Theromantic comedy genregets a bad name sometimes, with audiences having become so familiar with the format. It’s easy to forget that the genre has produced so many excellent films dating way back to the medium’s earliest days. There have been many attempts to throw a curveball with the genre, change it up, and bring audiences a fresh variation, andPicture Thiscertainly falls into that category to some extent. When Pia (Simone Ashley) is at her sister’s engagement party, a spiritual guru predicts that she will find the love of her life over the next five dates. Her family, desperate for her to finally settle down, is overjoyed and throws at her a series of very different, very bad options. The range of awful dates veers into the ridiculous, involving situations like overflowing toilets, etc.
Pia and Her Ex, Her Family, and Her Business
Picture This
Picture This follows Pia, a single woman running a struggling photography studio in London, as she navigates familial pressure and a prophecy from a spiritual guru. Encouraged to find love in her next five dates, Pia embarks on a comedic and heartfelt journey orchestrated by her family.
A new wrench is thrown into the works when Pia’s ex, Charlie (Hero Fiennes Tiffin), shows up as part of her sister’s wedding. This, of course, leads us to predicting the inevitable outcome a mile away, which hampers the rest of the plot quite a bit. Despite somewhat dynamic performances from Ashley and Tiffin, we are left without a lot of compelling situations and drama left. Tiffin and Pia are clearly meant to get back together, and everything that happens along the way feels like the tired elongation of the inevitable. The same could be said for the slow path to acceptance of Pia’s family unit. Her mother holds onto the ways of the past and is afraid to embrace the more modern reality of young people’s lives.
Best Hero Fiennes Tiffin Performance, Ranked
Hero Fiennes Tiffin is a young English actor who first appeared in the industry in 2008. He is best known for his role in the After movies.
Pia is also struggling to get her dream business, a photography studio, off the ground with her lifelong best friend and quasi-employee, Jay (Luke Fetherston). Jay is always in Pia’s corner trying to help her figure her life out. He’s a thin character who seems to have very little interest or desire for anything that directly correlates to his life or needs, and is just there to be the typical comic relief ‘best friend.’ That seems to be somewhat of a requisite in rom-coms, but it’s even thinner and more one-dimensional here.
Pia wants to have a functioning business first and foremost, and be confident that she can continue to pursue her life goals, something her mother pushes back against fiercely. Pia makes it clear that a man in her life is not her priority, which is pretty unconvincing and emotionally dishonest considering the entire film consists of her dating men.
Simone Ashley Almost Justifies ‘Picture This’
One of the stranger aspects ofPicture Thisis that it is based on a movie from just a year ago, and not an exceptionally good one either.Five Blind Dates(2024) is an Australian version of the same story. There is very little beyond superficial differences. InFive Blind Datesit’s a tea shop, not a photography studio.Picture Thisis a British version, and uses Pia’s family and their traditions as an added visual inspiration and a cultural element that creates a different flavor. That said, it’s not quite enough to truly justify an entirely separate film within a year. It comes off as a rather strange turn of events. However,Bridgertonstar Simone Ashley does somewhat justify a new version with her in it.
10 Underrated ’90s Rom-Coms
The ’90s had so many good rom-coms, that some didn’t get their moment in the spotlight. Here are 10 underrated romantic films of that decade.
Despite herPicture Thischaracter and story not being quite enough to truly draw most audiences in, Ashley is an extremely dynamic onscreen presence. She makes the most of the comedic moments, and has a knack for creating chemistry with her onscreen co-stars. Tiffin doesn’t add a ton to the equation, but he doesn’t have to. Ashley alone can carry the film on her charismatic shoulders, even if the plot lacks any real fresh nuance to aid her in her struggles. That being said, Tiffin does show some good comedic timing.
There is, at the heart ofPicture This, a case being made for how and why an individual can “have it all.” You know, a person who has the family they want and the relationship they want, while also having a career they value, without any compromises except the ones made after learning valuable lessons. Movies and particularly romantic comedies often paint a rosier picture of things than reality does, and this is part of the draw and design. Audiences get to come and see problems they recognize from their world, but get a positive and colorful variation where things work out, where hope springs eternal, where we can have happy endings and everyone comes together.
10 Best Rom-Coms for People Who Think They Don’t Like Rom-Coms
We’re willing to bet that there is at least one rom-com out there that makes your heart skip a beat.
There’s a good argument to be made that this creates a dangerous illusion that creates false expectations of life, ultimately creating more suffering and anxiety in the process. On the other hand, some people get a lot of value from these movies and see them as a blueprint for how to be happier, or, in the case ofPicture This, how to talk to a parent who doesn’t understand your life choices, or how to smile through the horrible blind dates you might go on. A movie likePicture Thisattempts to show a way, but it does so with such a rosier-than-reality outcome and a plot that feels all-too-familiar that it barely stands out in a crowded marketplace of streaming rom-coms.Picture Thisbegins streaming on Prime Video starting August 24, 2025. Watch it through the link below:
Watch Picture This
