Picture This review – Bridgerton star can’t save tinny romcom
Simone Ashley tries her best in Amazon’s gimmicky romantic comedy but it’s too flimsy and forgettable to demand our attention
I am generally wary of streaming platform originals, so often do they feel like the fast fashion of the film world: cheap, disposable, chasing ephemeral interests and brittle with repeat use. But I will give Netflix, Amazon and co props for this: for nearing a decade now, they have attempted to fill a void left by the theatrical box office, whose hollowed-out market rarely supports the mid-budget adult films – particularly romcoms and erotic thrillers – that routinely entertained non-franchise audiences in decades past. Only occasionally do they succeed, as in the case of Netflix’s Do Revenge or Players, but the mission remains worthwhile.
Picture This, a new romcom from Amazon Prime Video, has promising elements suggesting it could be one of the better entries. Namely: the presence of Simone Ashley, the always luminous breakout star of the Netflix confection that is Bridgerton; Hero Fiennes Tiffin, nephew of Ralph and Joseph and perhaps best known for his role in the Tumblr smutty After trilogy; and the ever-relevant plot of becoming an unsolicited charity case as a single woman at the ripe age of 30. But though the two leads are capably charming – or, in the case of Tiffin, baseline attractive as a nice hometown guy not given much to do – the movie still has the imprint of a tech company’s content assembly line: cheaply made, over-lit, bumpily paced, ludicrously dialed-up characters without much comic payoff.
Continue reading...-
In pictures: Stars turn on the style on Oscars red carpet
See all the looks as celebrities arrive for Hollywood biggest night.BBC News - 4d -
Oscars 2025 red carpet: Ariana Grande and Demi Moore among best-dressed stars – in pictures
All the best looks – from brooches to a bubble dress – on the red carpet at the 97th Academy Awards in Los Angeles. Anora dominates the Oscars — here’s the complete list of winners Continue ...The Guardian - 4d -
Twiggy review – Sadie Frost’s breezy telling of sunny fashion star’s landmark career
Frost’s documentary follows the working-class Londoner taking bad luck in her stride as she progresses from fashion to film stardom and back again. This feelgood film directed by Sadie Frost is ...The Guardian - 18h -
Gene Hackman, a Life in Pictures
A Hollywood superstar and two-time Oscar winner who stood out by blending in.The New York Times - 6d -
Jack Vettriano: a life in pictures
The Scottish artist – whose Singing Butler has been reproduced three million times, and who counted Jack Nicholson, Tim Rice and Terence Conran as fans – has died in France aged 73 • Scottish ...The Guardian - 3d -
When It Comes to Tariffs, Trump Can’t Have It All
The president has promised big results, from raising revenue to reviving domestic manufacturing. But many of his goals undermine one another.The New York Times - 6d -
There’s Nothing They Can’t Sing and Laugh Their Way Through
Marnina Schon and Micah O’Konis, who are now a comedic musical duo called Couplet, lived across town from each other in Los Angeles (which could have been a deal breaker). They went on a date anyway.The New York Times - 6d -
Trump Is Breaking Things We Can’t Just Fix
The president’s about-face on Ukraine has taught our allies a lesson they won’t be unlearning anytime soon.The New York Times - 4d -
No, DOGE can’t fix the deficit. Here’s why.
Elon Musk and Donald Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has made some cuts, but these amount to only 1.25 percent to 3 percent of the federal budget deficit, and are unlikely to ...The Hill - 4d
More from The Guardian
-
‘Watershed moment’: EU leaders agree plan for huge rise in defence spending
Leaders endorse Ursula von der Leyen proposal as French president calls Vladimir Putin ‘an imperialist who seeks to rewrite history’. European leaders holding emergency talks in Brussels have ...The Guardian - 5h -
Five jailed for far-right plot to overthrow German government
Extremists linked to Reichsbürger movement also planned to kidnap health minister and create conditions for civil war. A German court has jailed five members of an extremist group linked to the ...The Guardian - 6h -
US reportedly plans to revoke foreign students’ visas over pro-Palestinian social media posts flagged by AI – live
State department is using AI to review tens of thousands of accounts, reports say. Trump delays tariffs on many products from Mexico and Canada The White House announced that Donald Trump ...The Guardian - 55m -
FBI offers $10m reward for ex-Olympic snowboarder turned drug kingpin
Ryan Wedding, 43, wanted for role in billion-dollar cross-border drug trafficking operation and several homicides. Authorities in the United States have offered a $10m reward for information that ...The Guardian - 4h -
Cyclone Alfred live updates: BoM tracking map forecast for Brisbane, SE Queensland and northern NSW; TC Alfred flooding warnings and power outages – latest news
BoM path track map predicts cyclone off Australia’s coast to make landfall in SE Qld on Saturday morning near Brisbane, the first storm of its size to do so in decades. Follow the latest updates ...The Guardian - 20m
More in World
-
Cyclone Alfred live updates: BoM tracking map forecast for Brisbane, SE Queensland and northern NSW; TC Alfred flooding warnings and power outages – latest news
BoM path track map predicts cyclone off Australia’s coast to make landfall in SE Qld on Saturday morning near Brisbane, the first storm of its size to do so in decades. Follow the latest updates ...The Guardian - 20m -
Luke Littler sinks Nathan Aspinall to win Premier League night five
Teenager savours 6-3 victory in Brighton final Humphries and Cross produce nine-darters in defeats The world champion, Luke Littler, beat Nathan Aspinall 6-3 to win night five of the Premier ...The Guardian - 52m -
US reportedly plans to revoke foreign students’ visas over pro-Palestinian social media posts flagged by AI – live
State department is using AI to review tens of thousands of accounts, reports say. Trump delays tariffs on many products from Mexico and Canada The White House announced that Donald Trump ...The Guardian - 55m -
Raducanu loses on emotional return to court after incident with fixated fan
Briton goes down 6-3, 6-2 to Moyuka Uchijima Indian Wells defeat follows difficult few weeks After an extremely difficult month in which she was pursued across tennis tournaments in Asia by an ...The Guardian - 1h -
Broadcom shares surge on strong revenue and AI outlook
Chip designer delivers upbeat results amid broad decline in tech sharesFinancial Times - 1h