Midnight Sun (Review)
I’m Not Crying! You’re Crying!
To be honest, for some reason Midnight Sun was nowhere near my radar for new movies coming out. I only happened upon it while buying my ticket for Pacific Rim: Uprising. Being a valiant film critic though, I knew it was my duty to check it out. Despite the poster looking like something inspired by a Nicholas Sparks novel, Midnight Sun actually had a lot more to offer than I was initially expecting. It’s definitely a cheesy cliche filled mess, but deep down it’s got heart.
Midnight Sun stars Bella Thorne as a teenager with a rare disease that prevents her from going out in the sun. It’s so dangerous for her that just slight exposure could kill her. So, she’s spent her life starring out her bedroom window at all the other kids who got to live normal lives. Luckily for the audience though, her character isn’t a bitter mess, resentful of those that squander what she could never have. In fact, she’s just the opposite and Thorne manages to be the backbone of Midnight Sun. She’s charming, adorable, and a character that audiences will want desperately to find that cliched first love that all teen movies want for their protagonists. I would say that this film would not be anywhere near as good (or tolerable) without Thorne in the leading role.
However, Thorne isn’t the only surprise in Midnight Sun. Her father is played by Ron Riggle, who most people might know for his outrageous comedic performances. I was shocked to see a more subdued Riggle who actually turned in an incredibly heartfelt performance. His performance as a father dealing with a child who could die at any moment was emotional, to say the least, and even when he did get to inject some comedy into his scenes, he never took it too far. All in all, I hope that we get to see more performances like this from Riggle in the future. As funny as the guy is, he definitely proves that comedians know how to do drama as well.
Now for the elephant in the room. You might have noticed from the poster that Midnight Sun also stars Patrick Schwarzenegger, who is related to another famous actor you might have heard of. Now, this isn’t his first appearance on the big screen, but he definitely does not feel suited for a film that has such tremendous emotional depth to it. While he isn’t terrible, much of his performance feels bland compared to his co-stars and he seems to disappear in scenes that feature more than two people in them. Honestly, he did a better job than I was expecting, but then again, my expectations weren’t that high to begin with.
Midnight Sun is a movie that has all the feels in it. The hero of the story wants nothing more than to have a chance to be more than just a disease and live a normal life. Unfortunately, when 12 hours of the day could kill you, it makes most normal activities next to impossible. Still, that doesn’t stop her from trying to find true love with the boy she’s watched pass her house every day for the past 18 years. Of course, the film relies on the age-old cliche of love at first sight. After all, she’s never met Schwarzenegger’s character before and knows nothing about him. Still, he’s cute and that’s all that really matters, right?
As much as I like poking fun at these teen romance movies, I’m man enough to admit that I got more than my fair share of “dust in my eyes.” A lot of Midnight Sun is oversentimental garbage, but it’s that kind of stuff that hits me right in the heartstrings. Logically, I couldn’t really get into the film, but emotionally this one tore me up a bit inside. I’ve never been one to include spoilers in my reviews (at least not serious ones), but Midnight Sun is not a movie for those hoping to watch two young lovers ride off together into the sunset, mostly because of the whole sun being able to kill the main characters.
If you’re looking for a film that’s going to give you some catharsis though then Midnight Sun is an excellent choice. Its strength lies in the performances and charm of Thorne and Riggle (Oh, and Quinn Shephard), who more than makeup for Schwarzenegger’s flat performance. Like I said early, it’s cliched and cheesy, but damn if it doesn’t hit home at just the right moments. Midnight Sun is a guilty pleasure of a film, but there’s nothing wrong with that because it doesn’t aspire to be anything more than melodrama. Just be prepared to get some serious feels if you decide to see this one.
