Netflix's new film "All the Bright Places" is an adaptation of a novel with the same name written by Jennifer Niven. The New York Times and international best selling American author, who also co-wrote the screenplay of this film, put together two people with emotional baggage and physical scars to make them fall in love with each other only to see if a broken person can fix another broken person.
The whole school always thought that Theodore Finch (Justice Smith) is a "freak". He's queer and unpredictable. But Violet Markey (Elle Fanning) thinks otherwise, besides, he's the only person that she can talk to about her own struggles effortlessly.
They met on a bridge where Violet's sister died. Since then, Finch tried his best to understand her even going as far as volunteering to be her partner for a school project. By and by, they learned to get along wonderfully. Two broken people traversing odd landmarks in hopes that life will sort things out for them... Until they fall in love. That what turns "All the Bright Places" into tragedy when it starts to entertain the idea that love can mend these fears and sadness; when we know very well that loving almost always isn't enough.
"All the Bright Places" recognize that such a setup is meant to often end in heartbreak. It tries to sway our attention to the inevitable but we can see how this film will end from afar. And as the big reveal shows itself, we already have seatbelts on to protect ourselves from the emotional finale.
Elle Fanning and Justice Smith are up and coming actors that will always be likable whatever role they take and the film "All the Bright Places" puts these two talented actors in the spotlight. But it could've been more than a teen romantic drama, if only it properly handled the theme of mental health in the core of its story and not rushing its ending.
3/5
