Meet Cute In Manhattan is an adorable romantic comedy that is equal parts funny and sweet – plus, it has a few surprises in store for viewers.
I love a good romantic comedy. They are always feel-good movies that can take you out of this crazy world for a couple hours, and thankfully, Meet Cute In Manhattan does exactly that. One of my favorite things about this film is that it is very clear the creatives behind it are rom-com fans too, because it is almost meta in nature – at least at certain times.
Karen Morey directs as well as co-writes with the lead actor, Terence Chen. They know their romantic comedies and are not afraid to reference them multiple times throughout the film. The story follows Jason, an actor who unexpectedly connects with his co-star in a dating app commercial. That ad goes viral so wherever he goes, people recognize him from it.
Because of this, he ends up doing more commercials with Nora (Kendall Leary). Both he and Nora are in their own relationships, making things a bit more complicated and adding some fun and surprises to this sweet story.
I wouldn’t necessarily say that Meet Cute In Manhattan does anything new when it comes to the rom-com genre, but it does keep you entertained all the way through. I found myself giggling at the meta references while rooting for Nora and Jason to break things off with their partners and get together already.
As with most romantic comedies, it can be predictable at times, but it still finds ways to break the mold and deliver some unexpected twists. Ones that I will not talk about because I do not want to spoil them for you.
Chen and Leary have great chemistry, which allows viewers to invest themselves in their relationship – wanting to shake them until they realize they should be together. Neither one of them is with a partner that is supporting them the way they should be, but sometimes it is hard to break things off when you are comfortable with someone.
The writing is brilliant, the jokes are sharp and witty, and the concept feels like something that could absolutely happen in this day and age. There are dating apps – and ads for them – everywhere you look. And when you have to pretend to be in love, sometimes you find yourself falling in love. Isn’t that why so many actors end up dating one another after they do movies together?
Meet Cute In Manhattan is sweet, funny, and charming. It is thoroughly entertaining and exactly what most people look for in a romantic comedy.
Be sure to check out our interview with Meet Cute In Manhattan’s Terence Chen, Kendall Leary, and Karen Morey.
Meet Cute In Manhattan will be available March 28 on VOD, including Prime Video.
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About Meet Cute In Manhattan
Our story begins like all good New York rom-coms: with a montage and a voiceover from Jason, who grew up watching romantic comedies with his family and longs to see an Asian lead who looks like him. His meet cute with Nora, an aspiring architect, leads to their casting in a viral dating app commercial, where their on-screen chemistry captivates viewers citywide and sparks genuine feelings between them.
Inspired by this unexpected romance, Jason writes a script based on their burgeoning relationship. The film unfolds through the lens of Jason pitching the script, creating a rom-com within a rom-com as the executives listening to his pitch find themselves falling in love as well.
Meet Cute In Manhattan will be available March 28 on VOD, including Prime Video.
