Players

⭐️⭐️⭐️

You don't have to dig deep to uncover the plot line of 2024's Players, a rom-com about a New York sportswriter, Mack (short for McKenzie and played by Gina Rodriguez) and her bar-hopping, one-night stand slaying friend group (Damon Wayans as Adam, Augustus Prew as Brannagan, and Joel Courtney as Brannagan's little brother, Little). The clue is in the name.

Streaming now on Netflix, Players is about a close-knit group of friends with a long history, easy and funny banter, and a genuine love for each other that evokes the emotional milieu of NBC's long-running sitcom Friends. Living an impossibly unaffordable lifestyle in New York City, three of the friends now work at the same newspaper, The Brooklyn Ace, during the day and at night all four take turns running various plays for and with one another to land that night's mark in their bed.

Players is a light, fun, well-acted, and well written (if predictable) "bubble gum" entertainment: good for a burst of flavor with no lasting effect. A mouth-watering ensemble cast (Why don't I have a group of friends dedicating their lives to making mine better?), coupled with Rodriguez's delicious ability to be both slap-stick funny and heart-wrenchingly vulnerable, makes for a delightful film. Players will leave a good taste in your mouth that you won't regret. And nothing more.

3 out of 5 stars