Friends with Benefits

Jamie works as a headhunter in New York, and Dylan is an art director she recruits from Los Angeles for a job at a magazine. Dylan takes the position and moves across the country, and the two become friends, trading notes on how little they believe in the version of romance that Hollywood sells. Since they are attracted to each other and both want to avoid anything serious, they agree to sleep together while keeping the relationship strictly physical. The arrangement turns out harder to maintain than either expected.

Will Gluck directed and co-wrote the film with Keith Merryman and David A. Newman. It was Gluck's third feature, coming after Fired Up! and Easy A and before Annie, Peter Rabbit and later comedies. Justin Timberlake plays Dylan and Mila Kunis plays Jamie, with supporting turns from Jenna Elfman, Patricia Clarkson, Woody Harrelson and Richard Jenkins. The production cost about 35 million dollars and took roughly 150 million at the worldwide box office.

On IMDb the film holds 6.5 out of 10 from about 419,000 votes, and on TMDB it has 6.6 out of 10 from a smaller pool of around 8,500. A critics' rating of 6.2 out of 10 from 170 reviews places professional appraisal close to the audience scores rather than sharply apart, suggesting a modestly received romantic comedy whose numbers reflect broad viewership more than strong acclaim.