Masquerading as an empowering, feelgood chick flick, How To Be Single’s title gives away its bizarre thesis; that for women, being single is somehow an unnatural state of being that requires training and instruction.

The sequels, How To Convert Oxygen To Carbon Dioxide and How To Exist In Time And Space will presumably follow.

Dakota Johnson leads the cast as Alice, who ends her picture perfect relationship in order to explore being single in New York. Thanks to her sex guru friend Rebel Wilson, she experiences the highs and lows of dating – and rom-com orthodoxy.

How To Be Single relies heavily on pop culture references and well-trod ground. From references to Sex And The City and Bridget Jones, to pseudo-playboy bartender interactions lifted straight from He’s Just Not That Into You, the film is like the pop songs it uses to indicate emotion: remixed and rehashed love clichés devoid of personality.
Director Christian Ditter also demonstrates no understanding of time or arc, and it’s often unclear whether the action has occurred over days or months, making it impossible to understand the emotional stakes of the women’s experiences.

However, the cast do prove excellent, with Alison Brie bringing a nice amount of smarts to her high-strung character, while Leslie Mann – as an insecure 40-something – delivers wit and compassion in equal measure. Indeed, Mann’s endearing chemistry with Johnson proves to be the film’s salvation.

The final act tries hard to subvert genre conventions, without success. Overall, How To Be Single is a classic case of a talented cast being under-served by the material.

3/5