Life in a Year

“One more?”

• Title: Life in a Year
• Director: Mitja Okron
• Release date: 27th November 2020

Executively produced by Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith. Starring Jaden Smith and Cara Delevingne, and featuring the return of on-screen duo Cuba Gooding Jr and Nia Long. I was expecting something good…

Life in a Year is a tear-jerking teen romance movie surrounding the life studious 17-year-old Daryn (Jaden Smith). After being captivated by a blue-haired beauty who goes by the name of Isabelle (Cara Delevingne), he soon learns that she only has a year left to live due to a brutal battle with cancer. In the hopes of allowing Isabelle to experience as much as possible before her death, the pair partake in a series of “milestones” in order to cherish the time that they still have with one another.

After reading this caption, I’m sure many of you are thinking that this is just like all the others. Another teen romance that tragically turns wrong. Movies such as The Fault in Our Stars, Charlie St. Cloud and All the Bright Places all begin to spring to mind. As much as I thought the same thing when I first read the movie synopsis, I was presently surprised with the outcome.

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Of course, the main thing that captured my attention was the fact that my childhood crush was playing the starring role, but besides that, Life in a Year had a lot to offer. Unlike some of the movies listed above, Life in a Year tackles this genre of film from a different angle compared to others of its type. For starters, Jaden has a few rap features throughout the film, so if you are a fan of some of Jaden’s music like his hit single ‘Icon‘, then I’m sure that this film will suit you perfectly. As well as this, Cara Delevingne’s character is far from your stereotypical teenage girl. With a cutting-edge sense of style (personally I have never seen a wedding dress like it), an abundance of tattoos and a spectacular collection of wigs to match, it could even be suggested that elements of Cara’s own edgy personality can be seen in Isabelle’s character.

Although it may not have been bursting with on-screen Oscar winning performances, I would still recommend this film to anyone looking for a captivating, heartfelt drama.

Warning: be prepared to laugh, cry and even bust out a few moves!