Director: Chris Foggin

Writer: Sebastian De Souza, Preston Thompson (Screenplay)

Starring: Will Poulter, Jamie Blackley, Geraldine Somerville, Pip Torrens, Robert Portal, Sarah Woodruff

Plot: Set against the backdrop of an underground, bohemian London, Kids In Love offers a new take on the traditional coming of age story. Drifting through his gap year with internships and travel plans, Jack (Will Poulter) has always suspected there was more to life than this. A chance encounter with the beautiful and ethereal Evelyn (Alma Jodorowsky) and her friends, including free spirited Viola (Cara Delevingne), swerves his life radically off course. She is like no one he’s ever met before, and he quickly becomes caught up in a whirlwind of all-day parties and wild nights in London’s hidden dives with her charismatic friends. Giving up everything to follow Evelyn and her hedonistic lifestyle, it takes Jack a while to realise what he’s leaving behind, that love isn’t a game you want to lose and that these people might not be the kindred spirits he first thought.

Runtime: 1 Hour 27 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Verdict: Solid Coming of Age Film

Story: Kids in Love starts as we meet Jack (Poulter) who is planning his gap year with his best friend Tom (Blackley) before heading to university, with Jack’s career lined up by his father, this changes when Jack meets Evelyn (Jodorowsky) who lives a free spirit life with Viola (Delevingne) and other friends, that treat life as a party.

As Jack spends more time with Evelyn and her friends, he starts to think about his future and whether he should continue to follow the plans his father planted in him or whether he should start doing something for himself.

Thoughts on Kids in Love

Characters – Jack is a teenager facing the most difficult decision of his life, whether to continue on his plan of a gap year and university or jump at the opportunity of love that has come from nowhere, he doesn’t know which one is the right choice and won’t get a chance to change his decision once he goes through with it, this character shows how difficult life can be when things change suddenly in it. Evelyn is the French woman that Jack meets, she is a free spirit with how she acts, living a life of luxury with friends, she teaches Jack about new ways to enjoy life. Tom is the best friend that has been saving for the gap year with Jack, he does get upset when he starts thinking about changing his mind. We have a couple of other characters which include ones the same age trying to encourage people to join the fun and parents not wanting them to have it.

Performances – Will Poulter is the star of the show here, he shows the confliction that is felt by a lot of people this age at this time of life, Alma Jodorowsky does make for a good love interest, being confusing with how her character acts through the film. The rest of the cast are solid without getting the biggest moments to shine.

Story – The story here follows a teenager about to start the next chapter of his life, only to meet a stranger who offers him a new look at life, one that could make him want to reconsider his life plan. This is a coming of age story that puts the highlight on just how difficult being this age will be, you think you might have it planned out, until something completely different comes your way. The idea behind the story is great to see, though some of the execution isn’t as strong as the idea with too much not coming from what has been created with how Jack is thinking, as Evelyn doesn’t ever get put in a good light with her actions through the film.

Romance – The romance shows how Jack might have fallen in love, only for this person to be one of the ones that will only make his life more complicated.

Settings – The film uses the London setting to show us just how connected people’s lives might well be.

Scene of the Movie – The first party.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – Most of Evelyn’s actions.

Final Thoughts – This is a solid coming of age story that shows us all just how hard life can be at this age for everyone.

Overall: Coming of Age 101.