Film

What's Your Number?

Name: What's Your Number?
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Released: 2011
Cast: Anna Faris, Chris Evans, Ari Graynor, Blythe Danner, Ed Begley Jr.

Romantic comedy
Light-hearted

A romantic comedy about a woman who, spooked by a dubious magazine statistic, decides to track down her exes to find her perfect match—only to discover the answer might be right next door. It's a breezy, well-cast film that leans into charm over originality, with genuine chemistry between its leads and enough heart to forgive its familiar plot beats.

TMDb rating

3.2

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy a raunchy-but-warm romantic comedy built on a sharp, self-deprecating heroine and a dating-history gag that keeps its sense of humour about messy love lives.

Skip it if the jokes lean on sex talk and a premise that treats a 20-partner count as a crisis, so if that idea feels dated to you, the whole film will too.

What it asks of you: It runs about 106 minutes and stays brisk, with a light touch and a steady stream of set-piece scenes, so it wants a relaxed evening rather than close attention.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Forgetting Sarah Marshall2008

A similarly structured romantic comedy where the lead gets over their ex by unexpectedly bonding with someone new, all while dealing with past relationships in humorous, tender ways. Sharp writing and real affection beneath the jokes.

But If you want something genuinely *about* heartbreak rather than just using it as a setup, this might feel lighter than you're looking for.

Sleeping with Other People2015

Jason Sudeikis and Alison Brie navigate a friendship-into-romance story that mirrors this film's core appeal: two people realizing they've been looking in the wrong places while having chemistry right in front of them.

But It's more sexually frank and considerably melancholic at times, which gives it a different texture than the brighter comedy you might want.

No Strings Attached2011

Released the same year, it shares that late-aughts rom-com energy—two appealing leads, a premise about friendship versus romance, and the comfort of watching attractive people fumble through relationships.

But It's genuinely competent but forgettable; if you've seen it, you know there's not much beneath the surface to revisit.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from What's Your Number?

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Muriel's Wedding1994

Both protagonists are chasing a version of happiness they've been sold before learning to want something truer. But Muriel's Wedding doesn't let the audience—or Muriel—off easy.

A woman obsessed with marriage as a life goal—like Ally—but here the film interrogates that obsession without flinching. Toni Collette is extraordinary, and the script has real intelligence and pain underneath the comedy. It's what happens when romantic comedy grows up.

But It's Australian, from the '90s, and genuinely sad in ways a mainstream rom-com won't prepare you for. The tone shifts significantly.

27 Dresses2008

Katherine Heigl and James Marsden have an easy rapport in this film about a woman trapped by her own people-pleasing, needing to learn what she actually wants. Sharper writing than you'd expect from the premise.

But The romance still feels obligatory to the real story, and some of the character moments can feel saccharine.

I Love You, Man2009

Paul Rudd and Jason Segel anchored this surprisingly smart comedy about a man finding his best friend right before his wedding. It's genuinely funny and warm without punching down.

But It's a bromance first and a romance second, so if you're expecting equal weight on both, you'll be disappointed.

License to Wed2007

Robin Williams and Mandy Moore's chemistry carries this lighter-than-air film about a couple preparing for marriage. It doesn't take itself seriously, which is exactly the right call.

But This is essentially a 90-minute Robin Williams bit; if his energy exhausts you, there's no shelter here.

The Decoy Bride2011

David Tennant and Alice Eve navigate a fake-relationship scenario in Scotland with genuine charm and surprising emotional honesty. Cozy and unpretentious in exactly the right way.

But It's consciously small and low-stakes, which means if you need plot momentum or high stakes, it might feel slight.

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past2009

Matthew McConaughey gets to play a version of himself, haunted by—literally—his exes, leading him to rethink his approach to love. It's silly but committed to its silliness.

But The supernatural framing adds nothing meaningful, and the film coasts on McConaughey's charm rather than genuine insight.

Girl, Interrupted1999

Angelina Jolie and Winona Ryder anchor a film about women finding themselves, though it's far more serious about that work than a typical rom-com. If you want something with weight.

But It's actually about mental illness and institutional care, not romance; going in expecting *What's Your Number?* will feel like a bait-and-switch.

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World2012

Both pair unlikely characters through proximity and gradually reveal that the right person was closer than expected—but this version understands that sometimes that realization comes too late.

Steve Carell and Keira Knightley meet days before an asteroid destroys Earth and decide to find meaning in companionship. It's a romance, but one that asks what love actually means when the stakes are irrevocable. Heartbreaking and quietly funny.

But It's a film about mortality and loss wearing a rom-com mask. The ending isn't happy in the way you'd want, and you'll need to sit with sadness.