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.