With 'Picture This,' Amazon Prime vies for a spot in the cringe movie canon
With 'Picture This,' Amazon Prime vies for a spot in the cringe movie canon Picture This' is the latest in the cringe canon. The new Prime Video film reaches for an authentic rom-com feel, but falls closer to the over-the-top cheese of Netflix movies like 'Falling Inn Love.'
Show Caption
Hide Caption
Watch 'Bridgerton' season 3 stars react to 'carriage' scene song choice
"Bridgerton" stars Nicola Coughlan and Claudia Jessie chat with USA TODAY's Ralphie Aversa about hearing Pitbull's "Give Me Everything" during scene.
For nearly a decade, Hollywood has mourned the supposed death of the rom-com.
Authentic or not, a steady drumbeat has declared the mashup genre a shell of its formal self. Once boasting star-studded titles like "You've Got Mail" and "My Best Friend's Wedding," recent releases seem instead to bludgeon that classic sentimentality with overly saccharine dialogue or plots driven exclusively by sex scenes.
But emerging through the ashes is a new micro-genre: The cringe-canon.
If moviegoers can't hope for an expertly crafted soliloquy a-la "Bull Durham," the least they can expect is high production values and a few time-honored tropes. That's certainly the case for "Picture This," a new film starring Simone Ashley and Hero Fiennes Tiffin now streaming on Amazon Prime.
Ashley, whose romantic lead chops were sharpened in a "Bridgerton" stint, stars as Pia, a near-30-year-old whose family is ratcheting up the pressure to find "the one." With her younger sister's wedding looming, a spiritual adviser hired by her mother predicts she will find him in one of her next five dates.
Netflix shares first look at 'Bridgerton Here's what we know so far
As Pia sets out to appease her parents (and save her failing art studio), she comes face to face with her ex-love Charlie (Fiennes Tiffin), who just so happens to be the wedding's best man.
In an endearing if slightly predictable blend of the enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity and old-flame tropes, the film manages to meet the cringe canon audience exactly where they are.
Ashley is believable as the headstrong eldest daughter, whose resistance to marriage at first keeps her away from the family jewels. Fiennes Tiffin, no stranger to a fan-fic tinged romance, is largely absent, appearing only intermittently to remind Ashley of what might've been.
The plot holes are glaring, but I must say I didn't care. I was having too much fun! That's the beauty of the cringe canon. It begs to avoid analysis. Sure, there are soft themes of female empowerment and a healthy commentary on the artificial timeline hoisted upon women. But mostly, it's just a joyful romp.
It has long-lost love, a choreographed dance at the end and an epilogue that ensures happily ever after (a guarantee in the genre). What more could you want?
Cringe-core acolytes can find similar titles dotting Netflix, including Christina Milian's "Falling Inn Love" and Jacob Elordi's "The Kissing Booth," − but "Picture This" has a special sauce. There's a certain raunch that some of its peers shy away from and a more authentic female lead, with certified chutzpah rather than a run of the mill "she's not like the other girls" vibe.
Whether a requiem is due for rom-coms or not, in the meantime there's at least a conveyor belt of cringe to feast upon.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
'I felt betrayed: 'Love is Blind' star Lydia explains why she divorced husband Milton
'I felt betrayed: 'Love is Blind' star Lydia explains why she divorced husband Milton Show Caption Hide Caption Need a show to binge? These are the must watch shows this summer USA TODAY's TV critic Kelly Lawler breaks down the best TV shows you don't to want to miss this summer Fan favorite "Love Is Blind" couple Lydia Velez Gonzalez and Milton Johnson are divorcing after three years of marriage. The pair, who met on Season 5 of the hit Netflix dating show, are splitting after turmoil in their marriage, Gonzalez revealed on a Wednesday, June 11 episode of the What's the Reality? podcast. While their marriage once felt like a fairy tale, the 34-year-old geologist said she now feels that Johnson was never ready to be a husband. "It wasn't one thing. Yeah, it was a layer of situations and things that just kept piling it up," Gonzalez told host and fellow "Love Is Blind" alum Amber Desiree "AD" Smith. When Gonzalez informed Johnson that she would file for divorce, he allegedly said he would not sign them unless there was a non-disclosure agreement. "And that said enough for me to know that I needed to share my truth and my experience, because I've been suffering in silence," she said. "This is just my chance to speak my truth for me and for other people that always reach out to me and tell me that I'm an inspiration. I feel that it was very hypocritical me not share this with the world when they have been so transparent with me." Lydia said Milton would not cut off 'disrespectful' ex-partner One of the first signs of trouble in their marriage was an argument the two had about one of Johnson's ex-partners, according to Gonzalez. She considered the woman "very insistent" and "very disrespectful towards our marriage." She added that he also kept a ripped up love letter from the woman in a shoebox at their apartment. At one point, Gonzalez went through Johnson's phone and said she found a text from him referring to the woman that read "I want to (expletive) that person." "When I saw that my heart went to the floor. I felt like betrayed and disrespected," she said. "And then I remember calling him and telling him, 'how long has it been that you want to (expletive) this person.' And he was like, 'what are we talking about.'" Johnson denied any infidelity, adding that he would never jeopardize their marriage and said "that's how boys talk," according to Gonzalez. USA TODAY has reached out to Johnson for comment. 'Love is Blind' pair tried marriage counseling Gonzalez said that her husband felt that she had violated their trust and one day called her "stupid and an untrustworthy person." "I don't consider myself a jealous person, unless you give me motives to, once you give me motives to I'll become a detective. I don't care because my gut instinct is so clever. I mean, it never fails me," she said. She added that the two participated in couple's therapy but that she felt it was not working. Gonzalez said other issues included Johnson becoming distant and addicted to the video game "Halo" and him allegedly scolding her in front of his family for cursing too much. Over time, she said his comments "kept making me feel small" and eventually made the decision to end the relationship she once felt showed her the "kind of love that I've never received before." The pair met on Season 5 of the reality dating show on Netflix, in which contestants looking for romance interact via pods designed to keep their appearances a mystery.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
TV's Nepo Babies: Meet the Kids of Celebrities Breaking Out on the Small Screen
Good genes aren't just a plus when it comes to skin care. They can be a big help when trying to break into Hollywood, too. For as long as there's been a Hollywood, we've seen the children of stars forge their own showbiz careers, from Liza Minnelli to Charlie Sheen. And right now on TV, nepo babies are having a moment, with the kids of famous folks popping up everywhere you look on broadcast, cable and streaming. Some, you might be able to guess — The White Lotus star Patrick Schwarzenegger is an easy call, for example — but others, you might not even know that their parents have illustrious performing careers of their own. Well, not until now. More from TVLine The White Lotus: Walton Goggins and Aimee Lou Wood Reveal a Rick and Chelsea Sex Scene Was Cut From the Finale ('It Was So Powerful') Yes, George Clooney Has Seen The Pitt - Here's What the ER Vet Had to Say About Noah Wyle's New Medical Show The Pitt Season 1 to Air on TNT Ahead of Season 2 Premiere on HBO Max We here at TVLine are rounding up all the offspring of A-list stars we've spotted on the small screen in the past few years, clueing you in on who their famous parents are. (For the record, we left off obvious names who have long-established careers of their own, like Law & Order: SVU star Mariska Hargitay, daughter of Jayne Mansfield, and Matlock's Jason Ritter, son of John Ritter.) Read on to get to know which emerging TV actors already have stars in their family tree, and hit the comments to let us know of any we might have missed. As the daughter of Oscar winners Warren Beatty and Annette Bening, Beatty is certainly familiar with high society, which came in handy while playing Truman Capote's young protégé Kerry O'Shea on FX's FEUD: Capote vs. the Swans last year. After early roles on Sugar and Pistol, Chandler is ready to break out as the star of FX's upcoming sci-fi spinoff Alien: Earth, debuting in August. And of course, TV fans know her father Kyle Chandler from his Emmy-winning role as Coach Eric Taylor on Friday Night Lights, along with roles on Bloodline and Early Edition. Collins has been charming audiences for four seasons now as the star of the Netflix rom-com Emily in Paris, while her father Phil Collins has been charming audiences for decades with chart-topping hits both with the band Genesis and as a solo artist. Med student Victoria Javadi isn't the only one with a family connection on Max's freshman medical drama. Taylor Dearden, who plays Mel, is the daughter of Breaking Bad Emmy winner Bryan Cranston. And that's not all: Fiona Dourif, who plays McKay, is the daughter of Deadwood alum Brad Dourif, and Isa Briones, who plays Santos, also has a famous dad in Broadway veteran Jon Jon Briones. The daughter of The X-Files' David Duchovny and Madam Secretary's Téa Leoni, West Duchovny broke out with a pair of TV roles in 2023, on the Netflix opioid drama Painkiller and the Hulu murder mystery Saint X. She writes jokes for comedy legend Deborah Vance on Max's Emmy-winning comedy Hacks, and she has a comedy legend in her own family tree. Einbinder's mother is Laraine Newman, an original Saturday Night Live cast member. Hall has been booking plenty of TV roles lately, from Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story to Bel-Air to The Sex Lives of College Girls. But he still has a way to go to catch up to his mom: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, of Seinfeld and Veep fame. (Hall's father is SNL alum Brad Hall.) Hawke is set to return as Robin in the final season of Netflix's Stranger Things later this year, and we already know she's carrying on a hefty Hollywood legacy. Her mom is Uma Thurman, known for Pulp Fiction and the Kill Bill films, and her dad is Ethan Hawke, from Training Day and Reality Bites. Hewson plays rebellious sister Becka in Apple TV+'s dark comedy, and if you don't recognize her last name, it's because her dad only goes by one name: Hewson's father is U2 frontman Bono. One-third of SNL's Please Don't Destroy trio, Higgins already has a family member on the NBC payroll. His dad is Steve Higgins, an SNL writer who serves as Jimmy Fallon's sidekick on The Tonight Show. In addition, Please Don't Destroy's Martin Herlihy is the son of Tim Herlihy, a former SNL writer and Adam Sandler's frequent collaborator. Jacobson plays Marian Brook on HBO's sumptuous costume drama The Gilded Age, and her mom knows a thing or two about costume dramas — and all dramas, really. Jacobson's mother is the one and only Meryl Streep, and Jacobson's sisters are also in the biz: Grace Gummer had roles on Mr. Robot and The Newsroom, and Mamie Gummer was on Emily Owens, M.D. and The Good Wife. Following roles on High School and the acclaimed film Babygirl, McGregor is set to co-star in the Prime Video teen mystery We Were Liars, debuting later this month. One of her first TV credits, though, came on the Disney+ series Obi-Wan Kenobi… led by her father, Ewan McGregor. Nivola broke out earlier this year as awkward teen Lochlan on HBO's The White Lotus, and he knows something about living in a family with high expectations. His mom is Emily Mortimer, known for her roles on The Newsroom and 30 Rock, and his dad is Alessandro Nivola, with film credits including American Hustle, Face/Off and The Brutalist. She first grabbed our attention as Joel's ill-fated daughter Sarah on the HBO zombie thriller The Last of Us, and her mother is an HBO veteran as well. Parker's mom is Thandiwe Newton, who won an Emmy in 2018 for her role as Maeve on HBO's Westworld. Plus, Parker's dad is writer/director Ol Parker, with credits like Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Phillippe, who debuted on Netflix's Never Have I Ever, moved onto a role on Prime Video's car drama Motorheads — starring alongside his famous dad, Ryan Phillippe. Oh, and his mom is Reese Witherspoon, no big deal. That smile (and those muscles) might look familiar… and the name definitely sounds familiar, too. Yes, Schwarzenegger — who played arrogant vacationer Saxon on HBO's The White Lotus — is the son of '80s action hero Arnold Schwarzenegger, and his mom is former NBC newswoman Maria Shriver, too. When Quaid, best known for playing vigilante Hughie Campbell on Prime Video's The Boys, was just a boy himself, he had some very famous parents. He's the only child of film stars Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid. Along with starring as Stephen DeMarco on Hulu's romantic drama Tell Me Lies, White has also appeared on shows like SEAL Team and The Middle. And his mom is still appearing on the small screen, too: White's mother is Katey Sagal, whose long TV résumé stretches from Married… With Children and Sons of Anarchy to the just-wrapped The Conners. Best of TVLine Young Sheldon Easter Eggs: Every Nod to The Big Bang Theory (and Every Future Reveal) Across 7 Seasons Weirdest TV Crossovers: Always Sunny Meets Abbott, Family Guy vs. Simpsons, Nine-Nine Recruits New Girl and More ER Turns 30: See the Original County General Crew, Then and Now
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
The New OceanGate Documentary Dives Into the Depths of the Titan Submersible Tragedy
Two years ago, OceanGate's Titan submersible imploded in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Newfoundland. Now, amid ongoing investigations by the U.S. Coast Guard, Netflix has a new documentary that proposes—citing sound evidence and on-camera interviews with sources that were formerly close to OceanGate—just what went wrong on the ill-fated journey to the site of another prolific sea disaster, RMS Titanic. Much of it has to do with OceanGate's eccentric late CEO, Stockton Rush, one of the five victims of the 2023 incident. On June 11, Netflix released the documentary Titan: The OceanGate Submersible Disaster, which documents the circumstances behind the June 2023 incident that spawned countless memes and endless speculation. While the movie dives deep (ahem) into the specifics of the Titan's implosion, including pointing out the submersible's carbon fiber construction that was vulnerable to deep-sea water pressure, the movie points a finger at Rush, who is described by subjects in the movie as "arrogant" with a major "temper." "I worked for somebody that is probably borderline clinical psychopath. Definitely a narcissist," said Tony Nissen, a former engineering director at OceanGate in the movie. "How do you manage a person like that who owns the company?" In the movie, Stockton Rush is described as having a "privileged background" originating from generational wealth; his family tree includes two signers of the Declaration of Independence. Subjects in the film recall Rush hoping to fashion himself as a billionaire explorer like Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk, with his eyes set on Earth's oceans instead of Mars. "Big swinging dicks" was a term Rush liked to say out loud and often, and being a "big swinging dick" himself was an explicit goal. (Rush was not a billionaire, but he had money to burn nonetheless.) Joseph Assi, a videographer hired by Rush to capture OceanGate's expeditions, says that one of Rush's personal philosophies was that "accessibility is ownership." As Assi says in the documentary: "If there's a small island in the middle of the ocean, and you're the only one you can access it, it doesn't matter who owns it, you have ownership over it because you have the accessibility to get to it. And he truly believed in that." Titan: The OceanGate Submersible Disaster makes a belabored point that OceanGate's failings leading to the implosion stemmed from Rush's leadership. His short temper and arrogance permeated in all his efforts to build a business around deep-sea commercial tourism. This included trying to skip critical testing conducted by third parties—which is standard practice in the industry—and cutting costs where possible, such as in the aforementioned use of carbon fiber materials which cannot sustain oceanic pressure. Rush also verbally stated he could and would "buy a congressman," which alarmed many OceanGate employees. Rob McCallum, a consultant, recalls in the documentary: "Stockton said that he decided that he saw no need for classification, for third-party oversight. I stood up and said, 'I'm sorry I can't be part of this conversation, nor can I be associated with OceanGate or this vehicle in any way.' And I left. He had every contact in the submersible industry telling him not to do this. But once you start down the path of doing it entirely yourself, and you realize you've taken the wrong turn right back at the beginning... You have to admit you were wrong. That's a big pill to swallow." Rush is also described as having a callous attitude towards employees, refusing to take accountability for his failures. For example: In 2016, Rush and OceanGate hosted an expedition to the SS Andrea Doria. The trip nearly ended in disaster after Rush brought their sub into a dangerous spot; David Lochridge, OceanGate's Director of Marine Ops and a more experienced pilot, took over controls and got everyone aboard safely to the surface. Though Rush thanked Lochridge, the CEO turned cold towards him, later excluding him from important communications. Rush eventually fired Lochridge, in a tense meeting heard in the movie via audio recording. Later, Rush suggested promoting another OceanGate employee, Bonnie Carl, to take over Lochridge as the next lead pilot. But Carl was an accountant who headed the HR department, and had no experience as a submersible pilot. Titan: The OceanGate Submersible Disaster is a cut above typical straight-from-the-headlines Netflix documentaries, as a level-headed if straightforward deep dive (again, ahem) about a disaster that dominated the news cycle two summers ago. But while the ins and outs of a deadly trip into the sea have morbid appeal, it's the movie's interrogation of one man's toxic hubris that makes Titan a worthy watch. You Might Also Like Kid Cudi Is All Right 16 Best Shoe Organizers For Storing and Displaying Your Kicks
