With her feature debut, Alberto keenly understands that any story of self-discovery is as much a constellation as it is a journey, and that’s how her adaptation plays, as a mature accumulation of the tender, the uneasy and the clarifying.
75
The Seattle TimesKatie Walsh
The Seattle TimesKatie Walsh
The stories of growing up and finding yourself remain the same, but it’s the moving performances and specific details embroidered on this one that make it so special.
The lead actors carry the film, and the individual scenes are strong, though it never quite captures the deep longing that is threaded throughout the original.
A less sentimental, wish-fulfilling approach to Mexican American identity, gay self-discovery and Reagan-era Texas will wait for another day. Until then, fans of “Heartstopper”-style slow-burn romance will eat up this tender film’s subtle charms.
Handled with great sensitivity by all involved, it comes off in all the most predictable ways.
50
ColliderErick Massoto
ColliderErick Massoto
It’s pretty easy to fall in love with Ari and Dante, but the movie is only in love with the idea of them, neglecting quality time between the characters that would really make us feel like they've traveled through galaxies and beyond.