Michael D

Very realistic portrait of two high school students falling in love, and dealing with heavy issues that many of us have had to survive. I can't stress enough how incredibly genuine the performances are in this film. Teller and Woodley are so believable as these flawed, yet beautiful teenagers that you get a feeling of unease, as if you are clandestinely eavesdropping on them during their most private moments. Their first time being intimate together is one of the most stunningly realistic scenes I've ever seen in any movie. How they were able to tap into that so effectively, I can't comprehend, but it is so extremely powerful that it makes you realize how incredibly fake and plastic most films and shows portraying high school students really are. Bob Odenkirk only has a couple of scenes, but he is amazing as a small men's clothing shop owner and Teller's boss. There is one scene in particular, their last together in the movie, that is electrifying and gut-wrenching. I felt the pain so palpably from both actors that I had to pause the movie for a few minutes to collect myself. There have been very, very few movies that realistically portray teens... Say Anything comes to mind, but even it has goofy moments that seem tacked on, whereas this film has none. Every, single actor in this movie gives a tour-de-force performance. There are no weak links, and that is very rare. It just doesn't get any better than this. I can't wait to see more from Teller and Woodley and the director, James Ponsoldt.