“Finding Emily,” a new romantic comedy from Working Title Films, adds a fresh, if uneven, entry to the genre. Directed by Alicia MacDonald in her feature debut, the film follows Owen (Spike Fearn), a struggling musician turned sound engineer at Manchester City University, who becomes obsessed with tracking down a mysterious red-haired woman named Emily (Sadie Soverall) after a chance meeting at a party.

When Owen attempts to contact her the next day, he discovers the phone number she provided is incomplete, prompting a frantic search through the campus directory, which lists more than 300 Emilys. His quest takes an unexpected turn when he approaches another Emily (Angourie Rice), a graduate psychology student working on a thesis about the self-destructive tendencies of romantic relationships. This “wrong Emily,” an American transplant from Iowa hoping to secure a work visa, offers to assist Owen—partly to gather real-world material for her dissertation.

The dynamic between Fearn and Rice drives much of the film’s charm, their quirky rapport and chemistry providing levity amid the script’s occasional contrivances. Their alliance leads to a misguided mass-email campaign to all Emilys on campus, resulting in a viral backlash that brands Owen as a stalker and “toxic incel,” complicating his search and social standing. A further misstep occurs when Owen appears on a live campus podcast, inadvertently escalating the controversy.

While the plot hinges on familiar romantic comedy beats, including misunderstandings and escalating complications, the film’s pacing sometimes falters, drawing comments from early viewers about its gradual unfolding. Still, “Finding Emily” benefits from its richly rendered Manchester setting, which director MacDonald highlights through the city’s vibrant neighborhoods and thriving music scene, giving the film a distinct sense of place.

Supporting performances by Prasanna Puwanarajah as Emily’s ambitious psychology professor, Timothy Innes as her unsuspecting crush, and Cora Kirk as her voice of reason add depth to the ensemble, alongside appearances by Jack Riddiford, Isabella Laughland, Kat Ronney, and Minnie Driver in a smaller role as the university dean.

Overall, the film offers a lighthearted, if somewhat cluttered, experience marked by moments of genuine warmth and humor. While it may not reach the heights of Working Title’s classic rom-coms, it presents an enjoyable watch with a soundtrack and setting that help to elevate the familiar storyline. Fans of the genre may find “Finding Emily” a pleasant diversion, even if it ultimately treads familiar ground without fully taking flight.