I never knew what the term “meet cute” meant before, but after watching the film of the same name, I can assume it is when two people meet for the first time under an unusual, humorous or even “cute” circumstance.
This is what happens when Sheila (Kaley Cuoco) and Gary (Pete Davidson) first meet at a bar at the opening of the film. Once they connect, you get swept up in a quickly blossoming relationship on just the first date.
That is until Sheila starts to relive that same date over and over again.
We find out Sheila is from the future and able to relive the same day thanks to a tanning-bed time machine she found in a nail salon. The reasons behind her going into the nail salon and even getting into the time machine get explained later on in the film, but at the moment when Sheila first mentions the idea she is from the future, I was just as confused as Gary. I could not tell if she was being serious or not. I guess my confusion comes from the fact I was not expecting this from a romantic comedy starring Davidson and Cuoco.
I was skeptical of this pairing because I did not know if the two could pull off being a romantic couple, but it ended up working thanks to Davidson’s charm and likability. I have to give credit to Cuoco as well. Her comedic timing actually surprised me and created a lot of laughs in the movie.
Davidson’s character, like every character he plays in a film, is semi-based on his real life. For example, Gary mentions his dad being dead, something Davidson has discussed as long as he’s been working. It makes sense why he decides to stay with characters true to himself since the real him is so enjoyable.
Pete Davidson’s character, Gary, is semi-based on his real life.
Photo courtesy of Peacock / YouTube
My favorite scenes ended up being every time Sheila and Gary went back to the Indian restaurant, and that is due to both the chemistry between Davidson and Cuoco and the way the director captured the gorgeous lights hung throughout the restaurant.
When the “Groundhog Day” effect starts to get annoying to Sheila, that is also when I started to feel fatigued by the whole thing. Sheila and Gary start to get sick of each other, and Sheila refers to this loop of the same date over and over as a “whirlwind of hell,” and I agree with her; it gets tiring.
Gary (Davidson) and Sheila (Kaley Cuoco) redo their first date again.
Photo courtesy of Peacock
However, the film starts to pick up again when Sheila explains to Gary she has been a fixture in his life for a long time thanks to the tanning-bed time machine.
When Gary starts threatening her with wanting to stop reliving the same night, Sheila reaches a point of vulnerability that many can relate to. Sometimes we just want to keep reliving the days that made us the happiest because we’re scared of what is going to come next in the future, making us nostalgic. If there is change involved, it’s often easy to stay in a repetitive cycle.
Just like my skepticism for a lot of things involved in this movie, Sheila’s own skepticism is stopping her from continuing with her life. Her anxiety and nervousness are shown, and it intensifies as the film goes on.
Coming in at just under 90 minutes, the movie’s conclusion came quicker than expected, I felt like it ended too soon and I wanted more. The repetitive storyline doesn’t always work as it is easy to get tired of, but I’d still recommend it because of what’s going on between Sheila and Gary.
“Meet Cute” shows how some people really are destined to meet each other, whether that might be for one instant or for a lifetime. It does a good job at being simple in a silly, though sometimes confusing, way. Even in what may seem like a never-ending mess, it still feels warm and welcoming. As Sheila says a few times in the film, “It’s okay for things to be messy sometimes.”
