Just when we thought we’d exhausted the Netflix catalogue in self-isolation, they’ve blessed us with another original film The Half Of It to kill an hour and a half of your time.
If (like me) you’re thinking this is just another shitty teen romance movie, think again because this is *so* much more. Sure, the characters are a bunch of high school students, but this storyline is going to chew you up, spit you out and make you really *feel* something. Nearly 24 hours after I first watched this film, I still struggled to find the words to really do it the justice it truly deserves.
So stop what you’re doing, open a new tab, watch this film, then come back and join my colleague Steff and I in dissecting what exactly makes this film so great.
LAV: Not gonna lie, the paper person with the voiceover at the start immediately gave me “holy shit this is going to be sad and I am not emotionally prepared for this film” vibes and it was confusing as hell because my 0.2 seconds of research lead me to believe this was going to be a sweet love story. Then it just like… goes into normal high school life??
STEFF: I loooooveed the little story bit at the beginning – it was definitely a “strap in for bulk feels” indicator, which I still ignored because I thought the movie was just about to be a basic teen love story. My bad.
You know what else I loved? How Ellie Chu actually looks like she goes to high school and is a high school student. Just as an aside, Leah Lewis, who stars as Ellie, is twenty-three. Her birthday’s a month after mine.
LAV: YES! But then Aster Flores looks like a full-blown adult???
STEFF: YES! I SAID THE SAME THING.
LAV: Literally my first thought was “omg is she falling in love with the teacher?!”
STEFF: SAME.
LAV: But NO! We’re just going with the half-actual teens, half-full-grown adults vibe.
STEFF: I thought she was a student teacher and I was like “THAT’S A SPICY MEATBALL”.
LAV: LITERALLY! I was like “what the fuck this is a whole different movie.” But no, just poor casting.
STEFF: Aster’s stunning though, I totally get why Ellie and Paul were so into her.
LAV: Oh yeah! She made me want to bust out the brown hair dye again, which is NOT a good idea.
STEFF: Okay, so they’re at high school and we learn Ellie is smart as hell and her side hustle is writing other people’s essays for them. I bloody wish I was that smart back then.
Paul is a super sweet jock who asks Ellie to write love letters to Aster for him and she agrees because she needs the money. Thoughts/feelings/opinions about love letters being romantic? I personally froth a well written card on a birthday.
LAV: Ooft! I love a good love letter.
STEFF: I’ve never received a love letter though, HOW SAD.
LAV: Like YES! Write about your feelings, PLEASE! You’re going to write me a card? Marry me! That is SAD, but I’ll allow it because Harry surprising you at work is worth 1000 love letters.
STEFF: For the tape: Harry is my boo. Hi Harry!
ANYWAY, turns out Paul’s really bad at writing. So Ellie pretty much has to rewrite the letter for him and she gets super into it.
LAV: And in a not-at-all unexpected plot twist, she’s IN LOVE with Aster too. Honestly, the dedication to earning that coin is admirable. Like, I would be way too jealous for that.
STEFF: So true. Do you think Ellie realised from the beginning that she was in love with Aster? I feel like she definitely liked Aster, but the moment Ellie realised that she was also cultured and so ~ well read ~ then she really fell for her? How fucken cute was that spray painting bit?
LAV: I got the vibe that it was like a secret crush all along. Like I feel like she was always super into her. But then after she starts writing the letters she’s like oh shit, I’m so deep in the feels. (*cough* this is why everyone should write love letters *cough*).
Omg the spray painting thing killed me. Any sort of law-breaking activity spikes my anxiety really bad but also, I would sell my soul for somebody to go on an extended spray-painting date with me.
STEFF: Extended spray-dating date sounds so lovely. You could technically do that in isolation, just saying.
So between all the letter writing, we get a total cliche teen bit – which I loved – of Ellie and Paul spying on Aster to figure out what she loves. And all the while, Ellie and Paul are becoming the best of mates. He has a really large family, which drown him out I feel and Ellie only has her dad, so I feel like they really connected by opening up to each other in ways they haven’t to other people.
Also, Paul and his sausage tacos. I want a bloody sausage taco.
LAV: Yeah I feel like his huge family and Ellie’s lack of family was this cute little bonding moment. They’re so different but also super similar. Honestly, I’m a little bit sad that Ellie and Paul didn’t end up together. I know that’s not the purpose of the film but like, why did the director make me stan them so hard only to crush my dreams.
The sausage tacos made me very hungry. I need a sausage taco ASAP.
STEFF: Ohhh, I was the total opposite! I just really loved Ellie opening up and their friendship growing platonically… until Paul kisses her – how good’s high school. But before we get to that bit, my heart honestly swelled when I saw them drinking Yakult together while watching old movies. And Paul serving up his sausage taco to Ellie and her dad. I CRY.
LAV: Omg the relationship between Paul and Ellie’s dad was so wholesome. Honestly, everyone is so sweet in this movie except Aster’s douchey boyfriend. I want somebody to serve me sausage tacos and watch old movies with me and my dad.
STEFF: WHEN THEY COOKED TOGETHER AND PAUL TRIED TO KEEP UP MY HEART BURST. Okay, I’m lost in my feelings now. Where are we up to?
LAV: UGH I COULD’VE CRIED. Tbh I couldn’t get past the fact that Paul literally wasn’t even meant for Aster??? Like every time they went on dates I was like why the fuck has this man not given up? You don’t have to have everything in common with your s/o but fuck, this man should’ve found a gal who wanted to talk about sausage tacos (ME!). I know the letters were the whole point of the film but I couldn’t get over the fact that the entire premise of their relationship was a lie? And he just… kept going for it.
STEFF: And they absolutely didn’t have anything in common? Aster went on about wanting a deeper connection with a bloke, and Paul – sweet Paul – literally told Ellie that he likes Aster ‘cos she’s pretty. I had a big “OH C’MON” moment when Ellie started texting Aster as Paul ON THEIR DATE. And Paul was just sitting there, not on his phone, like ‘hehe haha hehe sausage taco.’
I would’ve gotten angrier about this bit but Ellie getting all up in her feels was cute.
LAV: LITERALLY. Like I’m not gonna victim blame Aster for being catfished, but like girl… he wasn’t even holding his phone??? How did you not realise the text clearly wasn’t from him.
STEFF: HE WASN’T. And he was just staring at her and out the window at Ellie who was SITTING IN HIS CAR, RIGHT OUSIDE THE DINER THEY WERE IN. I’m sorry, but Aster would’ve spotted her in real life. Ellie was literally right there. This was probably the one moment in the movie where I was like ‘yeah… nah, mate.’
Actually none of this would be happening because no one writes love letters anymore. Again, HOW SAD.
LAV: Also like… What the fuck was his plan when he left?? They walk outside together and Aster is just like… why is Ellie just chilling in your car???
STEFF: YES. What if she didn’t leave!?
LAV: This movie has some major plot holes. But also, she’s still got a fucking boyfriend the whole time?!?
STEFF: OMG, I forgot about him. What I liked is that the boyfriend wasn’t an obvious dickhead that you immediately hated. He’s just a totally self-obsessed dude.
LAV: Oooooft. Can we please talk about the fact that he PROPOSES without warning?! Dude, if somebody is going to propose to me, they’d want to at least bring up the idea of marriage first. Like sure, I love a good surprise, but Aster was so caught off guard. She clearly didn’t want to say yes.
That’s terrifying. NO THANK YOU.
STEFF: Also, aren’t they in high school still? Is this a small town thing?
LAV: YES! But also like the small religious town thing, so it’s not super weird. I’ve got quite a few friends who married their shitty high school boyfriends straight out of school
STEFF: But still, woof that’s young.
Okay, I’ve lost track of where we are again. Okay so Paul and Ellie meet up ahead of her recital? They’re thrift shopping and Paul’s telling her about the end of his date with Aster. They kissed, right? Again, you have a boyfriend but whatever. Then Ellie asks how you know someone wants to be kissed. God this brought back so many high school memz. Also, Paul picking out clothes for Ellie was very cute. I ! LOVE ! THEIR ! FRIENDSHIP !
LAV: Oh fuck yes! ITS SO CUTE! But also like why the fuck is everyone so mean to Ellie?
They fucked up her piano and they shout shit at her all the time. She’s soooo neutral, like she’s just out here helping people with their essays. Why are they all such dicks to her?! She was just trying to live her damn life in peace.
STEFF: OKAY I just remembered something else I really like about the film – the way it handled casual racism!
Props to director/writer Alice Wu for this. But like no one was explicitly, horribly racist to Ellie. But little things like ‘oh look, it’s Paul’s Chinese friend’ and ‘Chugga Chugga Chu Chu’ were examples of the casual racism in the town, and how racism isn’t always in your face, ya know? And the piano! Who does that, my god. But fuck you, dickhead, cos Ellie’s a multi-talented lass. And hell yeah to Paul for once again being a supportive friend. Friends supporting friends, I’m here for it.
LAV: Yeah, and when she walks into the party and everyone’s like CHINESE GIRL!!! Like what the fuck?! But bless Paul for being such a solid friend. Aster wasn’t the one for him but I like to think he found a sausage loving woman to do life with.
STEFF: As if she didn’t just tell everyone to fuck off. But I guess if you’re so used to it and it’s all you know, you wouldn’t know anything else, which is soooo sad.
LAV: Yeah, the fact that she just brushed it off and tried to ignore it broke my heart.
STEFF: I know! Even at the beginning of the movie when Ellie asks her dad why he hasn’t called the electricity people, and he’s like, ‘it’s because they don’t like my accent.’ That shit hit HARD. Anyway, Ellie gets sloshed as hell at the party and so Paul takes her back to his to sleep it off. And this is the part where he finds all the letters Ellie has written to food critics out of town about his sausage taco. He thinks the hype is just word of mouth so he’s genuinely so moved. I practically yelled AWWWWWWWWW throughout this entire scene, not gonna lie.
LAV: THEY’RE JUST SO SUPPORTIVE OF EACH OTHER UGHHHHHHH. I love it. Like for two people who are essentially polar opposites, they are each other’s hype men. It’s so wholesome.
STEFF: RIGHT! SO WHOLESOME!
Okay, this next bit. Do you want to explain it? The whole jump in my car let’s go for a ride to a natural hot spring and talk about life bit?
LAV: OH MY GOD I FORGOT ABOUT THIS.
STEFF: The closest I’ve been to this is like 2am outside sitting at the garden table, drunk on cruisers. Also, are Ellie and Aster even friends at this point? Or did they just randomly spend a day together?
LAV: So Ellie bumps into Aster in Paul’s bedroom, then Aster asks her to spend the day together (which is weird because we’ve never heard of them having any sort of relationship). They go on a hot springs adventure and just have this huge bonding moment. Honestly, I thought this was when Aster was like gonna kiss her but it didn’t happen because the director hates happiness at this point and don’t want anyone’s love life to be successful.
STEFF: RIGHT, they just bonded… with a little bit of sexual tension. Happens all the time, to be honest. Just… not usually in a hot spring. Imagine fucking off for the day to Peninsula Hot Springs with your mate. Bloody hell, I need that right now. Oh and context: Aster went to Paul’s house to deliver a painting and Ellie immediately commented on it in a way that Aster should’ve recognised to be honest.
After their day together, Aster heads back to Paul’s place and just kisses him. RIP boyfriend.
LAV: YES WHAT THE FUCK. Like I don’t understand what her deal is?! Just casually cheating IN PUBLIC in a small town?! As someone who grew up in a small town, I literally couldn’t even cough without EVERYONE knowing about it. How is she cheating without her boyfriend knowing?
STEFF: Oh my god I KNOW. So then the next day rolls around and it’s Paul’s big day on the field. This is when I was like “HMM” because he was super stoked Aster was there to support him kick around a ball, but he kept looking for Ellie in the crowd. Literally forgets to play NFL for a few seconds because he spotted Ellie.
LAV: Omg so sweet. They just hype each other up so much I love it. Ugh. And then he scores and breaks the team’s dry-spell! Not gonna lie, I felt a genuine proud mum moment when he scores the touchdown (?? I know nothing about sports). I am living for Paul being the talk of the town.
STEFF: Same, it was so sweet! And I was waiting for them to have a cute friend moment again. Ellie is stocking up on Yakult and Paul finds her AND DECIDES TO KISS HER. And of course Aster sees them and runs away pissed and Ellie freaks and then Paul realises that Ellie loves Aster and tells her she’s going to hell. What a fun five minutes that was.
LAV: I wanted them to end up together but like she DID NOT GIVE HIM THE LOOK.
Oh god, that whole scene gave me so much anxiety and weird feels of growing up in a small town where everyone bullied the shit out of the like two non-hetero kids. My heart broke for Ellie. Like imagine this traumatic experience, then having your best friend be like “it’s a sin, you’re going to hell.” I know she’s a fictional character but I imagine because she hasn’t left her small town, she’s likely already feeling super ashamed of her sexuality, and then this happens. Like god, this poor girl cannot catch a break.
STEFF: I know, I was so upset for her! She was all alone too, and it’s not like she’s going to tell her dad all of this so she literally had no one to talk to afterwards.
LAV: OH MY GOD. WHEN HER DAD ASKS PAUL IF THEY BROKE UP! MY HEART!
STEFF: I KNOW. Which brings us to the church scene. What the hell was that.
LAV: Oh god. I feel like this was the teen coming-of-age version of yelling “I object!” at a wedding (which is cringey as hell).
STEFF: YOU’RE SO RIGHT IT WAS. I was so uncomfortable.
LAV: Or like that scene in Shrek. The one where they’re all saying each other’s names (maybe that was just a weird me being not-at-all sober thought hahaha).
LAV: I can’t handle how awkward it was. Public proposals are only cute if the person knows you’re planning on proposing. Like sure, have a slight element of surprise. But for the love of GOD do not propose if you haven’t spoken about marriage with your partner.
STEFF: RIGHT. I thought that was bad enough and then Ellie full on screamed NOOOOOO. UGH, the point is Ellie subtly told Aster the truth and she was pissed.
LAV: And then she slaps Paul and storms out. And everyone else is just sitting there like “pass the popcorn.” Also, I refuse to believe that nobody in their small town has caught onto the fact that Aster is having a full-blown relationship on the side at this point.
STEFF: Same! Surely someone knew or saw something, they went to a diner together twice. Okay, shall we talk about the end? Like when Ellie finds Aster to talk about things?
LAV: Yeah, not gonna lie, it kind of confused me. Like… is Aster hinting that she’s gay? Is she saying she’s not? Is she still with her bf/fiancé? I have literally no idea what was happening here. Idk if I’m just stupid though.
STEFF: You’re not stupid! I think that was part of the point – to be confusing. I mean Aster literally says “its not like the thought never crossed my mind” but she also just doesn’t know. Like maybe she’ll know next week or next year. Despite looking 20-something, Aster is just a teen in the movie.
LAV: True, maybe she’s just confused. Also omg I didn’t think this movie was going to give us the kiss. But… it did. She goes for it. Aster gives Ellie ~ the look ~. Ellie turns that bike around, rides back and plants one on her.
STEFF: I found that bit so emotional! But Ellie finally looked at peace with herself riding away. And I thought that was how the movie was going to end… and then we had the final goodbye with Paul.
LAV: THE TRAIN SCENE! UGH! HE RAN AFTER THE TRAIN! HE REALLY DID *THAT*!
STEFF: Side note: when we see Ellie’s dad in uniform for the first time and back at work, I CRIED.
LAV: I ended up so emotionally invested in so many of the characters. Like I didn’t think I’d give a fuck about this movie and only watched because I was bored. But here I am hoping all of these fictional characters went on to find happiness in their adult lives. This was honestly such a fucking heartwarming film overall.
STEFF: I know! When Ellie looks around the train at the end, I got all misty eyed. And then I immediately texted all my friends telling them they have to watch the movie. So look, I bloody loved it. 14/10 recommend.
