{"id":13259,"date":"2026-10-17T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-17T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailnewsgroup.com\/ohmr\/?p=13259"},"modified":"2026-10-10T11:12:17","modified_gmt":"2026-10-10T11:12:17","slug":"taking-chances-on-love-and-everything-else","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mailnewsgroup.com\/ohmr\/taking-chances-on-love-and-everything-else\/","title":{"rendered":"Taking Chances on Love and Everything Else"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n \t<\/i> Read Time:<\/span>7 Minute, 31 Second <\/div>\n\n <\/div>

MOVIE REVIEW
\nThe First Date<\/strong>
\n –  <\/strong> <\/strong> <\/strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n

Genre: <\/strong>Romance, Comedy, Short
\nYear:<\/strong> 2026
\nRuntime: <\/strong>15m
\nDirectors: <\/strong>Will Crouse, Ashley Crowe
\nWriters: <\/strong>Will Crouse, Ashley Crowe
\nCast: <\/strong>Ashley Crowe, Alex Nolen
\nWhere to Watch:<\/strong> shown at the 2026 Newport Beach Film Festival<\/p>\n

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RAVING REVIEW: <\/strong><\/strong><\/strong>Taking LSD with someone you've just met sounds like a formula for either an amazing or horrible first date. It’s definitely one way to see how well two people handle the unexpected. Most of us would settle for a few drinks, some awkward conversation, and the occasional silence as we try to decide whether there's any chemistry. The women in THE FIRST DATE have something less ordinary in mind. Writers\/directors Will Crouse and Ashley Crowe's fifteen-minute romantic comedy follows an encounter at a bar and the decision to spend the first evening together experimenting with psychedelics. It's an unusual starting point for a romance, especially when getting to know someone becomes considerably more complicated once reality starts acting off…<\/p>\n

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The premise sounds like a comedy waiting to happen, but the filmmakers go after a much more personal story (with some humor thrown in). Amesha (Ashley Crowe) has never been with a woman before, while Jori (Alex Nolen) has never taken acid. Each dives headfirst into the evening with a different kind of uncertainty, and their decision to explore those unfamiliar experiences together becomes the story's foundation. For Amesha, the encounter offers a chance to understand a part of herself she hasn't explored before. Jori faces a different kind of vulnerability, surrendering some of her understanding of the world as she spends time with someone she's only beginning to know.<\/p>\n

The women aren't simply sharing an unusual experience; they're approaching the same evening with different expectations and histories. Romantic attraction can be intimidating even for people who feel comfortable with their identities and relationships. For someone experiencing that attraction in a new way, questions about desire, identity, and acceptance can make the situation considerably more complicated. The film's concept allows those feelings to coexist with the excitement of meeting someone who catches your attention.<\/p>\n

Crowe and Crouse developed the screenplay through conversations about their own experiences with love and discovery. Crowe described the first time she fell in love with a woman, while Crouse had been considering a story about two people falling in love during a psychedelic experience. Their ideas eventually developed into a collaboration that combines elements of both. That foundation is particularly interesting because it puts emotional discovery at the heart of a premise that could otherwise be treated entirely as a drug-related comedy.<\/p>\n

Fifteen minutes isn't much time to establish believable romantic chemistry, especially when the audience needs to understand why two strangers become comfortable enough to be this vulnerable with each other. THE FIRST DATE also has the added challenge of introducing a psychedelic experience without allowing it to overwhelm the developing relationship. Crowe and Crouse keep the emotional side of the story understandable even as the characters' perceptions begin to change. Amesha and Jori remain recognizable as individuals, and their personalities never disappear behind the novelty of their circumstances.<\/p>\n

The production's visual style helps distinguish THE FIRST DATE from more conventional romantic comedies. Cinematographer Gianna Aquilina and editors Kat Webber and Will Crouse experiment with color, lighting, perspective, and transitions to reflect the characters' changing perceptions. Saturated pinks, purples, and warm tones create a distinct visual environment, giving the psychedelic experience its own identity. More importantly, those choices stay connected to the characters' emotions rather than distracting from their developing relationship.<\/p>\n

Webber's involvement is particularly noteworthy. Her editing background includes music videos for artists such as Kendrick Lamar, SZA, and Coldplay, giving her considerable experience with expressive imagery. That experience matters for a production where the passage of time and the characters' changing perceptions shape how the story unfolds. Technical experimentation alone doesn't guarantee effective storytelling, but here the style works because it keeps the focus on the story, the women, and what this moment means to them. Even when the visuals become more experimental, the relationship stays the focus, keeping the film from becoming an extended exercise in psychedelic imagery.<\/p>\n

One of the more appealing aspects of THE FIRST DATE is how naturally it approaches the romance between Amesha and Jori. Their attraction isn't treated as something that requires an explanation, nor does the film make Amesha's lack of experience with women her defining characteristic. It's an important part of who she is at this moment, but there's a difference between acknowledging someone's uncertainty and letting it consume their entire identity. Crowe and Crouse understand that distinction, giving Amesha room to experience curiosity, excitement, and apprehension without reducing her to someone struggling to understand her sexuality.<\/p>\n

The humor also feels more connected to the characters than I initially expected. Taking LSD on a first date is already a ridiculous decision, but the film doesn't rely entirely on the experience to generate laughs. Amesha and Jori approach the evening from different perspectives, and that contrast makes their interactions unpredictable. I appreciated that the filmmakers resisted turning their situation into a continuous series of increasingly outrageous situations. The humor comes from how they navigate the evening, but the relationship never becomes secondary to the jokes.<\/p>\n

There's also an interesting connection between the uncertainty of falling for someone and the unfamiliarity of experiencing psychedelics for the first time. Both require vulnerability, though for entirely different reasons. THE FIRST DATE brings those experiences together without suggesting they're interchangeable, and the comparison gives the relationship another purpose and deeper meaning. Amesha explores feelings she hasn't acted on before, while Jori experiences something that changes her understanding of the world around her. Neither has complete control over how the evening unfolds, and both trust someone they've only just met to share that uncertainty.<\/p>\n

Crouse previously directed short films including THE CODER, THE RECEPTION, and THE PROPOSAL, but his collaboration with Crowe gives THE FIRST DATE a distinctly personal foundation. Crowe's involvement extends beyond her performance, with writing, directing, and producing credits that reflect how closely connected she is to the material. Knowing that the screenplay grew partly from her experience of falling in love adds context to the film's emotional direction. That personal history isn't required to appreciate what they've created. The characters and their relationship convey those feelings without needing to explain the inspiration.<\/p>\n

The short runtime does limit how deeply the relationship can develop. There's only so much time to really get acquainted with two people, establish their attraction, introduce their uncertainties, and follow an evening that becomes increasingly extraordinary. I would've appreciated a little more time with Amesha and Jori outside the date, especially since the characters are interesting enough to support deeper dives on both sides. The film establishes why this encounter matters to both women, and the emotional connection gives the experience more than the premise alone would suggest.<\/p>\n

THE FIRST DATE could've easily settled for being a quirky comedy about two strangers getting high together, but Crowe and Crouse have considerably more interest in the people involved. The psychedelic imagery and absurdity are entertaining, but the uncertainty of a new romantic connection is what makes the film memorable. I enjoyed the balance between humor and affection, even if I wanted a little more time for the relationship to develop. At fifteen minutes, it's a small story about taking a chance on someone, and the filmmakers make that feel meaningful without pretending that love or self-discovery comes with any guarantees.<\/p>\n

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[photo courtesy of MOVIES FOR THE WEIRD]<\/em><\/p>\n

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MOVIE REVIEW The First Date –      Genre: Romance, Comedy, Short Year: 2026 Runtime: 15m Directors: Will Crouse, Ashley Crowe Writers: Will Crouse, Ashley Crowe Cast: Ashley Crowe, Alex Nolen Where to Watch: shown at the 2026 Newport Beach Film Festival RAVING REVIEW: Taking LSD with someone you've just met sounds like a formula for either an […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13260,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/mailnewsgroup.com\/img\/0367\/0367876.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","iawp_total_views":2,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13259","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t