Clouds

Thanks to genuine performances and a heartbreakingly true story as inspiration, this is a moving film that avoids sentimentality or total predictability. That doesn't mean director Baldoni hasn't structured the narrative to elicit maximum feels, swinging between highs and lows in Zach's life regularly throughout Clouds. But Baldoni's meaningful connection to the Sobiech family -- he'd filmed Zach as part of the My Last Days series and, by his own account, forged deep relationships in the process -- has surely contributed to the truthfulness and care with which this story is told. The film is also based on a book by Zach's mom and props have been incorporated from Zach's own bedroom and wardrobe.

The authenticity of the endeavor, especially in light of a growing body of YA-targeted fare dealing with illness and death, including the Baldoni-directed Five Feet Apart, could have flagged without the right casting. Argus does an excellent job conveying the teen grappling with his own mortality at the same time as he's living entirely new and electrifying experiences, like first love or fame as a budding musician. Argus and Carpenter also have the musical talent to pull off their roles, and the film is lifted by its solid supporting cast and realistic dialogues. Two moments stand out as particularly memorable: a pilgrimage to the healing baths of Lourdes, filmed reverently inside the caves and beneath the water, and a snippet of bagpipe music indicating Zach's passing, an elegant substitute to a drawn-out funeral scene.