AMAZON PRIME VIDEO

CHEMICAL HEARTS Romantic drama. When withdrawn 17-year-old Grace (Lili Reinhart) moves to a new town, self-proclaimed romantic Henry (Austin Abrams) is immediately drawn to her. After Henry and Grace are chosen to co-edit the school paper, they grow closer and Henry, longing for that once-in-a-lifetime connection, falls in love with her. But a past traumatic experience has changed

Grace and her emotional recovery defines the landscape of their new relationship.

If you’ve enjoyed dramas based on young adult books such as Five Feet Apart, All the Bright Places, and The Spectacular Now, then this dark and poignant piece depicting teens dealing with trauma, loss and heartbreak is for you. It’s based on the novel Our Chemical Hearts by Krystal Sutherland.

Reinhart (Riverdale) and Adams (Dash & Lily) deliver great performances and the experience of growing up is beautifully depicted. But the pace is rushed, giving little space to develop the characters, and some aspects seem farfetched, such as the teens’ incredibly mature responses to events.

Overall, it’s worth watching but fans of the book should manage their expectations. – CAMILLA THOROGOOD 2020. 93 MIN. 16DLSV.