DVD Corner

Then Came You Blu-ray Review

“Then Came You” is overly quirky and sappy.

Written by Fergal Rock and directed by Peter Hutchings, “Then Came You” (AKA “Departures”) is a romantic drama comedy about an introverted hypochondriac young man (Calvin) who works at the airport baggage claim with his dad and brother. Even though Calvin doesn’t have cancer, he is sent to a support group by his Doctor to open his eyes as it were. While there, he meets an eccentric and outgoing terminally ill teen (Skye). At first, Skye annoys Calvin, but over time, she helps him open up more and live. Together, the two end up accomplishing things on Skye’s to do list while she is still on this Earth. While all of this is going on, Skye also helps Calvin land a date with his crush (a flight attendant named Izzy).

“Then Came You” feels like a repurposed 80s rom-com only nowhere near as memorable as many films from that time period. It’s cloyingly quirky and cutesy at times, highly reminiscent of other films (namely “The Bucket List” and “Fault In Our Stars”), tonally all over the place (the last 20 minutes is almost a straight drama), and filled with goofy montages, constant pop songs and some truly clunky dialogue. There’s also 2 dopey cop characters that only add to the eye-rolls. With a stronger script, this could have been a more impactful, sweet, and charming film. As is, it feels like a bundle of stale cliches.

On the bright side, the movie does boast an all-star cast. Maisie Williams (best known from “Game of Thrones”) is far removed from her Arya persona here as the wild child Skye. She’s much better than the material she was given. The same goes for the always reliable Asa Butterfield who not only brings depth to the his character, but also has great chemistry with the cast. Nina Dobrev of “The Vampire Diaries” fame is charming as Izzy. Tyler Hoechlin and David Koechner have little to do here, but give solid performances nonetheless.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 1.85:1 1080p. How does it look? B+ worthy.

Audio Track: 5.1 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? B+ worthy.

Extras:
* “Then Came You” trailer.
* “Learning To Live: Behind The Scenes Of Then Came You”- A 20 minute standard featurette with set footage, interviews, story and character discussions, etc.

July 12, 2019 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | Asa Butterfield, Maisie Williams, Nina Dobrev, romantic comedy, Then Came You Blu-ray Review, Tyler Hoechlin