $170 million globally since hitting theaters in December, including $80 million from domestic theaters.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Madame Web is so far not having the same kind of financial success, and is "looking to post a six-day gross in the $25 million to $27 million range" after hitting theaters on Wednesday, February 14. But who knows, maybe it will put an Anyone but You and grow into a sleeper hit, especially if theatergoers take Sweeney's advice and make it a double feature with the aforementioned flick?
Despite the less-than-glowing reviews for Madame Web, we do think that Sydney Sweeney deserves another go-round as Spider-Woman onscreen, especially as the 26-year-old star sweetly called joining her first superhero movie and putting on that famous suit "the coolest thing ever."
Only time will tell about Sydney Sweeney's future as Spider-Woman or in the Spider-Verse, but we'll be keeping our eyes on the 2024 movie schedule to plan our next movie experience. You never know—there might be even some more great double-feature opportunities in our moviegoing future.
