
YOUNG WERTHER
Starring: Douglas Booth, Alison Pill, Iris Apatow, and Patrick J. Adams
Director: José Avelino Gilles Corbett Lourenço

ADRIANO

Young Werther begins pretty basic. The direction is flat and the plot progresses in a fairly familiar way to most rom-coms, only this time with an unlikeable lead. But then, the movie shifts its tone to become more mature. The performances of Douglas Booth and Alison Pill kick up a notch too. I began to appreciate it for its honest and often funny portrayal of modern romance, leaning into the flaws and insecurities of its characters as it approached a satisfying third act. I didn't expect to relate to this film in the way I did.

PAIGE

Young Werther started out as a cute and witty romantic comedy with a charming ensemble, but as it went on, it became increasingly insufferable. Unfortunately, this wannabe Wes Anderson film treads into the familiar territory we often see with these modern adaptations. The movie struggles to fully flesh out its themes, but I will give it credit for having the most suitable ending for its plot. Overall, it's just a blah movie to throw on in the background while you're doing other things, though I'd be lying if I said it didn't have some mildly endearing moments.

PRESTON

We all have (or have had) that one friend who pushes your buttons, but you love them anyway. They can push you to the edge of complete exasperation, but their certain “je ne sais quoi” keeps them in your sphere and, ultimately, charmed. Young Werther mimics this emotionally teeter-tottering arc not only as a film, but reflected through its titular protagonist (Douglas Booth). Each time I thought I might write it off as annoying, I was tentatively enchanted once more. Based on a Von Goethe literary classic, you could do much worse in the rom-com film space.

KATIE

Unfortunately, I didn’t find Werther (Douglas Booth) as charming as he and everyone else in the film did. The modern update of this literary classic is strained, and I thought his actions were creepy as opposed to romantic. The dialogue reaches for quirky and offbeat but is instead almost insufferable. Werther comes across as exhausting to be around, and the romance between him and Charlotte (Alison Pill) is not convincing, so I found myself rooting for his love rival to teach him a lesson. My standards for a decent romantic comedy are not particularly high, but Young Werther still didn’t hit the mark for me.
This film was reviewed by Adriano as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.