First Love (2022)

First Love earns its title by treating young romance not as a gimmick, but as a real, weather-changing force—tender, impulsive, and strangely brave—set against the quiet dread of the 2008 financial crash. A.J. Edwards frames these years with handsome, lived-in cinematography that makes ordinary moments feel like memories the instant they happen, while Hero Fiennes Tiffin and Sydney Park give the central relationship an unforced sincerity that’s easy to believe in. The vibe is intimate and bittersweet, a coming-of-age drama where love isn’t a fairy tale escape so much as a light you try to keep lit when everything else is flickering. It won’t be for viewers craving big twists or glossy teen-movie punchlines, but if you want a heartfelt, quietly ambitious romance that respects both the highs and the hard costs of growing up, it’s worth your time.

First Love is clearly aiming for a tender, coming-of-age romance framed by the anxiety and family strain of the 2008 financial crash, and you can feel the movie wanting to say something bigger than “boy meets girl.” The problem is it doesn’t quite pull its threads together: the recession backdrop, family drama, and relationship milestones often sit side-by-side rather than building into a focused emotional punch, which makes the pacing feel lumpy and the themes undercooked. If you’re hoping for a sharply observed romance or a meaningful dive into economic fallout, this may come off as pretty generic and only intermittently engaging. Still, the cast is earnest and there are a few sweet, low-key moments that will work if you’re in the mood for a straightforward, soft-edged first-love story and don’t need much depth.