A Part of You review: Profound exploration of emotions

A Part of You is a poignant coming-of-age drama that follows Agnes Svan, a high school student who aspires to be like her popular and seemingly perfect elder sister, Julia.

Things take a tragic turn when Julia passes away in an accident, leaving Agnes to navigate the tumultuous waters of grief and self-discovery. It is now streaming on Netflix.

Story

A Part of You follows Agnes, a simple and somewhat introverted high school student who looks up to her sister Julia with a mix of admiration and jealousy.

Julia, the epitome of perfection in Agnes’ eyes, is loving, caring, popular, and has a hot boyfriend named Noel.

Agnes, on the other hand, feels more like a fly on the wall, yearning to have the same charisma and social status as her sister.

On the eve of Agnes’ birthday, she tags along with Julia and Noel to a party where Julia gets very drunk.

In a tragic twist, Julia decides to leave alone in Noel’s car and ends up in a fatal crash.

The loss of her sister devastates Agnes, who begins to mold her personality to resemble Julia’s.

She starts wearing Julia’s clothes, partying, getting intoxicated, and spending more time with Noel.

However, this transformation leads to a dangerous spiral as her suppressed emotions start to take over, causing her to lose herself.

Performances

Felicia Maxime delivers a standout performance as Agnes in A Part of You, showcasing a tremendous range while maintaining a consistent character arc.

She transitions from a meek and insecure girl to someone bold and out of control, all the while allowing the audience to sense the underlying grief.

Maxime is particularly adept at portraying Agnes’ restraint, with her emotions constantly threatening to burst forth.

Even as a rowdy and crass teenager, she manages to elicit empathy by highlighting the grief behind her behavior.

The supporting cast, including Edwin Ryding as Noel, Zara Larsson as Julia, and Ida Engvoll as Carina, are worthy additions.

They complement Maxime’s performance, enhancing the film’s emotional depth and bringing out the best in the narrative.

Positives

A Part of You excels in portraying the emotional turmoil of teenage years, beautifully tackling themes of loss, grief, mental health, acceptance, denial, and identity.

The writing is particularly strong, focusing on the emotional core of the characters rather than random events.

The characters are well-fleshed out and grounded in reality.

Visually, the film is stunning, with beautifully shot scenes and an appealing aesthetic.

The music choices also enhance the emotional impact, perfectly complementing the narrative’s tone.

Negatives

Despite its strengths, A Part of You suffers from pacing issues and an inconsistent runtime, which undermines the impact of its message.

Additionally, it falls into some high school drama tropes, such as parties, intoxication, and family arguments.

While these elements are necessary to paint a complete picture of Agnes’ psyche, some scenes feel unnecessarily stretched, while others that showcase Agnes’ internal turmoil are too brief.

Verdict

A Part of You is a profound drama that successfully deals with important themes and resonates deeply with its audience.

While it has minor pitfalls in pacing, runtime, and certain creative choices, it manages to hold its own and deliver a compelling narrative about grief, identity, and the journey to self-discovery.

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