What really hit me about Love & Mercy was how it told its story. How Brian plays "God Only Knows" with the camera doing a 180, revealing that his father is behind. This "show, don't tell" way of showing how characters relate to each-other; whether it be Brian and Eugene, Brian and Melinda, Brian and Murry and Brian and Mike. Also, I love how the paper Brian returned to Melinda which says "lonely, scared, frightened" transitions to Brian being scared and frightened on an airplane. Or how we go from Brian being bedridden to that opening credits sequence with "Surfin' USA" in the background. These edits are not a coincidence, they feel tactful and deliberate, giving this roller-coaster effect to the movie.

Love & Mercy gives me what I would expect from a traditional biopic: seeing Brian write those recognizable hits, and seeing them getting recorded. But it gives me more than that: the two contrasting movies balance each-other out. I personally prefer the 80s movie more, since it has that arc of how Melinda saves Brian from Eugene. That first scene at the cadillac store was done very well; it established the conflict between Eugene and Brian without forcing it, it got me invested in Melinda and Brian's relationship, and it took its time, making it feel. Actually, that's something the movie is good at. It knows when to end scenes and when to keep them carrying on, and it takes its time, which immerses me into the movie.

If you're looking for a drama that shows genuine-looking chemistry between people, and has meaningful transitions, and uses time well, this movie is for you.