Float

Float is a new romantic drama directed and partly written by Sherren Lee. This is her directorial debut and has previously only directed short films and TV episodes.

Waverly (Andrea Bang) thinks she has already figured out her own future. However, she decides to change her plans after she meets lifeguard Blake (Robbie Arnell). Especially after he saved her when she almost drowned.

When Blake learns that Waverly can't really swim, he decides to teach her. During these swimming lessons, the two fall in love, but have to see if they can compare each other's past and future plans.

Besides the fact that this is her directorial debut, Sherren Lee is also still a novice as a screenwriter for films. Unfortunately, the same also applies to the other writers of this film. This makes the film quickly seem a bit simple and later uninteresting. The writers find it difficult to keep the film afloat.

They further based the film on the popular Wattpad teen novel by Kate Merchant. This story has been read more than 25.5 million times by Wattpad users. Despite this popular side, filming this story was perhaps a bit unnecessary.

Andrea Bang and Robbie Arnell perform their roles well, but they lack real chemistry together. This makes you as a viewer care little about their relationship.

If you like sweet and romantic getaway stories that take place in tiny close knit communities with enigmatic and quirky characters this movie will be right up your alley.

Waverly is in a predicament where she is trying to navigate both who she is, who her family wants her to be, and who she is meant to become. It leads her to make some rash decisions and go spend some time with a relative she hasn't seen for a while, but who offers her an instant warm welcome to her tiny little world and the people that make up her daily life.

It's all about to learning to breathe through her trials that pushes the story but the introduction of unexpected romance only makes it that much sweeter when she meets her aunt's neighbors.

A lovely drama romance interlaced for a brief summer time. The story is engagingly simple, the acting good overall and very good for Andrea Bang who played with tremendous charisma and showed awesome chemistry with Robbie Amell who seemed lost by that powerful romantic force and connection.

Definitely deserves the next installment 'Float - surfing under the sun'.

• Screenplay/storyline/plots: 5
• Production value/impact: 5
• Development: 6.5
• Realism: 5
• Entertainment: 6.5
• Acting: 7
• Filming/photography/cinematography: 7
• VFX: 6.5
• Music/score/sound: 6.5
• Depth: 5.5
• Logic: 4.5
• Flow: 5.5
• Drama/romance: 5
• Ending: 4.5.

Not like the books original storyline, its supposed to be an enemies to lovers type story but it looks like they fell in love at first sight. Im nitpicky with movies though.

Good even if the plot isnt the same.

The actors also look a little too old, they're 18 canonically.

I do love love stories, im a huge romance fan but this is a little baloney.... ive read the entire book and im a huge fan of it but seriously i cannot stress enough that the plot isnt the same. Waverly and blake dont meet the way they did in the movie, and blake doesnt have the same 'hatred' he was supposed to. He also lowkey seems a little white washed, he's supposed to be more tan.

But dont take my word for it. Just watch it yourself if you're curious about it.

There's been a lot of chatter about the film's technical shortcomings , whether it's the script or acting, but I think some of that criticism misses the point of what this film is trying to offer. It's not aiming to be a cinematic masterpiece; it's aiming to make you feel something. And in that regard, it delivers.

The movie leans into that classic feel-good formula: a little tension here, a bit of frustration there, but ultimately it wraps you in a warm, comforting narrative that leaves you smiling and curious about what's next for the characters. Maybe we'll get a sequel, maybe we won't, but I finished it with that pleasant sense of wanting just a bit more.

Speaking personally, as someone whose daily life feels like a non-stop balancing act of responsibilities, this film gave me something I didn't know I needed: a break. For an hour and forty minutes, I got to step away from the stress and just be in a world that felt lighter, softer, and more hopeful. It was cute, it was fun, and, unexpectedly, it brought back those long-lost butterflies you get when you have your first crush. That kind of nostalgic emotional hit is rare, and it gave the story an extra layer of charm for me.

Is it perfect? No. But not every film needs to be flawless to be meaningful. Sometimes, it's enough that a movie can offer a bit of joy, a sense of connection, and a chance to forget reality for a while. And on those terms, this one absolutely succeeded.