After The Fault In Our Stars, If I Stay is the second painful teen rom-com hitting our screens this year. And it’s just as beautiful as the first. Based on the book by Gayle Forman, the surrealist story follows Mia Hall as she has an out-of-body experience while in a coma.

Mia (Chloë Grace Moretz) has an almost idyllic life: her parents (Mireille Enos and Joshua Leonard) are über-cool (remnants of their punk rock past), her little brother is adorable, and she’s surrounded by loving friends and family. But what makes Mia even more happy is her love for the Cello, an instrument she started playing as a very young child. A bit of a loner (or dork?) because of it, she’s surprised to find that new school hottie Adam (Jamie Blackley), leader and guitarist of a local band, appears to like her and starts asking her out. Once doubt has faded, the two of them quickly become the cutest couple you could ever imagine.

But one snowy morning, Mia’s life spins out of control as her family suffers from a tragic car accident. Mia wakes up alone in the snow, apparently invisible to everyone around her, unable to understand why she’s there when her broken body is being carted away in an ambulance. Jumping in to follow what will happen to her, she finds herself at hospital, watching nurses and doctors attempt to save her life, as well as her family.

As grandparents and friends gather to support her in her ordeal, we get to know about Mia’s past in flashbacks surrounding her love story with Adam and music. But when tragedy strikes a mightier blow to the teenager, she finds that she’s not sure she wants to wake up and live this life she does not recognise as her own.

Will love help her come back, or will it let her cross over?

The movie has an amazing soundtrack thanks to the musical tendencies in almost every character, and you’ll find yourself immersed in it all as you navigate through Mia’s past and present. Chloë Moretz’s performance is breathtaking, as is Jamie Blackley’s. The two have outstanding chemistry (as well as Mia’s on-screen parents) and their story appears realistic enough so as not to be a fairytale, but beautiful enough so you don’t get bored.

A definite must-see if you like to let your emotions flow free 🙂

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Pictures from: professionalfangirls.com, alicemarvels.com