Aug 14, 2017
Many Romance films struggle to know the balance between cheesy and believable. It really doesn't matter how you make yourself stand out in terms of creativity, because if you can't believe in the movie itself, then it fails as a whole. Everything, Everything is the type of movie that bugs me from start to finish, due to the fact that everything about it seems polished and dumbed down for a specific audience. Yes, there are some very creative aspects, which I will get into, but the movie itself suffers from being too unbelievable. Adapted from a novel in which I have not had the chance to read, this is strictly a review of the film itself. Here is why Everything, Everything probably doesn't deserve your time.
Due to an illness, Maddy has spent her entire life inside her mother's home, never once seeing the outside world. As new neighbours move in next door, a boy her age grabs her attention. Figuring out ways to communicate with each other, this is easily where the most enjoyable aspect comes into play. I found myself intrigued throughout the various ways of storytelling that were presented throughout this movie, but the film itself falls apart by everything else around them feeling fake. What I mean by this, is the fact that every supporting cast member feels forced in order to give each of the leads a tragic backstory. Never once did I feel as though I was watching something realistic, which was clearly what they were going for.
As this film approaches its second act, revealing new things about everyone, I found myself growing a very strong hatred toward the mother (as a character), mainly because she was rude, cruel, and her intentions were never truly clear until the final few moments of the film. At first, Everything, Everything makes you believe you're watching one kind of movie, only to take a sort of dark turn that comes out of left field. In an offbeat Romance like this, I don't want to find myself hating characters, because that will take away from the fact that you're supposed to be enjoying this relationship unfold on-screen.
After my viewing, the biggest takeaway and positive that I can offer Everything, Everything is the pairing of Nick Robinson and Amanda Stenberg. Sure, their relationship follows the tropes that many films based on young adult novels do nowadays, but their chemistry was definitely present. As a whole I really don't like this movie, but I was enjoying myself when these two were on-screen together. If not for anything else, these two have a bright future ahead of them. Nick Robinson has already shown some of his stardom in films like Jurassic World and Amanda Stenberg had her big start in The Hunger Games, but neither of them really showcased their true talent until now, at least in my opinion.
In the end, this is a film that probably has a far better novelization that what is presented on-screen as a final product, but Everything, Everything does absolutely everything to make you wish for some better substance. Never once did I buy the circumstances that she went through, due to the fact that this film has a sort of cruel conclusion in my opinion. I really didn't like my experience watching this movie, and quite honestly, only those who don't mind a little schmaltz will find a bit of enjoyment here. I can't get myself to recommend this movie to anyone, but it's not a complete disaster. The leads are well-cast and the storytelling elements are unique enough to keep you engaged, but the movie doesn't really do anything special to make you care. Everything, Everything is a waste of a premise.
Verified