Movie · 2020 · Drama, Romance · 1h 47m · PG-13 · English
Curator score: 1.5/10 (48.4K ratings)
Overview
A 17 year old finds out that his girlfriend is dying, so he sets out to give her an entire life, in the last year she has left.
Ratings
Curator score: 1.5/10
IMDb: 6.3/10
Letterboxd: 2.79/5
TMDB: 8.2/10
Director
Mitja Okorn
Production
Columbia Pictures, Overbrook Entertainment
Cast
Jaden Smith, Cara Delevingne, Cuba Gooding Jr., Chris D'Elia, JT Neal, Stony Blyden, Peter MacNeill, RZA, Nia Long, Michelle Giroux, Brian Frank, Pedro Miguel Arce, Marty Adams, Elie Gemael, Carlos Albornoz, Jim Annan, Leah Doz, Michael A. Miranda, Big Sean, Samantha Helt
Curator Review
Verdict
A clumsy, melodramatic YA romance built on a terminal-illness premise that feels dated, tonally messy, and often unintentionally funny. Even when it aims for heartbreak, the script leans on clichés and awkward side plots more than genuine emotional insight.
Best for
Viewers who enjoy earnest, highly sentimental teen romances
Fans of so-bad-it’s-interesting melodrama
People curious about a late-shelved YA tearjerker
Skip if
You’re tired of the sick-girl trope
You want nuanced writing or believable teen behavior
You’re looking for a polished romance or a serious cancer drama
Overview
Life in a Year wants to be a sweeping first-love tragedy, but it keeps tripping over its own awkward plotting and dated YA-movie instincts. The setup is familiar, the emotional beats are telegraphed, and the film often feels like it was assembled from leftover pieces of better teen romances and disease dramas.
Worth noting
There are moments where the cast tries to sell the material, and the movie does have a sincere streak underneath the mess. But the tonal whiplash is hard to ignore: broad comedy, cringe side characters, and odd contemporary references sit right next to scenes that are clearly meant to devastate.
Bottom line
The result is less a cathartic romance than a reminder of how fragile this subgenre is when the script doesn’t earn its tears. If you’re looking for a polished young-love tragedy, there are much stronger options; if you’re in the mood for an earnest misfire, this has that in abundance.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Tyler Burnett (2★) · 552 likes
you can tell this movie was shelved for a few years because the teens are desperately trying to get into a big sean concert
ray · 468 likes
this "sick girl" trope gotta gooooo
maru_chan876 (1★) · 443 likes
The fault in Jaden's stars.
Emilio Miguel Torres (0.5★) · 203 likes
An itemized list of the the 10 biggest sins this film commits:
1. Chris D'elia plays a drag queen.
2.We are told to believe a wild hedgehog could be found on the streets of New York City.
3. Cuba Gooding Jr. almost beats his child and his only punishment is sleeping on a couch.
4. Big Sean is portrayed as a good rapper.
5. A character exists purely for the film to be fatphobic in a really weird and unfunny… more An itemized list of the the 10 biggest sins this film commits:
1. Chris D'elia plays a drag queen.
2.We are told to believe a wild hedgehog could be found on the streets of New York City.
3. Cuba Gooding Jr. almost beats his child and his only punishment is sleeping on a couch.
4. Big Sean is portrayed as a good rapper.
5. A character exists purely for the film to be fatphobic in a really weird and unfunny… more