“Meet Cute” is Peacock’s newest romantic comedy, which was released on Sept. 23.
“Meet Cute” begins in a bar, with Sheila (Kaley Cuoco) going up to Gary (Pete Davidson) and offering to buy him a drink. (This has been a standard in romantic films for a long time, so I thought I knew what would happen next, but I had no idea what I was in for.) Sheila proceeds to tell Gary that she is a time traveler. Gary laughs this off and they go on a romantic date around the city. Both Sheila and Gary have an excellent evening on their first date. Sheila then reveals that it actually is not their first date. Sheila went into a nail salon with a time-traveling tanning bed and continues to return there every morning to go back to the past and relive the previous 24 hours. Sheila tells Gary this on their dates. He does not believe her and thinks she is kidding, but Sheila continues reliving their date, playing the same day repeatedly.
Gary does not remember any of this. One night, when their date does not go as well as she thought, she gets upset at him and tries to change him. It’s confusing at first why she is so persistent to continue to relive the same night with Gary. It’s later revealed that she is repeating the same day because she was planning on committing suicide. Sheila wanted to keep reliving the perfect night to ensure that the next day never came.
“Meet Cute” is reminiscent of films with a similar repetitive theme such as “Groundhog Day” or “50 First Dates.”. I believe the cinematography and beautiful sets are one of the highlights of this film. In many ways, “Meet Cute” reminds me of the production of indie films due to its small cast, limited costuming and repeated scenes. These aesthetic choices were unique but well done. If this was an indie film, I believe it would justify the unique plot and small scale, but for a film with two big-name actors, it does not match up to the level of production it should be at.
“Meet Cute” is both funny and serious with an unexpected plot. Sheila and Gary make witty jokes here and there, but I don’t think it’s enough to classify the film as a comedy. This film discusses suicide several times, all displayed profoundly. The characters also reflect on their trauma throughout their lives. It’s hard to classify this film as a romantic comedy when many grave themes are no joking matter. It’s certainly not a traditional romantic comedy but is an interesting take on a romantic drama. If you’re looking for a romantic comedy, just know what you’re getting into before checking out this film.
“Meet Cute” is available to stream on Peacock.