“Maintenance Required” marks the directorial debut of writer-director Lacey Uhlemeyer, centering on a female-led, family-owned auto repair shop. The film is largely inspired by a short documentary she previously created about an all-female auto shop, as well as classic romantic comedies.
Stylistically, the film leans unabashedly into romantic comedy tropes, calling to mind genre staples like You’ve Got Mail and The Shop Around the Corner. It features an enemy-to-lovers plotline, secret correspondence leading towards a highly anticipated first encounter, and an avoidance of romance in the two lead characters that needs resolving.
The cast is comprised of up-and-coming actors Madeleine Petsch (Charlie), Joe Scipio (Beau), Madison Bailey (Izzy), and Katy M. Brian (Kam). Despite its familiar faces, the film falters a bit when it comes to sustaining chemistry between the two leads.
Charlie is a strong-willed, emotionally guarded mechanic with a deep love for cars and a laser focus on keeping her late father’s business alive. Beau, by contrast, is a cool and detached corporate executive sent to open a Miller Boys franchise directly across the street from Charlie’s mom-and-pop shop.
Predictably, tension brews. But while their in-person relationship is fraught with conflict, Charlie finds unexpected solace online through a budding anonymous friendship on a Reddit forum dedicated to classic car restoration. There, under the pseudonyms “Grease Monkey” and “Bullnose,” she and Beau unknowingly forge a deeper emotional connection. They’ve set clear boundaries: “No names, no photos, just cars.” But their rule, and their anonymity, can’t last forever.
The plot tries to deliver a lot, and ultimately is bogged down by that weight. We are offered glimpses into what the characters would like to do with their lives, with only subtle implications of how they can work towards accomplishing these goals. Charlie is burdened by the weight of running a small business, a task made even more important by her sentimentality towards the business after her father’s death. On the other hand, as a “corporate sellout” Beau is charged with the task of “undermin[ing] and destroy[ing] [the] competition.” His conscience is troubled when that competition happens to be an all-female mechanic shop, owned by Charlie, whom he is both attracted to and feuding with.
This is where the cat-and-mouse game begins, with Charlie avoiding Beau, and Beau following her around town, trying to justify his living to this near stranger. Online however, “Bullnose” and “Grease Monkey,” both understand each other perfectly, that is, until their eventual meet-up.
The issue with “Maintenance Required” lies in its underdeveloped subplots that fail to deliver on their initial promise. While these narrative threads aim to draw the audience in, they ultimately serve only as background to the central romance and the eventual reveal of the characters’ true identities. The film gestures toward weightier themes, such as the impact of corporate monopolies on small businesses and the challenges of navigating male-dominated industries, but offers no meaningful resolution. Instead, these issues are neatly wrapped up without the depth or complexity they deserve.
A redeeming quality is the soundtrack. A particularly memorable moment comes during Charlie and Beau’s reluctant drive home after their first official evening together, underscored by The The’s “This Is the Day.” It’s one of the rare scenes in which traces of chemistry between the two leads can be found, although it arrives too late to fully redeem their uneven dynamic.
“Maintenance Required” does attempt to modernize the rom-com formula with new or modern elements of dating and finding love. However, it ultimately falls short of establishing the kind of romantic connection that feels inevitable or aspirational. Still, for rom-com enthusiasts open to a fresh take on familiar tropes, with some charming moments and a standout soundtrack, “Maintenance Required” offers a nostalgic nod to the classics, even if it doesn’t quite reach their heights.“
Maintenance Required” is available to watch on Amazon Prime Video.
Featured Photo Credit: Matt Squire | Prime