I've seen a lot of rom-coms over the years, but 'The First Time' is unlike any other rom-com I've seen before. In fact, I'm not sure if I'd even class it as a rom-com, it's more of a romantic drama. The central component of the story is the romance between the two main characters, but there isn't much comedy and certainly no laugh out loud moments. There are quite a lot of emotional scenes and towards the end of the movie, I was shocked at how dark things got for what I initially thought to be a rom-com.
Don't get me wrong, this movie still has a lot of the same tropes you'd expect from any romantic movie - loner boy meets sweet girl, they hit it off, she has a dumb boyfriend, he has a crush on a popular girl that only sees him as a friend and sleeps around the the jocks, the main pair deny their feelings until they finally admit it, everything's happy, then the pair inevitably come up against an obstacle before finding their way back to each other. We've seen it all before and we know it off by heart, but there is still something very unique about 'The First Time'.
What makes 'The First Time' different than others of this genre is how realistic it is and its focus on the characters Dave (Dylan O'Brien) and Aubrey (Britt Robertson) and their relationship. Although there are other characters and the two main characters interact with those other characters, it's still completely focused on their budding romance. Dylan and Britt's chemistry sells the romance and despite a majority of the movie being focused solely on them, I was engrossed. There is something about the way in which the movie is structured and the scenes between the two characters of Dave and Aubrey that feels incredibly intimate and authentic. Their conversations are fully fleshed out and time is spent to really show the process of the two of them getting to know each other. In most movies, it usually feels like there's a rush to get to the next scene or plot point, but 'The First Time' was very character driven, which I enjoyed. The dialogue feels realistic and natural (although, at times is a little melodramatic) and wasn't saturated with romantic cliches. Dave and Aubrey's conversations were exactly the kind of conversations people have when they first meet and are getting to know each other.
What I most admire about 'The First Time' is that it wasn't afraid to show the rocky road most of us go down when we meet someone new. Although Dave and Aubrey have an initial attraction and chemistry when they meet, the path to them realising that isn't easy. Towards the end, I was convinced that the two of them wouldn't find their happy ending and go their separate ways, and I admired that the movie pushed the boundaries of their romance in that way. The main obstacle that stands in their way towards the end is realistic and poignant, and not shallow or constructed. How they feel and what they go through is incredibly relatable and it was refreshing to see a romance movie that isn't based solely upon fantasy. The relationship feels real and is a reflection of a lot of relationships (particularly first-time relationships) between young people.
In addition, the exploration of love was just as refreshing. Instead of throwing the word love around or having the characters tell each other (or us) that they loved each other, we got to see the process of them falling in love without a label being put on it. One of my favourite moments is when Dave admits that he has never felt about anyone the way he feels about Aubrey, and that he doesn't know what those feelings are or what they mean. Love is a complicated emotion, particularly when you're experiencing it for the first time and I liked that the movie portrayed that sense of uncertainty and confusion that both characters go through as their feelings for one another evolve.
Finally, I love that despite being young and inexperienced, Dave and Aubrey show maturity and resilience in the way they handle the hurdles they face and the message this movie sends to its audience (particularly its younger audience). Unlike most romantic movies, 'The First Time' doesn't provide anyone with unrealistic expectations of love. Dave and Aubrey's relationship is far from perfect, and the movie could have easily ended with them going their separate ways and never speaking again, and that's what makes this movie so unique. Its message is that no two people are ever perfect for one another, there's no straight or easy route to love/relationships and it's easy to walk away the first time you hit a snag in a relationship, but if you have a unique bond with someone it's worth fighting for and working on.
Overall, I enjoyed 'The First Time' and would recommend it to anyone that's a fan of romantic movies. Dylan and Britt are great, their chemistry is on point and the love story between Dave and Aubrey isn't contrived or overly cliche, but organic and realistic. For those looking for a light-hearted or funny rom-com, this won't be for you, since it is much more emotional than one would expect from a romantic movie. But even then, I still believe this movie is worth a watch if only to put a slight dent in the over-the-top and cliched romantic fantasies present in the romance genre.
