Download and Watch Full Movie: A Part of You
Director: Sigge Eklund
Writer: Michaela Hamilton
Stars: Felicia Maxime, Edvin Ryding, Zara Larsson
A Part of You – Film Review
Being in high school is hard. Everything – even the smallest decision – can feel like life or death. And, if you’re not in with “the in crowd”, it can feel like even more of a nightmare. You’re not wearing the right top; you don’t have a cool boyfriend; you aren’t going to house parties. It all feels like a heightened emotional experience, at a time in life when crucial decisions about your future are being made (sometimes by you, sometimes by the adults around you).
Netflix continues its foray into young adult content with the addition of A Part of You (En Del Av Dig). Agnes Svan (Young Royals’ Felicia Maxime) idolises her big sister, Julia (Zara Larsson). She feels more like the ugly duckling whilst her sister lives up to their surname – she’s popular, she has a boyfriend (Edvin Ryding) and she has a close-knit group of friends. If only she possessed Julia’s confidence and style, perhaps her high school experience would be different. When a tragedy occurs at a Walpurgis night house party, Agnes does suddenly gain a significantly different high school experience – but at what cost?
A Part of You tosses a number of themes into the mix – the process of discovering yourself as a young adult, familial and friendship dynamics and tragedy to name but a few. Agnes’ life is thrown into disarray at a time already ridden with angst. Director Sigge Eklund – a podcaster and novelist – makes his feature length debut by offering a real depth to his characters. These aren’t two dimensional teenagers – they are well fleshed out and dealing with subjects that are heavy and nuanced. There are also recognisable moments of nostalgia – the heady thrill of entering a club with an older sibling’s idea; the thumping music of a house party; the sloppy embraces of too much cheap wine.
Despite it being a young adult film, the universality of the narrative makes it compelling viewing. Writer Michaela Hamilton does a good job of drawing upon high school norms, lacing them with wider themes such as how we process emotions and how hard it is to realise your true self.
Felicia Maxime excels in the lead role. Agnes is so much more than a seventeen year old wishing she could pull of her big sister’s blue eyeshadow. In the beginning, we see her constantly with her arms wrapped round herself, picking at her lips and barely making eye contact with the popular crowd. Her transformation – if it can be phrased as such – is a dramatic one. As she attempts to emulate her sister or, indeed, emerge from her shadow, we see behaviours that are outlandish and destructive. The emotionally numbing affect of stepping outside herself to become someone else is further realised in her decision to join the school play. She can be angry and upset and difficult through her character without ever having to confront her own feelings. Maxime delivers a very layered and intimate performance that really draws you into Agnes’ situation.
Maxime is capably supported by performances from Edvin Ryding (also of Young Royals’ fame), Ida Engvoll and Alva Bratt. Each of their characters have differing relationships with the main themes and with Agnes but are nonetheless engaging. Their emotions feel tangible and authentic, which is crucial in a film of this weight. Ryding, in particular, impresses with a very different portrayal of a teenage boy. There’s no cockiness or abrasive banter, here. Instead, he is someone who often appears to be on the outside of things, despite being in the heart of the popular group. He is sensitive and caring, not just out for a good time.
A Part of You wraps itself up neatly, but not in a way that ever feels twee or rushed. At just over 90 minutes, it hits all the dramatic notes it needs to without relying too much on cliches or rushing key plot points. It will, no doubt, make viewers keen to see more of Felicia Maxime’s work.
As directorial debuts go, this is an impressive one for Sigge Eklund.
A Part of You is available now on Karuflix!
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