Everything, Everything: Movie Review

Don't let the film's title fool you. While "Everything, Everything" does just enough to be an enjoyable and acceptable experience, we cannot fault its shortcomings when it comes to actually delving deeper into its protagonist's peculiar predicament or even the romantic relationship she develops with her next door neighbor. Sadly, the film fails to deliver everything on the table and with it an experience that you would actually remember.

Maddy (Amandla Sternberg) has been isolated her whole life from the outside world due to a very rare medical condition that makes her immune system very weak and very fragile. Any bacteria or virus that goes into contact may prove fatal. Although she has a crippling condition, this doesn't stop the 18-year-old from being smart, artistic and having a boundless love for life. When a new neighbor moves in and their son Olly (Nick Robinson) shows a keen interest on Maddy, Maddy's life turns topsy-turvy. Gazing through windows and communicating only through texts, she and Olly form a deep bond that leads them to risk everything to be together even if it means losing everything.

"Everything, Everything" has a pretty awesome premise. A girl who's been isolated her whole life due to a fatal and fragile condition but decides to risk everything for love. Maddy's condition alone is one that could have driven the film's dramatic nuances to exceedingly unreachable heights. But "Everything, Everything" fails to do so and it never really leaves a mark. What's most frustrating though is that it had great ideas littered all over the place but the film feels more like snippets of these than a cohesive whole. As a matter of fact, the relationship between Maddy and Olly suddenly blooms into a romantic one literally out of nowhere. After a few exchanges between them, they're suddenly so in love with each other. The twist near the end has also the same effect. Shocking yes but there's not denying its extremely hollow and feels like a cop out than an essential part of the drama. This rushed feeling is also probably related to the film's surprisingly short runtime at 96 minutes. What moves the film to enjoyable territory though was due to the undeniably cute chemistry between the leads. They're not the best acting performances ever per se but Amandla Stenberg and Nick Robinson does enough to come out as natural, charming and romantically exciting. Overall, "Everything, Everything" never blooms into anything but a generic teen romance flick. It lacks the depth and emotional punch to be at least memorable.

Rating: 3 reels





Why you should watch it:
- the chemistry between Amandla Stenberg and Nick Robinson was great
- the film had creative moments that show its potential

Why you shouldn't watch it:
- the film fails to develop a deep and intimate experience and ultimately never leaves a mark