Midnight Sun Reviews

Imagine living in the shadows your entire life, with no one to talk to but your dad and your best friend. For 17-year-old Katie (Bella Thorne), every day is a gift as she battles an incredibly rare disease known as “XP.” Her condition is life-altering, depriving her of a normal childhood and the simple joy of going outside during the day: XP is a disease that effectively blocks one’s DNA from repairing damage caused by UV light, leading to an irreversible deterioration of the brain and its general functions. Based on the 2006 Japanese film of the same name, Midnight Sun is a heart-wrenching story about a teenage girl and her first love. Director Scott Speer does passable work here, as he never undermines the story and doesn’t make any glaring mistakes that will upset audiences. There is nothing transcendent in Midnight Sun, but the plot is <I>just</I> good enough to be interesting, and the characters are likable enough to evoke a genuine reaction at the end of the 91-minute runtime.   Living with the incurable XP, young Katie is limited to watching the other kids play outside through her UV-protected windows. She spends every day with her hardworking, widowed father Jack (Rob Riggle) and best friend Morgan (Quinn Shephard). Although Katie’s situation is extremely unfair, she tries to make the best out of every moment. Instead of complaining about her predicament, she channels all of her negative energy into music by singing and playing her deceased mother’s guitar. And the best part of her day is when she watches her lifelong crush, Charlie (Patrick Schwarzenegger), skate by her window on his way to school. Although Katie is limited to the confines of her home during the day, she is allowed to explore the town at night; as long as the sun is down, her condition will not be triggered. One fateful night, her dream of meeting Charlie becomes a reality as he walks by her at the local train stop. Dumbfounded and nervous, Katie runs home as fast as she can, leaving her songbook behind and creating a sort of “Cinderella” scenario for Charlie. The two eventually start to hang out (during nights, of course) and the young couple grow closer and closer; but Katie struggles to tell Charlie the truth about her condition.   The cast of Midnight Sun are extremely likable, albeit without turning in memorable performances. Bella Thorne does a decent job handling the lead, and truly shines during her musical scenes. Schwarzenegger seems extremely dull and dry throughout much of the movie, but somehow displays a noticeable chemistry with much of the cast. Riggle and Shephard are mostly inserted for comic relief, but both show that they’re capable of much more than that by the end of the film.   The story is where Midnight Sun shines; despite how unrealistic it is, the plot will tug at the heartstrings of any viewer. Originally written by Kenji Bando and adapted for this English-language version by Eric Kirsten, the screenplay follows the tried-and-true formula of making audiences fall in love with the onscreen couple. There is an argument to be made that pairing a sick teenage girl with her lifetime crush might come across as lazy, but the characters’ humanity helps sell this contrived romance.   It is likely that Midnight Sun will fail to stand out in an oversaturated genre, but that shouldn’t take away from what the film does well. Although it isn’t particularly memorable in any one aspect, the movie still manages to tell a worthy story about a sick teen’s perseverance and drive to never give up. Rooting for yet another teenage romance is hard to do, but Midnight Sun finds a way to capture the audience’s attention and have them ride the emotional wave until the end. The film is just as much about Katie’s identity as a daughter, a musician, and a person as it is about her finding love, and for that alone it deserves a recommendation.