3/5* Siobhan Divers | Shiv’s Show
Dir: Stella Meghie
96 mins
Starring: Amanda Stenberg, Nick Robinson, Anika Noni Rose
A charming movie aimed at young-adults, Everything, Everything delivers as an original take on the typical teen romance film. Based on a novel of the same name by Nicola Yoon, Everything, Everything explores teen friendships and relationships while promoting awareness of life-threatening illnesses.
The film follows the life of eighteen-year-old Maddy Whitter (Amanda Stenberg) who suffers from SCID, a genetic disorder which prevents her from leaving her house. She is rarely allowed to have interactions with other people: she is limited to only having contact with her mother Pauline Whitter (Anika Noni Rose), her nurse Carla (Ana de la Reguera), and her daughter Rosa (Danube Hermosillo). When she realises how repetitive her life actually is, a new family move in next door, changing her life forever. In particularly, Olly Bright, the boy next door (Nick Robinson) catches her eye and it isn’t long before they are instant messaging and attempting to set up real-life meetings.
One of the more original elements of the film is how Maddy’s architectural models are brought to life as she imagines herself within them, speaking to Olly in person. Confined to spend her life within the one building, Maddy spends her time constructing models which include a library and a diner, both of which appear on the big screen as the setting of Maddy’s thoughts.
Everything, Everything follows other teen dramas like The Fault in our Stars (2014) and If I Stay (2014) which were also based on young-adult books however, without giving any major spoilers, Everything, Everything is different from other typical teenage romances in that the twist at the end is not what you would expect, setting it apart from cliché teen romance endings. In a true The Fault in our Stars style though, Olly and Maddy have their own catchphrase: where main characters of The Fault in our Stars had ‘Okay? Okay’, Olly and Maddy use ‘ellipses’ to convey awkward silences.
Overall, Everything, Everything is a sweet film about young lovers trying to have their own little happy-ever-after, despite the possibility of it being a tragically short love story. With a charming cast who appear to have genuine chemistry, Everything, Everything is the perfect innocent on-screen love story for young adults and for date night!
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Siobhan x
Shiv's Show 