‘The Pickup’ (2025) Prime Video Movie Review - A Heist Meets a Hookup in a World That’s Too Cool for Logic

Let’s get one thing straight: The Pickup isn’t trying to be profound. This is not a movie that wants to live rent-free in your brain for weeks or earn a thesis paper from some film studies grad student. It’s not emotionally devastating, and it’s not socially transformative. It knows what it is: a slick, neon-lit, slightly absurd ride through 90-ish minutes of heist-flavored chaos, unexpected flirtation, and dialogue that tries really hard to sound like Twitter drafts with production budgets. And you know what? That’s not always a bad thing.

The premise is delightfully ridiculous. Two people, Libby, a semi-jaded HR consultant with commitment issues, and Alec, a too-confident finance bro with a jawline that screams “I microdose,” end up in the same ride-share by accident. It’s raining, there’s only one car, they both argue, flirt, and ultimately stay in the vehicle. But before the algorithm can match them for love, it matches them with a techy espionage plot involving stolen crypto, backstabbing friends, and a hacker named $kyBr34k3r who probably owns more hoodies than any human should.

What unfolds is not your usual meet-cute. It's more like a meet-chaotic-neutral. What starts as awkward banter about dating apps and oat milk quickly escalates into a mess involving stolen digital wallets, drones, getaway cars, and an NFT that somehow unlocks an office building in downtown LA. Does it make sense? Not really. Did I enjoy it anyway? Mostly, yes.

The film is held together by the charm of its leads. Ella Purnell plays Libby like she’s constantly two seconds away from a sarcastic comment and three drinks into a night she regrets. She’s sharp, quick-witted, and just emotionally vulnerable enough to keep you rooting for her. Opposite her is Jack Quaid, who’s basically doing “if LinkedIn were a person” but with enough self-awareness not to be punchable. Their chemistry is actually fun to watch, not because it feels real, but because it feels like they both know how insane this night is and are leaning into the chaos.

Tonally, the film swings like it’s had one too many espresso martinis. One minute, it’s rom-com banter. The next is Guy Ritchie-style fast cuts and techno beats. There’s even a brief moment where it tries to have feelings, and then immediately undercuts itself with a joke about the blockchain. The direction is clearly having fun overhead drone shots, glitchy transitions, dialogue overlays, and a soundtrack that sounds like it was curated by an AI DJ trained on warehouse parties and Spotify Discover Weekly.

But here’s where the wheels wobble. The Pickup wants to be edgy and unpredictable, but it also really wants to be liked. And that means it’s constantly trying to please everyone: romance lovers, tech-skeptics, action junkies, people who still think Web3 is a thing. As a result, it never quite goes deep into any of its genres. The rom-com elements are cute but shallow. The thriller bits are fast but never tense. The commentary on dating and digital life is more vibe than insight.

The dialogue, while quippy, often suffers from trying way too hard. There’s a fine line between clever and insufferable, and this script toe-taps across that line more than once. There are at least three scenes where a character says something that sounds like it was directly lifted from a dating podcast hosted by people who say “vibes” as a personality trait. Also, the villain, because of course there’s a villain, is about as threatening as a motivational speaker at a startup retreat. He has tech jargon, a slick suit, and zero menace.

The tech plotline? Don’t ask too many questions. There’s crypto, a suspicious cloud drive, encrypted maps, and one scene where someone hacks into a smart mirror like it's a 1998 laptop. The movie assumes you won’t care about the logistics, and it’s probably right. It’s all just a backdrop to keep our two leads together, running through LA in progressively more disheveled outfits.

Still, even with its overambitious genre-mash and eye-roll-worthy monologues about connection in the digital age, The Pickup does one thing surprisingly well: it moves. There’s barely a dull moment, and even when a scene flops, it usually does so quickly enough that you’re on to the next shiny plot twist before you can dwell on it. It’s got momentum. It’s got style. And it definitely has more drone footage than any romantic comedy needs—but here we are.

Visually, the film goes hard on the aesthetics. Everything is lit like an Instagram reel—soft neon, glowing cityscapes, and those weird, saturated colors that make you feel like you’re inside a cocktail menu. It’s probably overdone, but it suits the film’s hyper-modern, do n’t-think-just-watch vibe. The editing is a bit manic, but again, it fits. You’re not here for nuance; you’re here for the ride.

Now, if you’re the kind of person who needs logical consistency, believable tech, or characters with real backstories, this is not your movie. It’s style over substance, charm over character arc, and aesthetics over plot. But if you’re in the mood for a film that feels like a Saturday night accident in the best way, where you end up somewhere weird, meet someone vaguely charming, and get chased by men with Bluetooth earpieces, then The Pickup delivers.

It’s not deep, and it’s not even always good. But it’s definitely not boring. And in the world of streaming originals that feel like they were algorithmically generated from seven other movies, The Pickup at least has a pulse. A ridiculous, chaotic, mildly caffeinated pulse but a pulse nonetheless.

Would I watch it again? Probably not. But did I enjoy it the first time? Absolutely. Like a ride-share with questionable music and unexpected company, it got me where I needed to go, even if I’m not entirely sure how I ended up there.

Final Score- [6/10]
Reviewed by - Anjali Sharma
Follow @AnjaliS54769166 on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times