Random Movie Review - Five Feet Apart

I feel it's quite important to note how challenging and difficult film making can be. Some people think that most films don't take much effort to make, but you'd be amazed at how much work is taken into account. I mean, I'm always blown away at the credits just by how films like this end up having a massive crew behind it. It's also challenging for any filmmaker that wants to do a story about a medical condition. It's a very tricky thing to adapt, and anything could go wrong if you don't do your research. Going into this, I didn't know much about cystic fibrosis other than knowing about it being to do with breathing and the lungs. Whereas with a film like Music, I know a great deal about autism (I'm on the spectrum myself) and I also know a fair bit about the high functioning sort as I have met a few people with high functioning autism. But that film was not a completely accurate portrayal of autism and the challenges that come with it, two things of which Sia (the director) seemed to not understand and just lashed out at anyone who gave her film a bad review. Some filmmakers accept the criticism and just move on to other projects to distract from any negativity, but this being Sia's first and probably only film gig, it was inevitable. But we're here to talk about this film which, while similar in tone and what it's trying to do, I'm hoping will be a much better take on a medical condition than Music. So let's take a look:

The film is centred on three cystic fibrosis patients, all residing in the same hospital. The central one is Stella Grant (played by Haley Lu Richardson) who uses social media as a coping mechanism with her illness. Then there is Poe (played by Moises Arias), Stella's best friend who likes men and dreams of one day living the life he wanted to have. Finally, there is the new patient Will (played by Jughead himself, Cole Sprouse) who is there on a medication trail to get rid of a bacterial infection in his lungs. At first, Will and Stella are at odds with one another and Will begins to not take his medication while Stella does. Eventually he starts the trail at her urging and the two start to fall in love despite the rule of having to stay five feet apart. What follows is a series of trails and tribulations where they try to do things they want to do in the little time they have.

So after seeing this film, I have a better understanding of cystic fibrosis. In that it's life-threatening, much of the time when people have it is spent in hospital, and it's definitely to do with the breathing and the lungs. Ironic how the title and the rule put in place in the film, ends up being a rule for all of us a year after the film's release due to the coronavirus. The film may be seen as an attempt to raise awareness of the illness and also be a typical Hollywood romance film, but I think it's fine. A lot better than Music any day for sure, but be prepared for a few unpleasant and cheesy scenes here and there. 7/10