“The Four of Us” (in German, “Du sie er & wer”) (German; 2021; rom-com-dram; run time 1 hour, 28 minutes; directed by Florian Gottschick, written by Gottschick and Florian von Bornstadt; rated TV-MA for language, smoking, sexual content; streaming on Netflix on Oct. 15, 2021) is built on a ridiculous premise – two couples in their 30s swap significant others with the stipulation that no sex would take place. And then, of course, sex takes place. Did they expect otherwise? Why else would young, attractive people trade partners? Still, Gottschick’s film delivers decent relationship drama, even if it tries to subvert it with mostly misfiring comedy. And the drama also tends to cast a pall on the comedic bits. But occasionally it works, and at times it works well. It’s entertaining while also making the occasional wry observation about sexuality, relationships, forgiveness and what it means to be human.

Four young adults – Nilam Farooq as Janina, Paula Kalenberg as Maria, Jonas Nay as Nils, and Louis Nitsche as Ben – convene at a beach house owned by Nils’ parents. Four weeks ago, they agreed on a partner switch. Janina, a social media influencer and magazine writer with her eye on a big promotion (and that will be important later), spent the time with Nils, a smart-alecky real-estate agent who isn’t nearly as successful as he pretends to be; Maria, a perky kindergarten teacher who doesn’t want to have her own kids, and Ben, a sensitive and underemployed actor, used the time to fall in love. They are the first to admit they broke the no-sex rule, but (one of the many curves in a twisty script) Janina and Nils are just as guilty. The couple use their retreat to confront the consequences of their actions, including how their lives and relationships have changed irreversibly.

“The Four of Us” works best as a couples relationship drama. The four main characters aren’t exactly embraceable; in fact, at times, you might find yourself wishing that all of them end up alone and miserable. They struggle to learn the lessons the swap is trying to teach them; just when it seems like they will have an epiphany, they revert to wearing their character flaws (like stubbornness and selfishness) on their sleeves. A couple of them seem determined to be the worst possible person, including the one who gets the last laugh, so to speak. But the script is insightful as it examines how humans tend to get in the way of their own happiness and that of their romantic partner. The best scene is typical of the film’s struggle to blend its tones. In it, the four sit at a table and stare into the eyes of their original partners. It’s a moving moment full of tears, one that Gottschick shows in split-screen format (used often in the movie). But then a gross bodily function abruptly interrupts the scene, one captured on video and shared immediately on social media, and an element of slapstick is introduced. It’s as if Gottschick didn’t want the audience getting comfortable with either the drama or comedy. The nature of these films – and the familiar sounding romantic comedy score and soundtrack of mostly American indie hipster pop songs – suggests that, despite the drama and constant push-pull between and among the couples, all will work out favorably in the end.

My score: 59 out 100