Simone Ashley’s new rom-com,Picture This, is Prime Video’s most recent take on the lovable genre.Ashley leadsPicture This’s castas Pia, a woman in her late 20s feeling the pressure to find a relationship as she helps prepare for her younger sister’s wedding. Outside her family’s insistence that she begins dating, Pia’s life primarily focuses on her photography studio, which is struggling far more than she would like to admit. As the funny, heartwarming movie progresses, Pia is challenged to put herself out there in new ways, leading toPicture This’s happy ending.
The movie as a whole is very casual fun that is sure to uplift audiences, buoyed by Simone Ashley’s charm and comedic abilities.Picture Thisis worth a watch thanks to Ashley’s performanceand the failed dates set up very entertaining comedic moments for several of the characters. While the movie does feel like a solid mix of reliable rom-com tropes and uniquely modern updates to the genre,Picture Thishas some pretty clear inspiration that might be surprising to audiences.
Picture This Is A Remake Of The 2024 Australian Rom-Com Five Blind Dates
The Movies' Plots Are Very Similar
Rather than taking inspiration from a true story,Picture Thisactually serves as a remake of Prime Video’s 2024 Australian rom-comFive Blind Dates. Unsurprisingly, the movies' premises are very similar.Five Blind Datesfollows Lia, a young woman who owns a tea shop in Sydney that she struggles to afford. LikePicture This, Lia is called back to her hometown for her sister’s wedding and a fortune-teller states that she must go on five dates to find her true love.Lia’s family sets her up on dates that largely follow the same pattern as Pia’s,with little success.
WhileFive Blind DatesandPicture Thismostly exhibit the same beats, there are some noticeable differences too.The biggest one is the relationship between Lia and Richard vs. Pia and Charlie,since Lia and Richard were close friends but never dated like Pia and Charlie previously had. This difference changes the romance of the movie from discovering one’s true feelings for a former friend to understanding unresolved feelings for an ex. The movies also feature smaller differences, like the main characters' jobs.
How Picture This Embraces Classic Rom-Coms With A Fresh Twist
Picture This Benefits From The Tried & True Rom-Com Tropes
In addition to being directly based on another film,Picture Thisis reminiscent of manygreat classic rom-comsthat perfectly encapsulate what makes the genre work.Picture Thisis able to play off many of the best rom-com tropes,but it feels updated for a modern audience. The messy dynamic between the love interests and the great friendships are really strong inPicture This. In particular, Pia’s interactions with Jay are consistently funny thanks to Simone Ashley and Luke Fetherston’s great delivery and chemistry.
Picture Thisis right at home with modern rom-coms likeAnyone But Youand with genre classics likeBridget Jones’s Diarywhere the main character is certainly not perfect but still lovable.
Likewise, the main character being set up on bad dates and having complicated feelings for her ex are commonly used tropes, butPicture Thisfeels refreshed thanks to Pia’s independent personality.Picture Thisis right at home with modern rom-coms likeAnyone But Youand with genre classics likeBridget Jones’s Diarywhere the main character is certainly not perfect but still lovable. While it can be hard to make an impression in the romantic comedy genre since its popularity has waned in recent years,Picture Thiscombines all the best parts in a novel way.
