'The Sky Is Everywhere' review: intense drama fails to sustain momentum

The film is an adaptation of the 2010 novel of the same name by author Jandy Nelson

A scene from 'The Sky Is Everywhere' starring Grace Kaufman and Jacques Coliman. Photo: Di Novi Pictures

Over the past decade, A24 has been one of cinema’s most prolific independent production companies. Most of its films have received critical acclaim, while Amy, Ex Machina, Room and Minari have won Academy Awards. Moonlight even picked up the Best Picture Oscar in 2017.

The Sky Is Everywhere is the latest offering from A24 and the romantic drama possesses many of the hallmarks that have made the company's films so popular. Not only does director Josephine Decker take an inventive approach to writer Jandy Nelson’s 2010 novel, but the story itself is an empathetic and modern look at grief, love and family.

The film examines these themes through the eyes of Lennie Walker (Grace Kaufman), a high schooler in the imaginary town of Clover, California, who is struggling to deal with the sudden death of her older sister, Bailey (Havana Rose Liu).

With her grandmother (Cherry Jones) and uncle (Jason Segel), who are her guardians, also in despair, Lennie becomes closer and then romantically involved with her sister’s former fiance Toby (Pico Alexander). This only exacerbates Lennie’s guilt and grief over Bailey’s death. But she soon starts to find solace with Joe (Jacque Colimon), a new boy in town, who shares Lennie’s love of music.

The Sky Is Everywhere immediately drops its emotional heft on to viewers. Within the opening minute, Lennie is recalling Bailey’s death during her audition for the titular role in Romeo and Juliet, before then detailing her despair and trauma over the next few months.

That doesn’t make for particularly pleasant viewing. But Decker’s innovative use of practical special effects to put us into Lennie’s mindset, as well as her use of bright colours, short scenes and quick editing, make the film’s exploration of such weighty material more palatable.

Unfortunately, though, The Sky Is Everywhere never quite gets its tone right. Instead, it goes from being an intense drama about a grieving teenager in one scene to a sweet love-triangle romance in the next. As a result, you’re never able to fully invest in Lennie’s plight, despite the best efforts of a rather impressive leading portrayal from Kaufman.

In fact, most of the performances are superb. Kaufman is able to sell Lennie’s emotional anguish, as well as being charming, aloof, and funny. Her cute but awkward chemistry with Colimon also works, while Jones is effective as the grandmother trying to hide her own pain. It’s just a shame that there isn’t more Segel, as his presence immediately brings a quirkiness to the film that it benefits from.

But they can’t make up for The Sky Is Everywhere’s dramatic tonal lurching. While such a shift is fine in a book, as it brings a depth and richness to the characters and the story, in the film, it just makes it harder to engage.

What makes The Sky Is Everywhere’s unevenness all the more frustrating is that Decker’s direction is just as strong as the performances. Her shot compositions are all alluring and gorgeous to look at, while she implements a captivating rhythm that nearly helps to paper over the cracks. But The Sky Is Everywhere’s flat finale ultimately confirms it as a disappointment, while affirming that, when it comes to adaptations, less is usually more.

The Sky Is Everywhere is released on Apple TV+ on February 11