This was a good coming-of-age movie which resonated with me quite a bit. It successfully captures the feelings of growing up, first love, and jealousy which are relatable for many people, me included. When I was Danny's age, I was in a similar boat as him in certain respects and my background helped me to relate to his character quite a bit. I also found Trevor memorable. While he and Danny had their differences with each other, they were still able to get along reasonably well. One gets the impression that, though they're not close friends, they're able to tolerate each other due to their shared attraction to Freya. Speaking of which, Freya is a fine character as well, even though she's not quite as memorable. She gets into some risky situations, faces the consequences of them, and attempts to recover. Not a whole lot to dig at with her, but she isn't bland by any means. For instance, that she's a soul mate to Danny is probably her most memorable trait. Technically speaking, the film is pretty good as well. The usage of natural lighting, particularly for the scenes which take place at evening where you get golden hour light, look really pretty. The paranormal aspect to certain scenes was a nice touch as well (even though I wished the film would've done a bit more with this aspect). The only reservation I had is with the noticeable disconnect between Danny's actions and how the movie wants you to feel about his character. Throughout the film, his love for Freya remains consistently creepy, with him spying on her changing clothes, stealing her underwear, and attempting to hypnotize her so he can look up her skirt. While I normally don't mind unlikable characters, I think the movie asks you to feel sympathy for him in the ending and that connection wasn't there for me. I also think the film tries to convince you that Danny is a better romantic partner for Freya than Trevor, and that fell flat for me as well. In spite of that, however, I did enjoy the movie quite a bit. While teen romance films aren't necessarily my favorite type of film out there, this one ranks amongst the better ones I've seen.
Review of The Year My Voice Broke
