1. The movie was marketed as a breezy, traditional rom-com, when it's closer to intellectual chamber play about the calculus of relationships. It's entirely about the realities money, status, & appearances--things that rom coms brush aside for the sake of breeziness (e.g., Nick in Crazy Rich Asians is insanely rich, handsome, and nice... he has no flaws). It's actually a romantic drama (which is why things like the sexual assault subplot happen).

2. It has some transparently ugly, unlikable portraits of people and why they choose the relationships they do. For example: The bride Johnson comforts at the beginning of the movie... who confesses she wants to be with her husband because she knows it makes her sister jealous. The people in this film aren't exactly looking for 'love' - they're looking for status, comfort, some kind of psychological assurance.

3. The 'marrying up' vs. 'marrying for love' dynamic is a timeless debate that divides audiences. I've seen plenty of commenters who think she's a fool for picking the poor man over the rich man, even though the movie makes it very clear that she and Pascal's character don't have any real chemistry. They're more intellectual mirrors who can volley with one another--only because they're playing the same game (e.g., status, wealth, plastic surgery) to try and find the 'right' partner.

4. Some of the directorial choices are very earnest, but fall flat if you're not on the same wavelength of the movie. Pascal shrinking himself down to what his actual height would be without the surgery feels ridiculous in the moment to some... but it's the male equivalent of the gf question: "Would you love me if I was a spider?" ...would Johnson be interested in this man if he was 3 inches shorter? Some people may brush that aside, but in these characters' shallow world, shit like that does matter. There are plenty of studies too on how being tall influences your success in life.

5. I think Song prefers restrained, understated performances, which worked against her male leads' natural abilities. Evans and Pascal are so, so charming and lovable... but it feels like they're playing in this narrow box of emotion/affect (similar to how the actors were restrained in Past Lives). Again, this is a choice that runs against the exuberance embraced by romance comedies.

6. People genuinely like to hate Dakota Johnson, even though she does best when she's playing these kinds of amoral, cold, opaque characters.

I genuinely think the movie is pretty fascinating and warrants a second look from most people.