Considering all the factors in play, this movie was EXTREMELY average. Everyone seems to be praising this movie on it's merit which begs me to ask, what did it do well? The acting was alright at best, with Brie Larson being the best. But again, being the best in an ok pile isn't saying much. The child actor was bearable at times, but let me say that a good child performance does not mean a good adult one. The score was anything but spectacular, with it being pretty cringey at times.

The movie relied solely on the audience to create an emotional impact with the character or the movie doing anything to prove why you should actually care about whats happening. The cinematography was not that good, with a variety of shots feeling bland at best. As well as this, I noticed many continuity and audio mistakes, not necessarily making this movie a technical masterpiece.

The premise should be really effective, but it just isn't really. I think its because the characters are nowhere near as developed as they should be, so every event that should make you cry (and believe me, there are many) just feels like emotional manipulation. Some of the dialogue is a little too on the nose as well. I think if the movie were given some time to breathe and if the direction was done with a slighter hand (the director needs a new cinematographer badly) with a more subtle script the story could have lead to a great movie, but as it stands it's mostly a missed opportunity.

Overall, this movie was extremely underwhelming.