Picture This Review

It’s taken me ages, but I’ve finally found a new romcom that I actually like—featuring two of my favourite actors, Simone Ashley (aka Kate Bridgerton) and Hero Fiennes Tiffin (otherwise known as Hardin Scott). Picture This is a matchmaking flick that follows a girl who’s adamantly against marriage while her family persistently sets her up with suitors. And I just loved it.

Pia (Ashley) is a fiery photographer who owns her own studio in London. In her late 20s and from an Indian background, she’s constantly fighting her parents’ attempts to marry her off. She’s independent and creative, and her love for photography is portrayed beautifully through the film’s colourful visuals.

She built her life from scratch following her life at university studying classics, and she’s keen on being forced into a traditional relationship mold.

Her mother, along with Pia’s sister Sonal (Anoushka Chatham), takes her to a bank where she has stored necklaces passed down by generations so they can wear at their weddings.

While the excitement of Sonal’s engagement and wedding is on everyone’s tongue, all eyes turn to Pia and her love life—or lack thereof. At Sonal’s engagement party, a spiritual guru declares that Pia will meet the love of her life among her next five dates. This sets off a series of hilarious and disastrous encounters, each arranged by a different family member or friend, as Pia agrees to play along just to get everyone off her back.

We meet Charlie (Hero Fiennes Tiffin)—Pia’s ex-boyfriend and, as it turns out, the love of her life. Charlie is sort of mysterious and handsome, no doubt, but what’s lovable about him is his subtle awkwardness, and he clearly still loves Pia. Charlie is vulnerable, which contrasts well with Pia’s fiery personality. He’s the kind of guy who seems reserved at first, but you find out there’s more to him as the movie goes on.

Their shared history is alluded to in pieces throughout the film. You can tell there’s still something unresolved between them, and Hero plays Charlie with a genuine longing. He’s not your typical romcom leading man—he’s not overly confident or suave. Instead, there’s an endearing awkwardness to the way he interacts with Pia, like he’s still trying to figure out how to talk to her after everything that’s happened. And yet, there’s undeniable chemistry between them.

We get glimpses of characters, his own career struggles, and newfound relationships, but the focus stays largely on how he is still pining over Pia. He’s not there to rescue her or change her, but to remind her of a version of herself she may have forgotten. The fact that he’s still pining for her, without being pathetic about it, makes him all the more likable. Their chemistry builds slowly, while the romantic tension feels earned rather than forced.

Now let’s talk about Pia’s best friend, Jay. While he leans into some stereotypical traits of the flamboyant gay best friend, he’s genuinely funny, loyal, and always has her back. He makes an effort to understand Pia’s culture without ever being judgmental and helps her to reconsider her approach to dating.

This modern take on matchmaking was surprisingly less corny than expected, though some of the acting fell flat, especially during the scene where Pia meets her first potential match, Sid (played by Asim Chaudhry), who’s set up by her dad. The dialogue in that scene felt stilted and not something you’d realistically say to a stranger.

Her second date involves Akshay (played by Nikesh Patel), who is a bit of a book nerd and works with Pia’s mum, Laxmi (Sindhu Vee), unaware of the matchmaking plan. The awkward tension in their scene is hilarious—probably my favorite moment in the film.

As for the social media angle, it’s hard to escape in any contemporary romcom. Pia’s emotional speech about almost being evicted and how Instagram came to her rescue felt a bit cringeworthy and overly dramatised, but it didn’t ruin the movie.

Overall, Picture This is fun, heartfelt, and something you can enjoy on a cozy night in with friends or a partner. While it plays with a lot of familiar tropes, it still manages to feel interesting, thanks to the love story between Pia and Charlie.