Step Back, Doors Closing (2024) Film Review
There’s a good reason why romantic comedies are often thrown to the very bottom of noteworthy film lists. The reality of the genre is that it usually regards well-designed films that aren’t actually well-written. A romantic comedy can be effective just by having a familiar actor on the cover performing a precise iteration of a trope we’ve seen before. Two opposite souls fall in love very quickly, two people coming from different worlds find love in the strangest of places, or two people find they were always meant for each other after overcoming the necessary obstacles. The beginning and the end are always the same, and the variations are the product of a storyteller who doesn’t have to try very hard to sell a conflict that’s already solved.
However, every once in a while, a film shows up to break the rules and disprove a misconception. Step Back, Doors Closing is a decent example of the disruption that romantic comedies need. The compelling film, written and directed by Carter Ward, is a love letter to Washington, and its scenery provides a solid backdrop to a romantic story that feels decompressed, worry-free, and more optimistic than you would think.
Julisa has an accident and she loses access to her phone. Alone and sad in the subway, she meets Ryan, who offers her some help in solving whatever needs to be solved. At first, the distrust is typical (and necessary), but soon after, Ryan opens up, and Julisa decides to give him a shot. His proposal? To help her contact a friend who will help her as she’s stranded in Washington DC. Ultimately, Julisa’s leap of faith results in a night where she will connect with a stranger who offers her honesty-based feedback.
It’s no secret that Julisa and Ryan end up falling in love. Sure, lots of things happen during the unforgettable night that they spend together, but the moral of the story is revealed the morning after when they each part their own ways. Sometimes, it’s all about giving yourself the chance to believe that the improbable is real.
Millions of love stories, in movies and real life, have begun like this. However, Ward’s script doesn’t call for comedic or absurd situations. Not much happens when Julisa accepts Ryan’s proposal. But what happens is undeniably natural and more honest than what you see in rom-coms, where everything is solved by impossible plot devices. In Step Back, Doors Closing, the solution arrives in a very natural fashion when two people who have decided they’re in love also open up about their possibilities. It’s difficult to believe, but this realization is heartbreaking, as well as heartwarming.
Richard Linklater did a great job with his Before trilogy. Though they starred two very well-known actors, those films were more than just a high-profile romance trilogy. They ended up being a perfect depiction of how love evolves from the ideal to the real, all seen through the eyes of a couple that ended up together because they followed their hearts and definitely not their minds. Nevertheless, Linklater’s films always felt genuine, honest, and sober. Step Back, Doors Closing is also an exceptional portrayal of this shapeless but human theme. I found myself believing in Julisa and Ryan because they are perfectly flawed. They don’t even have to end up together for me to believe in their improvised soul-searching journey. They are more than the love they project toward each other.
