Alice Wu’s “The Half of It” is one of the newest coming-of-age films on Netflix. The film stars Leah Lewis, Daniel Diemer, and Alexxis Lemire. What’s more, it received a 7/10 rating on IMDB, which proves how incredible this film truly is. So, in case you still need convincing to see this film, here is why “The Half of It” is definitely worth watching.
1. The plot is something that you never saw coming
The plot of this film is far from any cliché teen drama story. It has a deeper layer, which is the actual life of an Asian-American student named Ellie Chu who struggles with her college life and paying the bills. Therefore, she starts a small business venture writing homework for her fellow students for money. One day, she accidentally meets Paul Munsky, who needs her help to write a love letter for the girl he likes, Aster Flores. As a result, Ellie Chu is unknowingly involved in Paul’s love life.
Additionally, it’s interesting to see that the focus of this film is not what you’d expect. The plot revolves around each character’s life and how they deal with it. We watch them all find love in the least expected way, embrace the process of self-discovery, and find out what love and happiness truly mean.
2. The film has great acting and directing
Although the plot is rather slow, it’s still another amazing film from Alice Wu. What makes this film so incredible is the fact that Wu always presents rawness, uniqueness, and authentic interactions in every film she makes. Moreover, Lewis, Diemer, and Lemire surely deliver wonderful performances, that perfectly portray the teenage life in a small town in America.
3. The cinematography and editing are incredibly powerful
The cinematography and editing in this film are beyond expectations. They truly show the Asian-American teen life in a small town and which is a great change from Netflix’s usual American teen drama setting. Another incredible part of this movie is the narrative, which is on point with Lewis’s extremely soothing voice.
4. The movie has a meaningful message
The message of this coming of-age-film is pretty clear: Embrace love and stay true to yourself. It urges us to be honest about our feelings and follow our hearts. It also gives us great insight into male-female friendships, which we didn’t know we needed.
“Love isn’t patient, and kind, and humble. Love is messy, and horrible, and selfish, and bold. It’s not finding your perfect half. It’s the trying, and reaching, and failing” – Ellie Chu, “The Half of It”
“The Half of It” is a wonderful film showing emotions, self-discovery, and so much more that you wouldn’t expect from a film for young adults. It also portrays the raw and unedited life of an Asian-American student, which is something that we don’t often see. So if you haven’t seen this film yet, then get some popcorn, open Netflix, and enjoy this coming-of-age masterpiece!
Featured image via Netflix
