Before I Fall

LANDON **1/2
Lately these YA sci-fi flicks are treading the same dreadful tropes, consisting of ridiculous romances, a boring plot, and sappy dialogue.  And while "Before I Fall" isn't necessarily a good film, it is certainly better than the likes of the boring "The 5th Wave" or the awful "Divergent."  It surprised me.  Granted, the script comes off pretty lackluster.  When it hits, it nails some of the emotional elements really well.  When it misses, it becomes corny and overfilled.  It also doesn't help that most of the other actors cash in incredibly mediocre performances, making most of these other characters obnoxious or really boring.  Despite these flaws though, I was very impressed with the acting chops of lead actress Zoey Deutch.  She is a huge reason why this film doesn't dissolve into total mediocrity.  It also helps that the moral of the film is pretty resonant, especially with younger audiences, and that the ending is refreshingly bold and ambitious.  At the end of the day, "Before I Fall" is a decent YA film that soars above most others, which, again, is not saying a whole lot really, but it'll do.