Five Feet Apart
(2019)Cole Sprouse and Split's Haley Lu Richardson fall in love while in hospital in this teen romance that marks Justin Baldoni's feature debut.... More
While in hospital with a severe case of cystic fribrosis, seventeen-year-old Stella Grant (Richardson) meets a very charming fellow CF patient named Will Newman (Sprouse). Though instantly attracted to each other, restrictions mean they must maintain a safe distance between them. As their connection intensifies, so does temptation—and Will’s dangerous rebellion against his ongoing medical treatment. Stella gradually inspires Will to live life to the fullest, but can she ultimately save the person she loves when even a single touch is off limits?Hide
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Directed by Justin Baldoni (feature debut)
Starring Haley Lu Richardson, Cole Sprouse, Moisés Arias, Kimberly Hebert Gregory, Parminder Nagra, Emily Baldoni, Gary Weeks
Out Now (On-Demand,
DVD or Blu-Ray)
On Demand, DVD & Blu-Ray
Available from 6 providers
Flicks Review
BY Amanda Robinson Flicks Writer
Five Feet Apart is a film for the tumblr generation. It’s just a shame it’s seven or eight years late. With a plot suspiciously similar to an episode from Grey’s Anatomy’s seventh season, Five Feet Apart follows Stella (Haley Lu Richardson) and Will (Cole Sprouse), two young cystic fibrosis patients who meet and fall in love when they’re assigned to the same hospital ward. Forced to remain five feet apart in order to avoid infection, the couple explore the boundaries of trust and intimacy in a relationship where touch is off-limits.... More
Haley Lu Richardson (Support The Girls, Columbus) is the film’s strongest element. Her performance recalls early Rachel McAdams; one of those faces where everything registers. Cole Sprouse continues his angsty, brooding Riverdale thing—vulnerability disguised by nihilism—to charming effect. Moises Arias of Hannah Montana fame does well as Poe, another cystic fibrosis patient and Stella’s best friend since they were kids. At moments it does feel weird to watch these celebrities play at having this life-threatening disease, but both cast and crew are said to have worked with a cystic fibrosis foundation in an attempt to respect real life patients in their portrayals.
Based on the book of the same name, Five Feet Apart certainly feels very Young Adult Romance in a similar vein to The Fault In Our Stars, leaning heavily into cliche and melodrama. Directed by Jane The Virgin actor Justin Baldoni, this point is perhaps most aptly illustrated by the multiple montages set to indie folk band Daughter.
While understanding that this is a film made for teenagers, the film’s approach toward sex is frustratingly facile. That being said, there is some heavy flirting here, and a scene by the pool in particular feels destined to crystallise as a gifset, reblogged into eternity.
A stunning lead performance keeps the film a pleasant watch but unfortunately Five Feet Apart doesn’t really broach any new ground for the ‘sick teens fall in love’ genre.Hide
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Five Feet Apart
The Press Reviews
Sprouse and Richardson are proven heavyweights in the young-adult pocket of Hollywood, but this soft-hearted teen romance spreads on sugary sentiment too thickly to leave a lasting message. Full Review
It's the best tear-jerker in a long time; one box of tissues might not be enough. On a deeper level, it earns some of that emotion through a story based on a real dilemma. Full Review
[Richardson] surely realises, as Fault's Shailene Woodley did before her, that this is the kind of marshmallow martyrdom that has to be briskly worked through before they let you at the grownup scripts. Full Review
Richardson and Sprouse attack their roles with gusto, never patronising the material. Full Review
Its heart is in the right place, but its brain runs from it... Full Review
...phoney emotions and baloney contrivances... Full Review
Richardson can do just about anything, and her performance in "Five Feet Apart" demonstrates a new depth to her range. She brings a knowing soulfulness to every aspect of Stella's journey. Full Review
Though a glossy, romantic drama aimed at a youth audience may not be the most realistic way to capture the cystic fibrosis experience; it does create awareness and understanding of cystic fibrosis. Full Review
Five Feet has enough charisma and chutzpah to set it apart from your bog-standard, manipulative disease-of-the-week drama that now seems to dominate streaming services. Full Review
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