What if an algorithm chooses your soulmate — but your heart thinks otherwise? A new drama from Apple TV+ starring Brett Goldstein makes you wonder if you can trust science in matters of love. A review of “All of You” — a film where soulmates exist bu...

“All of You” initially masquerades as a story about friendship that blossoms into love, but quickly defies expectations, standing out among cookie-cutter rom-coms with its honesty and fresh take on the genre. It’s almost a dystopian love story, featuring a company called Soul Connex that can, for a hefty fee, match you with your one perfect partner based on a “scientific” test. Sound like an episode of Black Mirror? Not coincidentally: director William Bridges worked on that series, and he co-wrote the script with star Brett Goldstein, known for Ted Lasso.​

Simon (Brett Goldstein) and Laura (Imogen Poots) have been friends since university, remaining close for years while hiding their true feelings. But instead of sorting out their relationship, Laura decides to trust technology and takes the Soul Connex test. The result? Her “soulmate” is a nice Scottish guy named Lucas (Steven Cree), whom she hasn’t even dated before. Simon, naturally, is crushed but stoically maintains his best-friend status. Laura gets married, has a child, and Simon gets stuck in a relationship with her friend Andrea (Zawe Ashton), which he clearly isn’t thrilled about.​

The Apple TV+ film doesn’t rush to highlight time jumps with titles — viewers must figure out how many weeks, months, or years have passed based on details (most often Goldstein’s beard density or Poots’s hairstyle). One moment they’re at a party, then at a wedding, then at her father’s funeral — and between these episodes, entire chunks of their lives remain off-screen. At some point, Simon and Laura start a romantic relationship, which becomes a trial for them: is she ready to leave her husband, child, and stability for someone who might have been her true destiny all along?​

The lead acting duo conveys emotions through glances, pauses, and light touches. Goldstein allows his character to be vulnerable, which is endearing. But the real star is Imogen Poots, who masterfully portrays Laura’s inner conflict — a woman torn between duty and desire, between the one the “algorithm picked” and the one who lives in her heart. Yet her character doesn’t come off as a capricious egoist, but rather as someone genuinely lost in her own life.​

The script by Bridges and Goldstein avoids rom-com clichés: no cheesy airport chases or passionate speeches in the rain with a requisite kiss and happy ending. This story is primarily about time — how it changes people, their desires, and priorities. Simon and Laura’s relationship conveys both codependency and the anxiety of a generation that wants guarantees where none can exist. And while the bittersweet finale is unlikely to shatter viewers’ hearts like Valentine’s Day, it is logical and grounds the plot, dispelling the movie magic typical of such cases.

At times, “All of You” repeats the same emotional pattern — meet, feel a connection, part, meet again. The monotony of this structure can be tiring, especially in the middle. And the sci-fi element (that magical soulmate test) feels more like a decoration than a fully developed concept. The viewer doesn’t see how this system functions on a societal scale, what exactly it tests, or why everyone trusts it so unquestioningly. There’s a sense of a missed opportunity to delve deeper into the ethical and social consequences of commodifying love (though that’s not the authors’ primary goal).​

“All of You” is not a film about the magic of soulmates, but about the painful prose of choice. It’s cinema for those tired of happy endings where everything resolves itself, and ready for a conversation about love as a constant risk, not a guaranteed investment. Bridges and Goldstein have made a rare film for streaming — mature, honest, and at times genuinely painful. Yes, the film could have been sharper, more thoughtful in the details framing the main plot. But if you want a drama that isn’t afraid to ask uncomfortable questions and doesn’t shy away from leaving ambiguous answers, “All of You” handles the task with a solid B+.​