Midnight Sun

Name: Midnight Sun
Genre: Drama, Romance
Released: March 23, 2018
Duration: 91 min
Rating: 38
Cast: Austin Obiajunwa, Bella Thorne, Jenn Griffin, Ken Tremblett, Nicholas Coombe

2018

METASCORE

Generally unfavorable reviews based on 14 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 34 Ratings

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5.9

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5.9	User Score Mixed or average reviews based on 34 Ratings

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Midnight Sun: Just Charlie

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Movie Details & Credits

Open Road Films (II) | Release Date: March 23, 2018 | PG-13

Starring: Austin Obiajunwa, Bella Thorne, Jenn Griffin, Ken Tremblett, Nicholas Coombe, Norm Misura, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Paul McGillion, Quinn Shephard, Rob Riggle, Suleka Mathew, Tiera Skovbye

Summary: Midnight Sun is a romantic tearjerker about 17-year-old Katie Price (Bella Thorne), sheltered at home since childhood with a rare genetic condition, a life-threatening sensitivity to sunlight. Having only her father Jack (Rob Riggle) for company, Katie's world opens up after dark when she ventures outside to play her guitar. One night,Midnight Sun is a romantic tearjerker about 17-year-old Katie Price (Bella Thorne), sheltered at home since childhood with a rare genetic condition, a life-threatening sensitivity to sunlight. Having only her father Jack (Rob Riggle) for company, Katie's world opens up after dark when she ventures outside to play her guitar. One night, her dreams come true when she's noticed and asked out by her longtime crush Charlie (Patrick Schwarzenegger), whom she's secretly watched from her bedroom window for years. As they embark on nightly summer excursions, Katie's risk to sunlight grows and she's presented with the gut-wrenching dilemma of whether she can live a normal life with her newfound soul mate. … Expand

Director: Scott Speer

Genre(s): Drama, Romance

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 91 min

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Critic Reviews

Vince Mancini

Mar 28, 2018

It’s still saccharine, overwrought, blandly acted, painfully earnest, and uber-dramatic, and constantly staring longingly at the night sky and bodies of water for some reason, but… teen romance is all of those things. It fits. Maybe the Sparks formula isn’t so bad as long as Sparks himself isn’t involved. Read full review

RogerEbert.com Christy Lemire

Mar 23, 2018

Both actors are gorgeous, of course, which heightens the romantic fantasy of it all, but there's also a naturalism to them that's appealing. Read full review

Frank Scheck

Mar 22, 2018

Midnight Sun does an effective job of tugging at vulnerable teenage hearts, while managing to provide a few laughs along the way. None of the film rings remotely true, especially the cornball conclusion, but the two young leads are so darn attractive and appealing that one can't help being caught up in their characters' poignant romance. Read full review

Alonso Duralde

Mar 22, 2018

Mawkish, bland and banal, this dreary love story — and it’s no “Love Story” — seems to think it can throw together dying girl and handsome prince, and that’s all there is to it. Read full review

Staff (Not credited)

Mar 23, 2018

Leads Thorne and Schwarzenegger are mildly charming in a TV-soap way, but it’s all so desperately clean and savoury (even her XP is photogenic – unlike in reality). Read full review

Katie Walsh

Mar 23, 2018

Despite the ever-present layer of cheesiness, every now and again, some of those emotions are just big enough to land a somewhat effective blow right to the heart. Read full review

Danielle White

Mar 28, 2018

Perhaps it’s just not-the-best-translation of "Taiyō no Uta," the title of the 2006 Japanese original, but I’m (unfortunately) not a language scholar, so I can’t be certain either way. What I can tell you is that this remake kind of sucks. Read full review

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User Reviews

meydianarizki21

Oct 25, 2022

Okay really obsessed with this movie, I think I am going to be watching this movie many more times it's just beautiful, I have no idea why this movie is just sticking with me, maybe because it is a beautiful movie or I just really enjoyed watching it. This movie is one of those movies thatOkay really obsessed with this movie, I think I am going to be watching this movie many more times it's just beautiful, I have no idea why this movie is just sticking with me, maybe because it is a beautiful movie or I just really enjoyed watching it. This movie is one of those movies that you watch and it sticks around in your head for a little while longer, for example I watched five feet apart and that movie was stuck in my head for a good couple of weeks, why?… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Vader12

Sep 11, 2021

Great movie with very real emotion. Highly recommend for almost anyone. The Schwarzenegger kid’s acting was pretty rough, and that probably hurt the reviews, but everyone else is excellent. writing and cinematography are excellent as well.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

queenthorne99

Mar 23, 2018

Such a great film, I laughed, I cried and I also enjoyed the music. Both Bella Thorne's and Patrick Schwarzenegger's performance was outstanding.

0 of 3 users found this helpful03

nooker

Oct 19, 2022

Loved the movie. I honestly do not understand the low critic scores for it.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

GreatMartin

Mar 27, 2018

Of the 7 movies, I have seen so far in March, the 2 best ones revolved around teenagers. The first “Love, Simon” is the first Hollywood production dealing with a gay male teenager coming out in high school and the reactions of his friends, schoolmates, males, females and his parents. It is aOf the 7 movies, I have seen so far in March, the 2 best ones revolved around teenagers. The first “Love, Simon” is the first Hollywood production dealing with a gay male teenager coming out in high school and the reactions of his friends, schoolmates, males, females and his parents. It is a smart, thoughtful and touching film about someone ‘different’ that should be seen.

In the second film, “Midnight Sun” the main character is a straight teenage female who is also different in the sense she has xeroderma pigmentosum or XP, a very rare disease that makes her hypersensitive to the sun and has spent most of her life indoors being homeschooled and very little interaction with people, let alone other teenagers. Her mother died when she was 5, though I don’t recall if it was of the same disease.

Katie’s father is devoted to her and does everything he can to fulfill her life with both being aware it will be shortened no matter what care they take. Her best friend Morgan since childhood visits every day, and it is due to her that Katie finally meets Charlie who she has watched for years passing by her house and becomes the love of her young life.

“Midnight Sun” is a tearjerker and the screenplay by Kenji Bando and direction by Scott Speer tugs at the heartstrings manipulates the audience’s feelings, throws in a few laughs and in spite of a few missteps delivers the goods.

Bella Thorne as Katie is beautiful, obviously talented, has good chemistry with all the actors, especially with Patrick Schwarzenegger as Charlie. Yes, Patrick is the son of Arnold and though not as muscle-bound as his father was at the same age but he is better looking with definite model looks as one scene in his underwear will attest to. He does make an impression in his first starring role and could likely have a modest screen career.

Rob Riggle as Katie’s father does an excellent job and Quinn Shepard as Morgan has the ‘second banana’ role down pat getting the needed laughs along with the best friend empathy needed.

Though it is corny here and there and has a major misstep of making Katie a singer, the young leads are so appealing that you get caught up, not only in their romance but, their fight to get her home before the sun comes up.

It was recently said by 2—count them—two—friends that yes I may have lost my sense of humor as I’ve grown old but “Midnight Sun” proves that my tear ducts are still over flowering!… Expand

0 of 3 users found this helpful03

CoKronakan

Apr 5, 2019

Underrated for the cheesy love story, rightfully so. BUT also underrated for it's complex emotional value and the message of the movie. Despite the awfully executed love story, the life lesson of the movie was to great to shrug. The acting was above average at best for most part, which didUnderrated for the cheesy love story, rightfully so. BUT also underrated for it's complex emotional value and the message of the movie. Despite the awfully executed love story, the life lesson of the movie was to great to shrug. The acting was above average at best for most part, which did not radiate immersion but the script and the creative turn of events did. The cliche/corny love story fastly fades away and get's overshadowed by the meaningful interactions of the characters that really mattered in the plot of the movie. Sadly the supporting actress outperformed the main protagonist and did not help the plot to develop, also due to Shepard's pure and raw beauty plus the hipster style made the common scenes about her and not about the protagonist. At the end half of the elements where handled badly and executed poorly, though the rest of the elements where handled with care to detail and with emotion that created a very powerful emotional aura and had it's deep artistic moment and delivered the message the movie set out to bestow on the audience.
Overall it's a cheesy above average movie with great message and a poorly executed super cliche love story.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Lewis65

Jan 25, 2019

Potentially the worst movie I've ever seen. Hacky acting on top of a plot that fundamentally makes zero sense. Teen romance movies don't have to be trash, as shown by Love, Simon, but this one went right ahead anyway.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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