My Worst Nightmare

My Worst Nightmare sits in the light-comedy space, and that usually means it is carried by timing, awkwardness, and a premise that wants to stay breezy. By our assessment, its appeal depends on how well the jokes and situations keep moving, because comedy of this sort falls flat quickly when the rhythm slips. The downside is that titles like this often promise more bite than they deliver, so the film can feel slight if the humour is familiar. In practice it is the kind of watch that lives or dies on tone: a little too broad and it turns thin, a little too dry and it loses momentum. Compared with sharper comedies, it seems built for easy viewing rather than for big ambition. It is the sort of movie that works best as a modest diversion and not as the one you remember for months.