BLOCKBUSTER BUFFS

Season 4: The Buffs Learn to Love – A Rom Com Summer

Episode 13: MANIC PIXIE TWEE GIRL – 500 Days of Summer (2009)

Hosts: Matt and Joe

Movie: 500 Days of Summer (2009)

This week, Matt and Joe stare directly into the sun (Zooey Deschanel) and come away with an existential crisis and a Smiths song stuck in their heads. It’s 500 Days of Summer, the anti-rom-com that fooled a whole generation into thinking it was deep.

We discuss the indie darling’s weird tonal shifts, the dissection of love and heartbreak through non-linear storytelling, and whether Tom is just a nice guy or actually the villain here. Plus: is Summer a villain? Or is she just a perfectly written, messy, real person who never asked to be projected on?

What can you expect?

• What Did You Watch This Week – This week’s media diet and guilty pleasures.
• Snap Synopsis – 500 days in five minutes. Chaos.
• Dunk or Defend – Hot takes, pointed fingers, and grudging respect for a risky structure.
• Happily Ever After – We rate and debate this movie’s place in rom-com history.

Whether you once made a mixtape for your crush or got emotionally wrecked by a Smiths lyric, this episode’s for you.