The Plot

A music loving 17 year old girl lives her life behind protective glass and the safety of night time due to a rare illness that keeps her out of sunlight. When she finally meets a local boy the pair strike up a determined romance.

The Good

Midnight Sun is a well-crafted tale of teen romance, armed with a deeply poignant backdrop and a pair of genuinely charismatic leads. In a very similar fashion to film’s like The Faults In Our Stars or Me Earl and The Dying Girl, this film juxtaposes the magically promise of young love with the cruel tragedy of illness. It’s a powerful contrast that gives the film an instant emotional weight, almost certainly leaving a lasting impact on audiences.

Patrick Schwarzenegger may be the son of the world’s most iconic musclebound action star, but his own handsome charms are gentler and well suited for a romantic leading man. In Midnight Sun he does much to prove that he has talent in his own right that go well beyond having one of Hollywood’s most famous last names. His clean cut all American good looks are a perfect fit for duties as the kind and cute boy next door.

Bella Thorne delivers a terrific star turn as Katie Price, the young girl grappling with her medical limitations and the awkward excitements of first love. It’s refreshing to see her graduate from silly supporting roles in more light hearted teen comedies and fully flex her dramatic muscles of a change. Undeniably beautiful Thorne is also able to carry the full weight of responsibility that comes with handling themes of terminal illness with appropriate sincerity and sadness.

Ultimately the highest compliment for Midnight Sun is that its talented and compatible young stars make it impossible to avoid fully emotionally investing in their adolescent romance, despite audiences being fully aware of how tragic and heart-breaking the consequences may prove to be.

The Bad

Midnight Sun is precisely the kind of bittersweet tear-stained romance that will leave some people reaching for tissues and possibly in need of a good hug. Despite the film’s many excellent qualities, it‘s only fair to warn more sensitive souls that the film may leave them more than a little emotionally shell-shocked. While it’s no doubt laudable for a romantic drama to tackle genuine tragedy it’s obviously an acquired taste that won’t appeal as much to those that are more used to using big screen romance purely as a satisfying cinematic escape from real life.

The Ugly Truth

Midnight Sun is a charming tear stained romance that captures the uniquely precious magic of first love. Bella Thorne and Patrick Schwarzenegger are a pleasingly beautiful young pairing that demonstrate considerable star power together, leading audiences on a memorably bittersweet journey.

Review by Bernadette McIntyre