Endless

Sloppy directing is the downfall of this derivative teen romance. From Topper to The Ghost and Mrs. Muir to Chances Are to Titanic, the idea that death can't conquer love is a romantic ideal that's always worth revisiting in film. But director Scott Speer's version is so ham-handed that it ruins the fun. The film quality is cheap, the performances from actors who've proved their chops elsewhere are made to seem amateurish, and, while credit will be given for paying homage to Here's Mr. Jordan, Endless steals awfully overtly from Ghost and City of Angels.

So much about the film is confusing. Just following the story is challenging: Many story points don't make sense, and it's all over the place when it comes to messaging. For example, a big point is made about Riley driving Chris home because he's drunk. A friend asks her if she's sure she's OK to drive, and Riley argues her sobriety by saying she had "two shots, two hours ago." Why have a teenager say she's been drinking if the point is supposed to be that she's sober? While one character suggests maybe Riley wasn't as sober as she thought -- a valuable idea to explore, considering the fatal accident that occurs while she's at the wheel -- it's instead taken as a hostile jab, and the idea is abandoned. This is just one of many, many beats that don't quite add up or that go unexplained. Endless isn't terrible, but it's not good. Still, even in its stumbling execution, the swoon-worthy romance between two movie-perfect teens may inspire wishfulness and a few tears.