Cast: Sofia Carson, Corey Mylchreest, Dougray Scott, Catherine McCormack

Written By: Allison Burnett and Melissa Osborne based on a book by Julia Wheelan

Directed By: Ian morris

Original Score By: Isabella Summers

Studio: Netflix

Release Year: 2025

runtime: 118 minutes

Audio Description Provided By: International Digital Center

Written By: Betty Capone

Narrated By: Kimberly Chatterly

What Is it?: An American (Carson) gets to work on her Masters degree while in England at Oxford, where she immediately starts falling in love with the scenery, and a young man with a secret. I’m not good t secrets. He’s dying.

What Works: Sofia Carson has coasted on her likeability in previous Netflix films as being the reason people enjoy her, but like every female lead before her, she was bound to pick up a script that even she couldn’t save. The difference between this and her other films, is that her character just isn’t written well, or strong enough for women to relate to. So, her likeability is really the only thing keeping her afloat. Mylchreest, who appeared in Queen Charlotte as another romantic lead with a medical affliction, is being typecast as the guy with problems. It’s nice to see Dougray Scott pop up, considering if he had made one small career change, he’d be a household name. Scott famously turned down playing Wolverine, in favor of playing the forgettable villain in Mission: Impossible 2. Yeah. So, now he’s playing the complicated father in a middling Netflix film.

Like most films, everyone who has problems is filthy rich. So at least you have that opulence to enjoy. I suppose the subtext is that not even money can buy you a cure. Also, some fun literary obsessions like Crossing The Bar. I know, this is the what works section, but this is all I’ve got.

What Doesn’t Work: the film is a depressing rehash as Me Before You, but without the testicular fortitude behind it. Carson is made aware of the illness a little before the halfway point, in a moment where she gets just totally screamed at. When her sick boyfriend finds her later, he barely apologizes, and she doesn’t address his rudeness. Emilia Clarke played her character in Me Before you with a bit of chutzpah that Carson lacks, ultimately always forced to shrink away.

Another conflict arises, and instead of talking it over, or fighting, she just leaves and sleeps in another room. Her character has been given the backbone of a worm. Mylchreest tries to do something with his character, and his complex relationship with everyone around him, including his father, but he’s also saddled with some asinine dialogue. At the beginning of the film, he treats Carson like she’s a unicorn, and the only American at oxford. Then, he applies the “everything’s bigger” to New York City, even after Carson reminds him it’s Texas. He’s presented as intelligent and well read, but really seems lost in a book.

Dougray Scott is the only one who actively is good in this. Go figure that the actor with the most experience mines the most from his character. Otherwise, just watch Me Before You. it’s somehow less pretentious.

As a bit of a spoiler in case this isn’t obvious, I also hate the ending. Not because he predictably dies, but because Carson calls home and tells her mom she’s not coming back, presumably to be with him. he dies pretty quick after, and she likely could have gone home to her family and a job, but this Master’s level graduate decides to take a gap year from life and traipse around Europe. Cool. This is why old people think Carson’s generation is out of touch. They watch this, and they wonder how she’s paying for all of this.

The Audio Description: International Digital Center typically does strong work. Even though this film gives them very little to work with aside from facial expressions and reactions, they monitor them fiercely. Really the only thing you maybe could have done more with is the mansion, and try and capture more of this obscene wealth they supposedly have. if they’re gonna bother with it, might as well take advantage of it.

Why you Might Like It: You could watch something worse, so I’d assume you’re a Sofia Carson fan, and you love weepy dramas.

Why You Won’t Like it: me Before You is a better film.

Final thoughts: Carson makes accessible films for Netflix, not great films, so she was bound to stumble on a derivative script that lacks teeth, or an identity of its own at some point.

Rotten: 5.1/10