Emily Gordon

In a time of the year usually reserved for gigantic explosions and killer robots, Kumail Nanjiani and Emily Gordon‘s The Big Sick was one of the surprise hits of the past few months. Not only did the film clean up on its limited release, it also broke through with mainstream audiences; my own in-laws declared it “hilarious” after I frantically convinced them to abandon their original plans to see The Beguiled. If every year needs a razor-sharp comedy you can put on at holiday gatherings without causing much of a fuss, then The Big Sick is the perfect choice for 2017.

Every few years we’re blessed with a romantic comedy so perfect that it becomes an instant classic. I can say with 100 percent certainty — and absolutely zero hyperbole — that The Big Sick is the next film to join the great rom-com canon. Written by Kumail Nanjiani and Emily Gordon (and based on their real-life courtship), The Big Sick stars Nanjiani as himself (sort of), a Pakistani-American comedian who falls for the girl of his dreams (Zoe Kazan subbing in for Gordon). But if you’ve seen the charming trailer, you know there’s just one catch.