Midnight Sun Review

PG-13: Some teen partying and sensuality

OpenRoad Films, Boies / Schiller Film Group, Wrigley Pictures

1 Hr and 30 Minutes

Dir: Scott Speer | Writer: Eric Kirsten

Cast: Bella Thorne, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Rob Riggle, Quinn Shephard

INTRO: I swear I didn’t cry. I only tear up when my feelings are manipulated by cheese. Or, in this case, imported Japanese cheese that we Americanize. Seriously, this movie is not a YA novel, but an American remake of a Japanese movie from 2006.

Midnight Sun centers on Katie, a 17-year-old sheltered since childhood and confined to her house during the day by a rare disease that makes even the smallest amount of sunlight deadly. Fate intervenes when she meets Charlie and they embark on a summer romance.

THE GOOD

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Bella Thorne does a decent job carrying this movie on her own. Even when Schwarzenegger ain’t pulling his weight, she elevates him with her charm. Thorne’s character Katie isn’t one of those rebellious or whiny teenagers who want to see the world, but rather a calm, collected, selfless, and incredibly a-dork-able character. She has a personality that is vibrant and cutesy, but then it falls into the realm of Disney Channel or Freeform cute. I’m not only saying this because Thorne has dabbled in both channels; it's just true.

THE BAD

I never knew that, when he’s not in an action flick or a comedy, Rob Riggle could be really bad. I love Rob Riggle’s work, but in this particular film he’s either phoning it in or just purposely giving a bad performance. He has a hilarious moment where we are reminded of why we love Riggle in the first place but, of course, it has to be the scene where the dad meets the boyfriend and he interrogates him. When it comes to Patrick Schwarzenegger, his performance is as bland as the film he’s in. Charlie barely has a personality outside of being a cheesy boyfriend who says all the right things and makes girls go “Aw” and boys go, “UGH!” Then again, you kinda know what to expect from the son of Arnold Schwarzenegger. He isn’t terrible, but he isn’t that good either. He is just your manic pixie dream boy caricature.  

The best chemistry Thorne has when she is not with Riggle or Schwarzenegger is with Quinn Shephard who plays her best friend. When they’re together, they create a fun energy. Their banter is reminiscent of a fun TV sitcom. Shit, I was digging the first half of the movie where the film played more like a lighthearted teen comedy as opposed to a melodramatic angst-fest.

Remember last year when I said, "Everything, Everything" was bland and generic? Well, forget that shit. Sorry "Everything, Everything". At least you have an all-around solid cast who gave their best while incorporating several visual innovative moments that made the story stand out from the teen drama crowd (for a brief moment).

When the film finally gets to the romance between Katie and Charlie, it is as plain and generic as every Nicholas Sparks book ever. For this being a drama for a young demographic, the primary piece that was missing was stakes. This movie is as vanilla as a scoop of Carvel ice cream. We follow this girl who has this disease and everyone around her knows about it and she risks it all because of a boy. In other films, it would’ve been a forbidden romance (Everything, Everything) or both lovers bond because they are both sick (The Fault in Our Stars). Here there are no stakes other than Katie’s indecisiveness to tell Charlie about her sickness and her condition. If she told him about it and he knew earlier in the film, THIS WOULD’VE GONE SOMEWHERE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT WHERE WE WOULDN’T HAVE TO GO THE MELODRAMATIC ROUTE!

Eh, whatever. I enjoyed this movie more than any Nicholas Sparks film, but it was not as entertaining as Everything, Everything so I guess rent it.

LAST STATEMENT

As Bella Thorne carries this film with her two hands, Midnight Sun is a harmless teen romance that doesn’t hurt to watch but definitely not at a theater. Just go watch Love, Simon instead. NOW THAT IS A GREAT TEEN ROMANCE!

Rating: 2.5/5 | 52%

Super Scene: Singing in Seattle.