I Love You Forever | SXSW 2024 Film Review

Gone are the days of traditional courting for relationships. It’s 2024 and the influx of those uninterested or who aren’t ready for commitment has taken the dating world by storm. It’s no longer dating with intentions of marriage or a long-term relationship for the majority; instead, situationships are running rampant and whether the signals are mixed or clear, one thing is for certain – it’s easier than ever for a woman to be swept up by a man who seemingly has, wants, and is willing to give it all.

I Love You Forever centers on a very relatable and anxious Mackenzie (Sofia Black-D’Elia), who has spent the last two years hooking up with her fellow law school peer. There’s no snuggling after the fact, or holding of hands, he’s hardly even a gentleman by making her stand outside in the cold alone waiting for a ride – but it’s better than being alone, she believes. Her two best friends, Ally (Cazzie David) and Lucas (Jon Rudnitzsky), are in a similar boat, desperate for love and to be treated right.

At Ally’s birthday party, Mackenzie’s world flips a 180 when she meets Finn (Ray Nicholson), a news reporter whose charm and willingness to connect in something meaningful resonates to the deepest ethers of her soul. Having had enough of not being taken seriously as a potential partner, she does what every woman is capable of doing, and puts her FBI credentials to work in order to find her beloved on the internet and send a cringey first move through Instagram. Stunned by his continual reciprocity of interest, Mackenzie and Finn embark on what appears to be love at first sight.

Closing down a restaurant for just the two of them so she feels comfortable, getting gold monogrammed jewelry after less than a week of dating, and attention galore, Finn’s attempts to love bomb her are successful. At least until he begins to feel threats to their relationship and his control increases with every second that passes by. What follows is a tale many of us know all too well – panic attacks, chaos, sleep deprivation, and a feeling of never doing or being enough for this person who has “given you the world”. It’s a tale of emotional abuse, narcissism, and the toxicity that occurs on unsuspecting victims who have been beaten down by a string of failed partners or relationships.

Black-D’Elia delivers her most authentically heartbreaking performance, as we watch her morph through the stages of this relationship like a caterpillar blossoming into a beautiful butterfly – but only after a long journey of metamorphosis. She must find love for herself and accept that she can buy herself flowers and write her name in the sand, all without the weight of impending doom lingering over her shoulder if she doesn’t do what is expected of her. Sofia explores the dichotomy of pure joy and happiness to the fracturing of her mental state and heart with such heart. This film wouldn’t work if we couldn’t understand Mackenzie and at its core, I Love You Forever works best because of Black-D’Elia.

Not only do co-directors and writers Cazzie David and Elisa Kalani capture the complexities and dangers of dating in the modern age, but they do so with a hilarious screenplay of quippy dialogue delivered with an incredible realism from David and Rudnitsky. This friendship trio is brutally honest, but so deeply comical in its relatability. Every character has its purpose and role to play in advancing the story, as well as understanding the implications of Mackenzie’s relationship with Finn.

A social commentary on dating today with insight into the trauma of a painful, confusing, and chaotic relationship, I Love You Forever should be required viewing before matching on dating platforms like Hinge. Hugs, babes – you deserve better.

Listen to our full podcast covering the 2024 SXSW Film & TV Festival on this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast: