My First Summer (2020)

My First Summer is the kind of quiet, luminous film that sneaks up on you: a sun-dappled coming-of-age romance where healing arrives not with grand speeches, but with small kindnesses and the courage to be seen. Director Katie Found builds a dreamy, immersive world on that remote property, and the cinematography makes every garden path and soft afternoon light feel like a private refuge the characters are discovering in real time. Markella Kavenagh and Maiah Stewardson bring an aching tenderness to Claudia and Grace, letting first love bloom with intimacy that feels gentle, truthful, and earned rather than sensational. It does brush up against grief and suicidal ideation, so it’s not a breezy watch, but if you’re open to a warm, queer love story that treats its characters with real compassion, it’s quietly unforgettable.

My First Summer is aiming for a tender, sunlit coming-of-age romance about two lonely teens finding each other at the exact moment they need it, and it largely succeeds in capturing that gentle, intimate mood. The problem is it can feel like it’s running on familiar indie-drama fumes: the characters and conflicts are sketched a bit thin, and the emotional beats sometimes land as sweet rather than earned. If you want a grounded, psychologically rich look at grief and trauma, you may find it undercooked and a touch saccharine. But if you’re in the mood for a soft, low-stakes, heartfelt first-love story with strong central performances and a warm atmosphere, it’s an easy, comforting watch.