FilmSnobReviews

Title: Everything, Everything
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Director: PG-13
Starring: Amandla Stenberg, Nick Robinson, Anika Noni Rose
Runtime: 1 hr 36 mins

What It Is: Based on the teen novel of the same name, Everything, Everything is focused on the character of Maddy. Maddy (Stenberg) has an auto-immune disease that could cause her to become either very sick or even die if she is exposed to the outside world. When a cute boy named Olly (Robinson) moves in next door, however, she can’t help but feel intrigued by him. This, however, proves to be a two-way street, as her disease stands in their way to being happy together. With the help of her nurse/friend Carla (Ana de la Reguera) she’ll find a way to meet face-to-face with this boy of her dreams and finally, perhaps, feel something real.

What We Think: This movie is, simply, terrible. With a script that is as paper thin as its characters, nothing happens here that you don’t see coming from a mile away. The only aspect of the plot that remains somewhat unforeseeable is the ending, which is just terrible anyway. This movie came out better when the girl died and they called it If I Stay and that was fairly terrible in its own right. Everything, Everything really tries to be this well-shot hipster showcase, but its facade falls apart whenever anyone onscreen opens their mouth.

Our Grade: D+, When I look at this film in retrospect, it’s sadly easy to see how it is an exercise in living down to expectations, rather than up. I expected nothing and got exactly that. I cannot in good conscience recommend that anyone watch this manipulative piece of cinema. The ending alone is enough to make you feel stupid for having cared in the first place–not to mention the cheesiness of the dialogue and lack of substance or quality in the writing. Despite this, I’m sure the two leads, who are very young, have a future in the business.