The Half of It (2020) Movie: Alice Wu’s Teen Romance Gets Love Right
Netflix’s The Half of It marks Alice Wu’s return to directing after a 15-year break. This teen romance features Leah Lewis as Ellie, a bright student living in rural Washington.
The cast includes Daniel Diemer as sweet jock Paul and Alexxis Lemire as popular Aster. What begins as simple letter writing evolves into something much deeper.
Story That Actually Works
Ellie helps Paul write letters to win Aster’s heart. The problem? She’s falling for Aster herself. This creates a love triangle that feels real instead of forced.
Wu builds these relationships slowly. The bond between Ellie and Paul becomes surprisingly touching. Their friendship grows from an unlikely partnership into genuine care.
Acting That Feels Natural
Leah Lewis shines as Ellie, balancing smart-girl wit with teenage uncertainty. She makes Ellie’s struggles with identity and family responsibility feel completely believable.
Daniel Diemer breaks the jock mold with his Paul. He’s kind, thoughtful, and actually listens. Their friendship scenes had me rooting for both characters equally.
Why This Movie Clicks
The dialogue sounds like real teenagers talking, not writers trying to be clever. Wu gives characters time to breathe and grow without rushing into drama.
Small-town life feels authentic here. The LGBTQ+ storyline never feels like a checkbox exercise. It’s woven naturally into Ellie’s journey of self-discovery.
Where It Stumbles
The ending arrives too quickly after careful character building. I wanted more time with these people Wu created so thoughtfully.
Aster deserved better development. For someone so central to the story, she remains somewhat mysterious. More scenes showing her perspective would have helped.
What Critics Are Saying
Rotten Tomatoes shows 97% approval from reviewers. Critics praised the film’s smart approach to familiar teen movie territory.
Roger Ebert’s site called it fresh and inspired. Variety highlighted the beautiful friendship at the story’s center. Most reviews celebrate Wu’s thoughtful direction.
Bottom Line
The Half of It proves teen movies can be smart without being pretentious. Wu respects her characters and never talks down to viewers.
I loved how friendship gets equal weight with romance. Paul and Ellie’s connection feels as meaningful as any love story. It’s a gentle, honest film about growing up.
Rating: 4/5
