• Latest
  • Trending
Float Review

Float Review: Bang Shines in Familiar but Affecting Rom-Com Drama

Without a Dawn Review

Without a Dawn Review: Introspection in a Cabin of Shadows

The Correspondent Review

The Correspondent Review: Richard Roxburgh’s Tour de Force

Bogieville Review

Bogieville Review: Low-Budget Ingenuity and Flawed Execution

Slow Horses

Slow Horses Rides Back on 24 September With Season 5

2 hours ago
A Minecraft Movie

SXSW Panel Reveals How Minecraft Movie Crafted a $948 M Blockbuster

2 hours ago
Ollie Madden

Netflix Poaches Film4 Chief Ollie Madden to Supercharge U.K. Movie Slate

3 hours ago
Mariska Hargitay

Hargitay’s ‘My Mom Jayne’ Lifts the Curtain on a Hollywood Tragedy

3 hours ago
Aureole – Wings of Hope Review

Aureole – Wings of Hope Review: Precision Platforming with a Divine Twist

Coastal Review

Coastal Review: Intimate Performances, Tepid Momentum

The Dark Money Game

The Dark Money Game Review: How Secret Funds Warped Democracy

Call of the Void Review

Call of the Void Review: Atmospheric Chills and Lingering Questions

Dovey's Promise Review

Dovey’s Promise Review: One Woman’s Stand Against Injustice

  • Home
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Gazettely Review Guidelines
Tuesday, June 3, 2025
GAZETTELY
  • Home
  • Movie and TV News
    Slow Horses

    Slow Horses Rides Back on 24 September With Season 5

    A Minecraft Movie

    SXSW Panel Reveals How Minecraft Movie Crafted a $948 M Blockbuster

    Ollie Madden

    Netflix Poaches Film4 Chief Ollie Madden to Supercharge U.K. Movie Slate

    Mariska Hargitay

    Hargitay’s ‘My Mom Jayne’ Lifts the Curtain on a Hollywood Tragedy

    frankenstein 2025

    Fans Push for Big-Screen Run After Netflix Drops Frankenstein Teaser

    Blake Lively Justin Baldoni

    Judge Faces New Twist as Lively Seeks to Trim Lawsuit Against Baldoni

    Jacob Elordi

    Elordi’s POW Drama Leads to Frankenstein and Wuthering Heights

    Paramount

    Paramount Sets July 2 Shareholder Meeting as Skydance Vote Looms

    Maggie Lawson

    Psych Alum Maggie Lawson to Lead CBS’s Boston Blue

  • Movie and TV Reviews
    The Correspondent Review

    The Correspondent Review: Richard Roxburgh’s Tour de Force

    Bogieville Review

    Bogieville Review: Low-Budget Ingenuity and Flawed Execution

    Coastal Review

    Coastal Review: Intimate Performances, Tepid Momentum

    The Dark Money Game

    The Dark Money Game Review: How Secret Funds Warped Democracy

    Call of the Void Review

    Call of the Void Review: Atmospheric Chills and Lingering Questions

    Dovey's Promise Review

    Dovey’s Promise Review: One Woman’s Stand Against Injustice

    The Balcony Movie Review

    The Balcony Movie Review: A Philosophical Perch on Human Transience

    What It Feels Like for a Girl Season 1 Review

    What It Feels Like for a Girl Season 1 Review: Before Trans Visibility Had a Name

    Bullet Train Explosion Review

    Bullet Train Explosion Review: Bureaucracy, Bombs, and the Weight of Duty

  • Game Reviews
    Without a Dawn Review

    Without a Dawn Review: Introspection in a Cabin of Shadows

    Aureole – Wings of Hope Review

    Aureole – Wings of Hope Review: Precision Platforming with a Divine Twist

    Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Brushes with Death Review

    Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Brushes with Death Review: A Painter’s Tale in Bohemia

    Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo Review

    Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo Review: Guiding Spirits with Style and Sincerity

    Blacksmith Master Review

    Blacksmith Master Review: The Satisfying Grind of Metal and Management

    Labyrinth Of The Demon King Review

    Labyrinth Of The Demon King Review: Unforgiving, Unforgettable Horror

    Cubic Odyssey Review

    Cubic Odyssey Review: An Ambitious Architect’s Space Dream

    Game of Thrones: Kingsroad Review

    Game of Thrones: Kingsroad Review: A Song of Systems and Sorrows

    To a T Review

    To a T Review: Finding Perfection in an Imperfect Shape

  • The Bests
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Movie and TV News
    Slow Horses

    Slow Horses Rides Back on 24 September With Season 5

    A Minecraft Movie

    SXSW Panel Reveals How Minecraft Movie Crafted a $948 M Blockbuster

    Ollie Madden

    Netflix Poaches Film4 Chief Ollie Madden to Supercharge U.K. Movie Slate

    Mariska Hargitay

    Hargitay’s ‘My Mom Jayne’ Lifts the Curtain on a Hollywood Tragedy

    frankenstein 2025

    Fans Push for Big-Screen Run After Netflix Drops Frankenstein Teaser

    Blake Lively Justin Baldoni

    Judge Faces New Twist as Lively Seeks to Trim Lawsuit Against Baldoni

    Jacob Elordi

    Elordi’s POW Drama Leads to Frankenstein and Wuthering Heights

    Paramount

    Paramount Sets July 2 Shareholder Meeting as Skydance Vote Looms

    Maggie Lawson

    Psych Alum Maggie Lawson to Lead CBS’s Boston Blue

  • Movie and TV Reviews
    The Correspondent Review

    The Correspondent Review: Richard Roxburgh’s Tour de Force

    Bogieville Review

    Bogieville Review: Low-Budget Ingenuity and Flawed Execution

    Coastal Review

    Coastal Review: Intimate Performances, Tepid Momentum

    The Dark Money Game

    The Dark Money Game Review: How Secret Funds Warped Democracy

    Call of the Void Review

    Call of the Void Review: Atmospheric Chills and Lingering Questions

    Dovey's Promise Review

    Dovey’s Promise Review: One Woman’s Stand Against Injustice

    The Balcony Movie Review

    The Balcony Movie Review: A Philosophical Perch on Human Transience

    What It Feels Like for a Girl Season 1 Review

    What It Feels Like for a Girl Season 1 Review: Before Trans Visibility Had a Name

    Bullet Train Explosion Review

    Bullet Train Explosion Review: Bureaucracy, Bombs, and the Weight of Duty

  • Game Reviews
    Without a Dawn Review

    Without a Dawn Review: Introspection in a Cabin of Shadows

    Aureole – Wings of Hope Review

    Aureole – Wings of Hope Review: Precision Platforming with a Divine Twist

    Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Brushes with Death Review

    Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Brushes with Death Review: A Painter’s Tale in Bohemia

    Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo Review

    Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo Review: Guiding Spirits with Style and Sincerity

    Blacksmith Master Review

    Blacksmith Master Review: The Satisfying Grind of Metal and Management

    Labyrinth Of The Demon King Review

    Labyrinth Of The Demon King Review: Unforgiving, Unforgettable Horror

    Cubic Odyssey Review

    Cubic Odyssey Review: An Ambitious Architect’s Space Dream

    Game of Thrones: Kingsroad Review

    Game of Thrones: Kingsroad Review: A Song of Systems and Sorrows

    To a T Review

    To a T Review: Finding Perfection in an Imperfect Shape

  • The Bests
No Result
View All Result
GAZETTELY
No Result
View All Result
Float Review

Rishi Sunak: Up Close Review - The Reluctant Prime Minister

Willie and Me Review: Quirky Tribute to an Icon

Home Entertainment Movies

Float Review: Bang Shines in Familiar but Affecting Rom-Com Drama

Bang Delivers in a Film That Transcends Cliches Through Emotional Truth

Arash Nahandian by Arash Nahandian
1 year ago
in Entertainment, Movies, Reviews
Reading Time: 5 mins read
A A
0
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on PinterestShare on WhatsAppShare on Telegram

On the surface, Float may seem like your average small-town summer romance, but this refreshingly heartfelt film has so much more simmering beneath the surface. Directed by Sherren Lee and adapted from a YA novel, the movie follows Waverly, a young woman at a crossroads in life who seeks solace in the charming rural community where her aunt lives. What she finds there is a journey of self-discovery filled with thoughtful introspection, poignant struggles, and a dash of sweet romance.

Now I don’t know about you, but I’m a sucker for a feel-good coming-of-age story that tugs at the heartstrings. And let me tell ya, Float had me hooked from the opening scenes. The tale captures that pivotal moment when we question expectations placed on us and have the courage to forge our own path. You can’t help but connect with the characters and themes on a deeper level.

While it hits many of the same narrative beats you’d expect, the emotionally resonant performance from lead actress Andrea Bang gives this film a certain lyrical quality I found deeply affecting. Float certainly delivered the feels I crave while bringing a fresh sensibility to the genre. If you too enjoy introspective, character-driven journeys about finding oneself, buckle up because you’re in for an absolute treat.

Finding Herself in a Seaside Town

When plans to visit her parents in Taiwan fall through, Waverly spontaneously travels to the idyllic seaside town where her Aunt Rachel lives to recalibrate. The high-achieving medical student has spent her whole life trying to meet the high expectations of her emotionally distant mom and dad, so this little detour is her first act of rebellion.

In the quirky community, Waverly crosses paths with Blake, Aunt Rachel’s hunky neighbor who works as a lifeguard. After Blake rescues Waverly from an accidental fall into the water, he offers to teach her how to swim during her stay.

As the lessons progress, the two start bonding over feeling constrained by responsibilities – Waverly by her parents’ vision for her future, and Blake for having to raise his younger sister. An attraction grows, but both struggle to admit deeper feelings due to their complex lives.

When her parents finally reach out, demanding she join a residency program in Toronto, Waverly recognizes she must take control of her own destiny. Her act of defiance gives Waverly the courage to open up to Blake as well as confront her mom and dad once and for all regarding their emotional distance. By claiming her power, she finds an empowering new direction.

Captivating Characters and Themes Give This Romance Wings

One of Float’s biggest assets lies in its endearing characters and resounding themes that left my heart so full. Set against a postcard-worthy small town, the story gives its central figures room to breathe and evolve. While on the surface it may follow a familiar girl-meets-boy script, the poignant writing and performances give the narrative extra dimension.

Float Review

In the lead role, Andrea Bang brings captivating emotional depth to Waverly’s journey of gaining autonomy in life and love. We experience her tangibly earnest self-reckoning, as she navigates asserting herself while dealing with the guilt of bucking expectations. Bang’s captivating range truly resonates.

Waverly’s aunt Rachel also shines as a vibrant supporting character, representing an alternate vision of life’s possibilities. And Blake makes the most of his scenes, as we witness his struggle to balance responsibility, dreams and romance entwine.

These richly-drawn personalities find powerful reflections in the story’s themes of breaking from prescribed paths to shape one’s own. The courage required feels palpable, cutting close-to-home for anyone who’s stretched their wings or had them clipped against their will.

While covering familiar ground, the writing insightfully explores independence and societal pressures with refreshing nuance. Moments of breezy humor help round out the poignancy. The film sings by getting to the emotional truth of self-actualization and relationships with authenticity and heart.

Sticking Too Close to the Romance Script

While Float succeeds on many character fronts, a few weaknesses surface in towing the line of formulaic romance tropes. The central relationship would have benefited from more time to nurture organic chemistry between Waverly and Blake. As is, the pair’s dynamic unfolds through convenient plot devices like swim lessons versus authentic interpersonal sparks. We get told they make sense together more than shown.

Float Review

Blake’s character also never moves beyond the stock dreamboat archetype in order to craft a fully dimensional person. Details about his interior world and backstory remain in shallow waters.

Additionally, Float touches on Waverly’s parents’ emotional limitations and expectations of her but doesn’t wade deeper into this rich source of conflict. Doing so could have injected the story with more tense, cathartic moments when she confronts them later on.

The customary rhythms of a screen romance end up overriding chances for these relationships’ untreated layers to be peeled back. In conforming to genre conventions, the bonds between certain characters float along the clichéd surface rather diving below for treasures of nuance and insight. Audiences wanting an escapist fairy tale may not mind, but those seeking depth get left treading water.

Picturesque Visuals and Melodies in Harmony

Float’s cinematography aptly complements the coming-of-age story by emphasizing the idyllic seaside locale and emotional arcs through effective filmmaking choices. Warm lighting and faded color palettes capture the sun-kissed, nostalgic essence of the quaint setting.

Float Review

The camera often follows Waverly on introspective walks along the beach and through verdant gardens, mirroring her contemplative headspace. Visual motifs like ripples on water tie back to central themes of disruption and going with the flow.

The dreamy, folksy soundtrack also echoes the characters’ mindsets through acoustic ballads and wistful piano melodies. The music swells during romantic and dramatic moments but largely remains an understated presence – a light touch that lets poignant scenes breathe. An elegant composition plays as Waverly assertively makes decisions, punctuating her growth.

These aesthetic and audio elements meld together to provide a lush atmosphere that effectively ushers viewers into this world and its bittersweet beauty. The technical craftmanship shows a light hand that lets the writing and performances guide our journey.

A Relatable Journey of Love and Self Worth Finding

Ultimately, I found Float to be a heartening coming-of-age tale that celebrates the self-realization journey we all take in one way or another. While familiar genre trappings keep it from diving to great dramatic depths, the film distinguishes itself through genuine emotion and thoughtful themes that touched me deeply.

Float Review

Central performances breathe vibrant life into the material, even where narrative dimensions feel thin. Andrea Bang in particular moved me profoundly as she gave such lyrical shape to Waverly’s yearning for purpose and agency.

Those who connect to stories about gaining courage, nurturing empowered identities, and learning what relationships require sacrifice will find pieces of themselves floating through this tale. The themes echo universally in crisp dialog and artful shots.

For hopeless romantics seeking fairytale endings, this offers just enough sweetness. And cynics may roll their eyes at parts. But approach with an open heart, and you’ll likely discover worthwhile currents flowing beneath the surface. While the tide only carries it so far, I found the trip down self-discovery’s river worthwhile, wherever it may lead for others. Worth seeing where it floats you.

The Review

Float

7 Score

Float may follow a familiar coming-of-age storyline, but strong performances and resonant themes of independence and self-identity help this rom-com drama rise above solely formulaic waters. Andrea Bang delivers particularly affecting work as the lead. While the plot beats can feel predictable and some characters underdeveloped, the movie finds an emotional truth in its central journey of gaining courage and autonomy. In the end, I connected more to the personal evolution versus the romance. I'd give Float a rating of 7 out of 10. It may not fully reinvent the wheel, but thoughtful moments provide rewarding payoffs.

PROS

  • Strong lead performance from Andrea Bang
  • Beautiful, charming small-town setting
  • Thoughtful coming-of-age themes of self-discovery
  • Resonant storyline and relationships
  • Lovely soundtrack complements the tones

CONS

  • Formulaic romantic storyline
  • Lacks chemistry between the two leads
  • Some underdeveloped supporting characters
  • Could have further explored family conflict
  • Conforms a bit too much to genre tropes

Review Breakdown

  • Overall 0
Tags: Andrea BangAndrew BachelorAron LevitzBrightlight PicturesChris PareCollective PicturesDan ManganDramaElevation PicturesFeaturedFloatJeff ChanJesse LaVercombeJesse ZubotMichelle KrusiecRobbie AmellRomanceSarah DesjardinsSherren Lee
Previous Post

Rishi Sunak: Up Close Review – The Reluctant Prime Minister

Next Post

Willie and Me Review: Quirky Tribute to an Icon

Try AI Movie Recommender

Gazettely AI Movie Recommender

This Week's Top Reads

  • Mountainhead Review

    Mountainhead Review: Deepfakes and Deep Trouble

    1 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Boglands Review: Shadows and Whispers in the Irish Mist

    1 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Death Valley Review: A Witty Welsh Wander into Cosy Crime

    1 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • The Librarians: The Next Chapter Season 1 Review – Bridging Eras with Spellbinding Charm

    25 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • The Better Sister Season 1 Review: Not Quite a Killer Thriller

    16 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Nine Puzzles Season 1 Review: Puzzle Pieces, Pain, and Police Procedurals

    1 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • MobLand Season 1 Review: Family Ties and Underworld Intrigues

    1 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Must Read Articles

Bullet Train Explosion Review
Movies

Bullet Train Explosion Review: Bureaucracy, Bombs, and the Weight of Duty

18 hours ago
Game of Thrones: Kingsroad Review
Reviews Games

Game of Thrones: Kingsroad Review: A Song of Systems and Sorrows

3 days ago
Stick Season 1 Review
TV Shows

Stick Season 1 Review: Owen Wilson Drives a Heartfelt, Flawed Dramedy

3 days ago
Destination X Review
Entertainment

Destination X Review: A Game of Veiled Realities

4 days ago
Earnhardt Review
Entertainment

Earnhardt Review: The Anatomy of a NASCAR Titan

4 days ago
Loading poll ...
Coming Soon
Who is the best director in the horror thriller genre?

Gazettely is your go-to destination for all things gaming, movies, and TV. With fresh reviews, trending articles, and editor picks, we help you stay informed and entertained.

© 2021-2024 All Rights Reserved for Gazettely

What’s Inside

  • Movie & TV Reviews
  • Game Reviews
  • Featured Articles
  • Latest News
  • Editorial Picks

Quick Links

  • Home
  • About US
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise with Us
  • Review Guidelines

Follow Us

Facebook X-twitter Youtube Instagram
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Movies
  • Entertainment News
  • Movie and TV Reviews
  • TV Shows
  • Game News
  • Game Reviews
  • Contact Us

© 2024 All Rights Reserved for Gazettely

Go to mobile version