justamomentago

I went into the film with high expectations due to critics's high praises but was let down repeatedly. A Part of You follows Agnes and her struggles after her sister (Julia)'s death in a car accident. Prior to her death Julia is the popular kid at school with a group of friends and the perfect boyfriend while Agnes is a misunderstood loner. Agnes begins to emulate her sister to cope with her grief; wearing the same clothes, engaging in the same risky behavior as her sister, trying to be buddy-buddy with Julia's friends, and even messing around with her late sister's boyfriend Noel.

The film holds tropes that should have you tearing up, a young person dies prematurely in a tragic way, their loved ones struggle with coping their death and the protagonist finds their way the grief to thrive despite their struggles. I found it difficult to empathize with the main characters, they were two-dimensional and the epitome of privilege. The film attempts to have great depth and shifts in Agnes's character but her actress (Felicia Maxime) relies heavily on the same mannerisms throughout the entire film to portray different emotions (hugging her arms to her chest, turning into herself, and a blank faced expression) that are very stereotypical and bland ways to portray for a teen girl going through immense sadness and insecurity, causing her character to fall flat.

The conclusion was predictable yet still forced. No issues get resolved, you are left with more questions than answers. No overall message is achieved in the conclusion other than 'maybe you shouldn't try to become your sister when she dies' and 'popular people aren't always happy'.

The casting choices were questionable. Zara Larson (Julia) and Felicia Maxime truly look like sisters but Larson's inclusion felt like a grab to get more viewers to watch the film through her immense following and previous success, similarly for Edvin Ryding (Julia's boyfriend).