- Amazon’s new rom-com, “Maintenance Required,” is being heavily criticized as a shameless rip-off of the classic “You’ve Got Mail.”
- The film stars Madelaine Petsch and Jacob Scipio, who are said to lack the chemistry and charisma of the original’s leads.
- A scathing review highlights the film’s “charmless” script, “synthetic” feel, and unconvincing performances.
- The movie’s anti-corporate message is slammed as hypocritical, given its Amazon production and blatant product placement.
Amazon’s “Maintenance Required” Fails to Impress Critics
The verdict is in on Amazon-MGM’s new romantic comedy, Maintenance Required, and it’s a brutal one. The film, starring Madelaine Petsch and Jacob Scipio, has been slammed in a scathing review for being a “charmless” and “synthetic” rip-off of the beloved 1998 Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan classic, You’ve Got Mail.
A “Charmless Copycat” of a Beloved Classic
According to a review from The Guardian, the film so shamelessly regurgitates the plot points of You’ve Got Mail that it’s shocking it doesn’t credit the original. The story follows Charlie (Petsch), a woman trying to save her local mechanic shop from a big-brand competitor run by Beau (Scipio), all while unknowingly chatting with him on a Reddit forum. The review notes that iconic scenes are lifted directly, but without any of the “humanity or even basic charm” that made the original a hit.
Lacking Chemistry and Convincing Performances
The critique extends to the leads, suggesting their casting was based more on “Instagram aesthetics” than genuine chemistry. The review points out that Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan were “closer to cute than sexy,” a charm that is sorely missing here. Petsch’s portrayal of a “rough-and-ready mechanic” is called out as particularly jarring, appearing as “pristinely styled as an influencer” even while supposedly working on a car, with only a “light grease stain carefully positioned on her forehead.”
Hypocritical Messaging and a “Synthetic” Feel
Adding insult to injury, the film’s supposed anti-capitalist stance is deemed impossible to stomach. Produced by “the cartoonishly evil Amazon overlords” and littered with obvious product placement, its message against big corporations rings hollow. Ultimately, the film is dismissed as “another synthetic simulation of a film and a genre we used to love,” concluding that it needs less maintenance and more of a “complete overhaul.”
Image Referance: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/oct/08/maintenance-required-review-amazon