Also went to see the movie After. I had the feeling it was based on a YA novel but I’d not see a trailer nor read the synopsis on the book. So, hey, nice to see a movie blind and wonder if, upon introduction of the romantic leads, a zombie apocalypse would break out, a school shooting, or if someone was about catch spinal meningitis that would prevent them from walking in the sunshine or maybe keep them five feet away from cats or something. But, no, this is a straight-forward college romance.
And a super predictable romance at that… though admittedly nice to get Just a Romance instead of some twist (like cancer or whatever).
Get this… a Good Girl goes to college for the first time and meets a Bad Boy. And it turns out he’s edgy and arrogant and insults her so she hates him! But he can quote classic novels from memory and and has a dark past.. and he insists that love is a lie! And you’d think the Good Girl would stay away from him… but no, she sees his secret sensitive side and maybe… just maybe… he can change!
OK fine… so there are some good versions of this story and there are some bad versions of this story. I’m not annoyed because it’s either good or bad, I’m annoyed because this movie does nothing remotely unique with a tired old trope. Also doesn’t help that I hate hate hate the Sensitive Bad Boy trope…. because I can’t help but wonder why the Good Girl has to subsume her ego and put up with the god damn creepy jerk in the first place. Not a fan of Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights, not a fan of Ethan Hawke in Reality Bites. Possibly I Just Don’t Get It.
Well, anyone, ignore whether that’s enough info to psychoanalyze me… is this a good version of that story? Well. I guess so. I mean, it’s well enough acted (even if I wanted to punch the guy in the nose) and it doesn’t do anything egregiously stupid (and no one catches movie cancer). I just wish it did anything particularly new or gave either character a personality trait beyond Good Girl and Bad Boy. Some kind of edge or a better set of personalities or something.
Meh… you can skip it and catch it on Lifetime or whatever cable movie channel picks it up. I suspect if you like your classic romances, you might just fall for this one. Or maybe not.
Score: 73