Chemical Hearts (2020)

Chemical Hearts is special because it treats teenage love not as a cute phase, but as something seismic—messy, intense, and capable of cracking you open. Richard Tanne directs with a gentle, unshowy confidence, letting silences land and emotions breathe, while Austin Abrams and Lili Reinhart give performances that feel lived-in, their chemistry sparking even when the mood turns bruised and uncertain. The vibe is intimate and aching rather than glossy, a coming-of-age romance steeped in the way grief can distort affection and the way first love can still be real even when it isn’t simple. It’s not for viewers looking for a bubbly, escapist teen rom-com, but if you want a sincere, tender film that respects young feelings and doesn’t wink at them, this one stays with you.

Chemical Hearts is aiming for a bruised, introspective teen romance about first love colliding with grief, and it does have a sincere desire to treat its characters’ pain seriously. The problem is it often leans on familiar YA beats and convenient plot turns, so the “messy and real” emotions can feel more scripted than lived-in, with earnest dialogue that occasionally tries too hard to sound profound. Austin Abrams and Lili Reinhart do what they can to sell the hurt (Reinhart, especially, brings weight to the silences), and the high-school newspaper angle gives it a mildly fresh frame. If you’re hoping for a subtle, organic romance or a story that earns its big feelings, this may frustrate you; if you’re okay with a moody, melodramatic coming-of-age that wears its heart on its sleeve, it’ll go down easier.