Common Sense Media Review
By Sandie Angulo Chen
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Cute adaptation of Wattpad romance has a few love scenes.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Float
What's the Story?
In this adaptation of Kate Marchant's bestselling ebook FLOAT, Waverly (Andrea Bang) is supposed to travel to Taipei to spend the summer before her medical residency with her parents, whom she hasn't seen in four years. Instead, they tell her they've arranged for a prestigious medical researcher to give her a summer internship in Toronto. Frustrated with her parents' heavy-handed decision, Waverly ends up taking a flight to visit her estranged Aunt Rachel (Michelle Krusiec), an artist in a small coastal town on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. At a local party, Waverly falls into the water and has to be saved by her aunt's handsome neighbor, Blake (Robbie Amell), a local lifeguard. Waverly admits that she can't swim, and Blake volunteers to teach her. As they meet for early morning lessons, they grow closer but are hesitant to give into their feelings, since Waverly is expected to leave for her summer internship and Blake is committed to his teen sister, whom he's raised since his parents died a decade earlier.
Is It Any Good?
This summer romance isn't a faithful enough adaptation to please fans of the book but is still a sweet love story about two young adults with family issues. Canadian Taiwanese director/co-writer Sherren Lee reportedly changed the book's plot to add more representation, so it's no longer a teen enemies-to-lovers coming-of-age first love story. But it's unclear why she couldn't have changed Waverly's race and still kept her a teen. Besides the character names and the fact that Blake is still a lifeguard who teaches Waverly to swim, this "fish out of water" tale doesn't really resemble the source material. The movie plays more as Waverly's quarter-life crisis than a life-changing summer romance.
Bang and Amell have decent enough chemistry, and Blake's fraught relationship with his sister, Isabel (Sarah Desjardins), is a strong side plot, but the movie's most compelling theme isn't about finding love, but rather finding yourself. Waverly struggles with the authentic plight of honoring her parents' wishes for a successful future (as they see it) and her own desire for more familial connection. It's the latter that leads her into her laid back, artistic aunt's diverse community of found family. Krusiec is ideally cast as the hip, carefree aunt you can open up to, and Andrew Bachelor stands out as Blake's best friend, the brother of local cafe owner Lena (Rukiya Bernard). In some ways, the movie feels like a longer-than-usual TV show pilot: a 21st century Northern Exposure of sorts set in small-town Canada instead of Alaska. As a movie, however, the bows are all tied up a little too neatly, and the romance, while between two 20-somethings, still gives off first-love vibes.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the popularity of adaptations of stories that are popular thanks to Wattpad, BookTok, etc. How does Float compare to the After, Kissing Booth, and Through My Window movies?
Did you read the book the movie is based on? If so, what do you think of the changes the filmmaker made? Which version do you prefer, and why?
Discuss the relationship between Waverly and her parents. Do you think it's relatable? What would make the relationship healthier?
Does the main characters' age affect your feelings about love stories? How are romances about teens and 20-somethings different from romances about older characters?
Movie Details
- In theaters : February 9, 2024
- On DVD or streaming : February 9, 2024
- Cast : Robbie Amell , Andrea Bang , Andrew Bachelor , Michelle Krusiec
- Director : Sherren Lee
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Director(s) , Asian Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Asian Movie Actor(s) , Black Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Writer(s) , Asian Movie Writer(s)
- Studio : Lionsgate
- Genre : Romance
- Topics : Book Characters , Friendship
- Character Strengths : Communication , Curiosity , Empathy
- Run time : 100 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : some strong language, suggestive material and brief drug use
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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