Directed by Roe Moore and written by Leigh Cesiro, Brian and Claire are setting up their wedding website. When they have to share how they met, they know the real story…is not the most happily ever after story. Starring: Alex Otis, Dushaun Thompson and Zach Dulin.

Relationships and dating are ripe territory for comedy, there’s always a new app, trend or issue to dig into and in this case, it’s how couples can over romanticize their story. We live in an aesthetic and attention obsessed world, so it’s perfectly believable that a couple might fudge or misremember the details of how they met to create a more memorable anecdote. Leigh Cesiro takes that idea then exaggerates it in a classic sketch fashion and while it does work, it can feel a touch too simple.

The sense of humour establishes itself quickly so as it moves forward, it’s hitting the same note rather than adding to it. It has a fairly traditional feel, the style is a bit old-fashioned, and it felt in need of an extra edge or unexpected element to the story to take it further. The comedy is clear, well-intentioned and it works, it simply struggles to sustain itself for the entire short film. Part of that is how much the visual reflects that sketch style, the colouring can be overly bright, and the styling can feel overtly constructed. Missing something to bring it back down to reality to make it more natural, and be able to hit with a bang.

You could say the same of the performances, there’s a consistent style throughout How We Met. Alex Otis and Dushaun Thompson very much take on that SNL performer skin, extremely light-hearted and adding plenty of cheesiness. There’s a lot of playfulness and tongue-in-cheek comedy, but the chemistry isn’t quite there to boost that atmosphere.

How We Met takes a jab at how many couples today feel a need to embellish their story, to rev up the romance. It has a solid comedy basis but going heavy on that sketch vibe ultimately restricts itself, getting caught up in one key tone rather than finding a variety. However, if you’re a fan of classically styled sketch comedy then you’ll find plenty to enjoy.

Verdict: ✯✯✯ | 6/10

For more info visit piepieproductions.net/how-we-met