To the Stars

A charmingly old-fashioned story of teen entanglements

Movies Drama Friendship
109 min     5.8     2019     USA

Overview

To the Stars is a lovely black-and-white drama about a teenage wallflower and a vivacious new student who feel like they don’t belong in this world and who eventually form an intimate friendship.

Set in the 1960s in Oklahoma, the story focuses on these two, Iris Deerborne (Kara Hayward) and Maggie Richmond (Liana Liberato), showing their lives all covered up with melancholy and uncertainty that emphasizes their insecurities.

With its slim narrative and muted tone, To the Stars shows us two opposites – a shy and reserved Iris and edgy and confident Maggie, who comes to town from a big city to join her parents. The more time the girls spend together, the more they complement each other's lives in what they lack. Maggie encourages Iris to be more assertive with guys, while for Maggie, Iris represents a safe space where she can be herself. Despite being completely different, the girls connect because they are both genuine and can be vulnerable.

The charm of To the Stars is the chemistry between the two characters. Unfortunately, the final 20 minutes of the movie feel rushed and poorly motivated, leaving the viewers with the sense of incompleteness.

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