Common Sense Media Review
By Sandie Angulo Chen
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Sweet but mature romcom about friends in love.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
What If
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 1 parent review
Based on 13 kid reviews
Kids say this film delivers a sweet and cute portrayal of love and friendship, bolstered by strong performances and witty dialogue, although it contains mature content and adult themes that make it more suitable for older teens. While many viewers enjoyed its heartwarming narrative and relatable characters, the film's predictability and some inappropriate scenes raised concerns for younger audiences.
- realistic relationships
- mature content
- sweet storytelling
- strong performances
- predictable narrative
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
In WHAT IF, Wallace (Daniel Radcliffe) is a recent Toronto med school dropout getting over a cheating ex. He shows up at his college roommate Allan's (Adam Driver) house party, where he meets a beautiful and funny woman who turns out to be Allan's cousin Chantry (Zoe Kazan). Just when Wallace thinks they have a spark, she casually mentions that she has a live-in boyfriend. After bumping into each other again, Chantry convinces Wallace to have a platonic friendship, since they have so much in common. Dozens of conversations, emails, and outings later, Wallace meets the boyfriend, Ben (Rafe Spall), who secretly threatens him if it turns out that Wallace wants more than friendship. As their relationship continues to grow, Wallace must deal with his increasingly romantic feelings toward Chantry, who seems to think she can manage being "just friends" without wanting more.
Is It Any Good?
This hopeful love story about friendship being an ideal cornerstone for any epic romance makes for an enchanting indie romcom. A direct cinematic descendant of When Harry Met Sally, What If (or The F Word, as it's titled in Canada) explores the age-old question of whether men and women can be close, even best, friends without sexual tension getting in the way. Of course, the answer is usually no, but that doesn't mean Canadian director Michael Dowse doesn't make this a charming and occasionally unpredictable little love story about friends who really, really try to keep things in the "friends zone" but ultimately can't deny that their connection is more than they can bear.
Driver (who's playing a more commitment-ready variation of his Girls character) and his PDA-happy girlfriend-turned-wife Nicole (stunner Mackenzie Davis) are perfectly cast as a passionate new couple who do their best to force Wallace to admit his feelings to Chantry, but Wallace would rather suffer in silence than ruin his genuinely deep friendship. Radcliffe and Kazan are almost too adorable and charming and share a palpable chemistry that makes their connection easy to believe. The beautiful indie soundtrack (lots of Patrick Watson and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros) provides a lovely accompaniment to the story, which takes melancholy turns. The script, based on a play, doesn't let Chantry or Wallace off the hook for thinking they could be fair to her boyfriend if they kept their own attachment going.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the popularity of the friends-to-more storyline. Why is that such a beloved plot in love stories? Do you agree that it's hard for men and women to be "just" friends?
How does What If depict sexual relationships? What about drinking? How are sex and drinking portrayed differently when the characters are in their 20s than when they're underage?
Do you agree with Wallace's idea that a relationship that starts "dirty" -- with someone cheating -- is likely to end that way as well?
Movie Details
- In theaters : August 8, 2014
- On DVD or streaming : November 25, 2014
- Cast : Daniel Radcliffe , Zoe Kazan , Adam Driver
- Director : Michael Dowse
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : CBS Films
- Genre : Comedy
- Topics : Friendship
- Run time : 102 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : sexual content including references throughout, partial nudity and language
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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