1
1
High potential story that ended up disjointed and disappointing,
OVERALL: This drama had a great overall plot arc, solid character outlines, interesting dynamics, and good chemistry, but the execution in writing/directing wasted too much of it. This left it feeling disjointed and unsatisfying. I wanted so much more from this drama.
PLOT: The story sets up a sort of anti-first love trope, where two teens who had bonded over moviemaking re-unite as semi-antagonists in order to make the movie together, working through their old wounds and different dreams in the process. It also introduces two side pairings--one a set of lonely aspiring actors who find solace in one another, and another a more modern romance between two people who share a one night stand. And the 1st and 2nd leads all each have a family drama side story that plays out that shows four different types of parental relationships.
ROMANCES: The two side romances are just as interesting as the main one on paper, but the second leads, despite getting a ton of great set up at the beginning, are essentially ignored in the final third, and the third couple is insanely underdeveloped over the entire show. The second leads were my favorite actors in the drama, and there was so much more that could have been done with them for the final stretch.
The main romance explores some really interesting themes surrounding first love and if you can really recapture a pure love from your youth, but also fell flat by the end since the characters didn't actually truly grow or mature past their teenage selves, making you feel like "what was the point?" While they had decent chemistry, I didn't find myself particularly rooting for them.
EXECUTION: Some plotlines were given a lot of screentime despite having little depth, some plotlines with a lot of depth were rushed or the scenes didn't connect well or create a coherent narrative, while other plotlines were developed meticulously and with full depth. Some sequences were so beautifully shot and edited, while others dragged on or were bland and confusing. The pacing, tone, and quality were all over the place.
Overall I enjoyed it and I didn't. There were some scenes and sections that were beautiful, moving, and stuck with me, but then too much I skipped or that didn't land. I recommend it only if you have patience and don't mind a bit of an uneven execution.
PLOT: The story sets up a sort of anti-first love trope, where two teens who had bonded over moviemaking re-unite as semi-antagonists in order to make the movie together, working through their old wounds and different dreams in the process. It also introduces two side pairings--one a set of lonely aspiring actors who find solace in one another, and another a more modern romance between two people who share a one night stand. And the 1st and 2nd leads all each have a family drama side story that plays out that shows four different types of parental relationships.
ROMANCES: The two side romances are just as interesting as the main one on paper, but the second leads, despite getting a ton of great set up at the beginning, are essentially ignored in the final third, and the third couple is insanely underdeveloped over the entire show. The second leads were my favorite actors in the drama, and there was so much more that could have been done with them for the final stretch.
The main romance explores some really interesting themes surrounding first love and if you can really recapture a pure love from your youth, but also fell flat by the end since the characters didn't actually truly grow or mature past their teenage selves, making you feel like "what was the point?" While they had decent chemistry, I didn't find myself particularly rooting for them.
EXECUTION: Some plotlines were given a lot of screentime despite having little depth, some plotlines with a lot of depth were rushed or the scenes didn't connect well or create a coherent narrative, while other plotlines were developed meticulously and with full depth. Some sequences were so beautifully shot and edited, while others dragged on or were bland and confusing. The pacing, tone, and quality were all over the place.
Overall I enjoyed it and I didn't. There were some scenes and sections that were beautiful, moving, and stuck with me, but then too much I skipped or that didn't land. I recommend it only if you have patience and don't mind a bit of an uneven execution.
Was this review helpful to you?
