Quick Info
So, "The Half of It" is a coming-of-age romance that came out on Netflix a few years ago, and I think it flies under the radar when people talk about good rom-coms from the last decade. Set in a small, woodsy town, it follows Ellie Chu, a shy, academically gifted high schooler who starts ghostwriting love letters for a jock named Paul. The twist? Ellie is secretly nursing her own crush… on the same girl Paul likes.
What really stood out to me was how tenderly the movie handles teenage friendship, loneliness, and what it means to fall in love for the first time — especially when you can’t fully say what you feel. Instead of falling back on cliché triangles or big melodramatic reveals, the film leans into its gentle pacing and intimacy. Ellie and Paul’s friendship feels authentic; their awkwardness and little triumphs struck a chord with me.
Where it falters, I’d say, is mostly in how some of the side characters (especially the adults) are sketched a bit thin. There are a couple of moments where pacing lags, and—while the dialogue is witty—the story sometimes feels almost too neatly wrapped up. Still, it does a fantastic job of avoiding the usual "makeover" or "grand prom scene" tropes, which I appreciated.
Cinematography-wise, Alice Wu (the director) gives the movie a calm, muted look that works perfectly for its sleepy rural setting. It’s not showy, but there are some lovely shots of forests, bikes, and lakes — all adding this gentle atmosphere that matches Ellie’s solitude. Leah Lewis (as Ellie) is phenomenal; she balances vulnerability and dry humor so well, and Daniel Diemer brings real warmth to Paul.
You would enjoy this if you’re a sucker for smart, semi-quiet stories about longing and awkward first steps toward love, especially if you like movies that tweak the rom-com formula into something more real and heartfelt. Also, if you get a kick out of well-written, sometimes-poignant teen dialogue and stories about friendship as much as romance, this is a hidden gem.
