‘Meet Cute’ assessment: Kaley Cuoco and Pete Davidson staff up in a ‘Groundhog Day’-style rom-com
Cuoco’s Sheila approaches Davidson’s Gary in a bar, and the 2 spend a romantic night time collectively attending to know one another, even when her conduct sometimes feels a bit off. That’s earlier than she explains that she has entry to a time machine (situated at her native nail salon, for some motive), permitting her to journey again a day, time and again, reliving and revising their first date.
Although Gary is understandably skeptical, he is additionally irresistibly drawn to her. “We simply work,” Sheila tells him, a principle that she will put to the check, again and again, altering the character of their interplay in small and not-so-small methods and seeing the way it performs out.
The system is clearly filled with potential, which explains why writers preserve returning to it, from “50 First Dates” to the current Andy Samberg film “Palm Springs.” Yet the idea can also be fraught with peril, starting with the vaguely merciless side the longer the state of affairs drags on (even in a 90-minute film) and the query of the right way to break away from the circle in some artistic method, a problem that “Meet Cute” (directed by Alex Lehmann from Noga Pnueli’s screenplay) cannot solely overcome.
“It’s OK for issues to be messy generally,” Sheila tells Gary, a line that possesses some significance within the bigger story, however which does not essentially apply fairly as nicely on this form of train.
Having adopted “The Big Bang Theory” with a breakout automobile (for a season, anyway) in “The Flight Attendant,” Cuoco has demonstrated her chops as a producer and star, and he or she’s actually the main focus of the story. As for Davidson, he is discovered no scarcity of movie roles, however the “Saturday Night Live” alumnus appears trapped in a unique type of loop, one that also makes him extra celebrated for his off-screen relationships than his skilled endeavors.
Frankly, simply the marquee worth of their teaming in all probability represents a modest win for NBC’s streaming service. That mentioned, it will have been good if “Meet Cute” had executed a bit extra to capitalize on the eye, though because it stands, there isn’t any going again in time to repair that.
“Meet Cute” premieres September 21 on Peacock.