Review: Brittany Snow and Sam Richardson are better than the sex romp ‘Hooking Up’

Every laugh in the raunchy rom-com “Hooking Up” emerges as a result of the talents of its two stars. Brittany Snow (“Pitch Perfect”) and Sam Richardson (“Veep”) pop with an easy chemistry and perfect comic timing, evoking giggles that almost serve to distract from the sub-par script from first-time director Nico Raineau and Lauren Schacher.

Their screenplay connects the pair in a story that feels less authentic than a catfisher’s OkCupid profile. Darla (Snow) is a sex addict who parlays her compulsion into a column for a local magazine, and she thinks she’s found a story that will save her career in Bailey (Richardson). He’s on the verge of losing his remaining testicle to cancer, and she proposes a cross-country road trip together.

She’ll re-create her past … escapades with him, and he’ll get to have one last horny hurrah. Everybody wins, except Bailey (predictably) doesn’t know Darla is using him for her story.

“Hooking Up” imagines itself as progressive in flipping “traditional” gender roles with the sexually adventurous commitment-phobe as a woman (gasp!) and the more relationship-loving partner as a man (well, I never!). This doesn’t feel as revolutionary as the comedy thinks it is — but it’s not necessarily unwelcome.

While not everything connects in the movie, “Hooking Up” is saved by the efforts of Snow and Richardson. They make a charming couple, even if the film itself has less allure.