Picture This

Classic rom-com charm takes a twist of fate in Prarthana Mohan’s Picture This. Adapted from the 2024 Australian film Five Blind Dates, the film follows Pia (Simone Ashley), a struggling portrait photographer, as she navigates the demands of love, family, and her career. Amidst this whirlwind, Pia must contend with a bizarre prophecy: that true love will find her within her next five dates.

With her sister Sonal’s wedding fast approaching, the pressure is on – especially as her well-meaning but overbearing family leaps at the opportunity to play matchmaker and her ex-boyfriend Charlie (Hero Fiennes Tiffin) reappears in her life, throwing her romantic and professional plans off balance. Fortunately, she has her best friend and business partner Jay (Luke Fetherston) by her side, their intimate photography studio in Hackney providing a stylish backdrop for some of the film’s most visually interesting moments. The use of portrait photography as a storytelling device is also particularly effective, capturing both Pia’s artistic vision and offering glimpses into the lives and personalities of her subjects.

Where Picture This truly shines is in its portrayal of family dynamics. Pia’s relationship with her mother, Laxmi (Sindhu Vee), is particularly well-drawn, balancing love and expectation in a way that feels refreshingly authentic. Laxmi is both her biggest supporter and a traditionalist who believes that marriage might be the key to her daughter’s success. The film revels in the cultural specificity of its South Asian wedding setting, with all the grandeur, drama and vibrant energy that entails. From the careful attention to rituals and celebrations to the more intimate moments of familial chaos, these scenes elevate Picture This beyond the standard rom-com formula.

That’s not to say the movie is void of clichés: there are many familiar beats, and not every predictable rom-com twist or set-up lands perfectly, with the notable exception of a dazzling, well-timed dance sequence that brings an infectious energy.

Ultimately, Picture This accomplishes what it sets out to do, delivering a well-paced, easy romance with a strong ensemble cast and a thoughtfully observed backdrop, rich in both visual detail and cultural depth. It is a film that plays to its strengths, and although it doesn’t break new ground, it remains an effortlessly enjoyable watch from start to finish.

Christina Yang

Picture This is released on Prime Video on 6^th March 2025.

Watch the trailer for Picture This here: