Prime Video’s latest rom-com, Picture This brings together some well-known faces, including Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Simone Ashley, and Sindhu Vee. With a promising cast, one might expect a fresh and engaging romantic comedy. However, the film feels like a relic from a bygone era, outdated in both its narrative and execution. What could have been a charming love story instead becomes an uninspired, lacklustre mess that struggles to find its footing.

Story

Pia (Simone Ashley) is an aspiring photographer who runs her own studio, but she struggles to keep it afloat. Despite financial difficulties, she refuses to take on small jobs like passport photos. Her younger sister's wedding is coming up, her sister and mom try to set her with dates after a pandit tells them that she will find her 'love if her life' in the next five dates. However, Pia's stubbornness puts her business, and her relationships, at risk, especially when her best friend and employee remains unpaid for months.

Enter Charlie (Hero Fiennes Tiffin), a quiet and brooding love interest who seems interested in Pia but barely gets the chance to connect with her. Their interactions are fleeting, and the film fails to establish a meaningful connection between them. While Pia is wrapped up in her own struggles and questionable decisions, Charlie is mostly left on the sidelines, making it difficult to see how or why their romance is supposed to develop.

The film attempts to be a heartfelt story about ambition, self-discovery, and love, but instead, it comes across as disjointed and uninspired. The central romance lacks depth, and the comedy falls flat, making Picture This feel more like an outdated drama than a fresh rom-com.

Performances

The cast is easily the film’s biggest asset, but even their talent cannot salvage the poorly written script. Simone Ashley, known for her impressive performances in Bridgerton, struggles with an unlikable and frustrating character. No amount of charm or skill can make Pia’s entitled behaviour appealing. Anoushka Chadha, playing Pia’s sister Sonal, offers a far more enjoyable and relatable presence, standing out as one of the film’s few redeeming qualities.

Hero Fiennes Tiffin, a standout in After (2019), is tragically underutilised. His character, Charlie, is given almost nothing to work with, making it difficult for audiences to invest in his relationship with Pia. The film sidelines him to such an extent that their romance barely feels like a central plot point.

Technical Aspects

Visually, Picture This does little to impress. The cinematography is serviceable but uninspired, failing to elevate the film’s atmosphere or add any real aesthetic appeal. The soundtrack is forgettable, lacking the energy or charm that a rom-com desperately needs.

The biggest flaw lies in the script and direction. The film relies on outdated tropes without adding anything new or interesting. The dialogue is stiff, and the comedic moments fall flat. There is a glaring lack of chemistry between the leads, making their romance feel forced rather than organic.

Analysis

At its core, Picture This feels like a film that belongs in a different decade. The story is unimaginative, the characters are frustratingly one-dimensional, and the romance is nearly absent. The film’s biggest crime is how boring and disconnected it feels from the modern rom-com landscape.

Ultimately, the movie fails on almost every front, it lacks engaging storytelling, compelling character arcs, and the emotional warmth that makes romantic comedies enjoyable. With such a talented cast, it is disappointing to see their potential wasted on a story that does nothing to engage or entertain its audience.

Rating: 1.5/5