'A Part of You' Review: Netflix Drama Is a Small Film With a Big Punch (2024)

There’s a reason coming-of-age stories are so popular, finding an audience far beyond the young characters they feature. High school is a naturally charged environment, as everyone is trying to find themselves and their place in the world while being stuck in that awkward limbo stage between childhood and adulthood. It’s a time in our lives that’s ripe for drama and big emotions, with the setting smaller and the stakes higher than ever. No matter your age, the struggles at the forefront of these films are universally relatable.

Netflix's A Part of You is no exception. Though it has some classic high school movie tropes — from partying to trying out for the school play — it also digs deeper than many of its counterparts into themes of identity and grief. While many films in the genre rely on melodrama or slapstick humor, A Part of You takes a more tender, nuanced approach, making for a more mature and elevated experience.

What Is 'A Part of You' About?

Though shy and introverted, teenager Agnes (Young Royals’ Felicia Maxime) has dreams of being on stage, and the film opens with her reciting her audition for the school play to her older sister, Julia (Zara Larsson). The two may look alike, but that’s where their similarities end. Loud, confident, and extroverted, Julia is the polar opposite of Agnes, with the kind of magnetic personality that naturally attracts people to her and lights up every room — and the kind whose absence is felt by entire communities.

When a tragedy happens that leaves Agnes without Julia to ground and guide her — and her mother (Ida Engvoll) MIA, too checked out from her grief to help Agnes process hers — she is forced to find her own way forward. Some of these ways are relatively healthy, like channeling her feelings into her acting and reminiscing with Julia’s boyfriend, Noel (Edvin Ryding, also a Young Royals star). But others are much more toxic, including partying hard to numb the pain, following in Julia’s self-destructive footsteps to frightening degrees.

'A Part of You' Is a Worthy Acting Debut for Zara Larsson

There’s a lot of buzz around A Part of You for being Zara Larsson’s first acting role, and I’m pleased to report that those coming to the film solely for her are not going to be disappointed — her acting chops are just as impressive as her singing ones. The role of Julia requires a natural charisma and screen presence that’s rare to find. Fortunately, Larsson has it in spades.

Larsson’s role is deceptively simple. On the surface, she’s popular, carefree, and stubborn. Underneath the flashy going-out wardrobe and glittery makeup, however, there’s darkness — someone much more depressed and disturbed than her cool, bubbly persona would ever let on. In some ways, the entire film revolves around her performance and being sold on the idea that, while she may appear effortless, there’s a danger simmering just below the sparkly surface. Larsson finds this balance well, giving us hints that everything might not be quite as it seems while still having us — and Agnes — convinced that she’s an easygoing girl with a perfect life.

'A Part of You' Proves That Felicia Maxime Is a Star In the Making

Larsson is excellent, there’s no doubt about that, but Maxime’s performance is by far the highlight of A Part of You. It’s far from her first role, but it does have the potential to be a breakout for her beyond the crowd that’s already familiar with her work. Throughout watching her fearless, layered performance, I was reminded of Mia McKenna-Bruce in How to Have Sex. This role requires so much of Maxime, and she makes it all look effortless.

Maxime shows a tremendous amount of range in this film while still coming off as one consistent character. She starts off rather meek and insecure and, over 100 minutes, transforms into someone bold and out of control. Sigge Eklund’s thoughtful direction certainly brings out the best in her, with the details making Agnes a fully fleshed-out character — from eating leftover candy a group of popular kids left behind so she can feel like she fits in to anxiously fidgeting with a plastic cup. Maxime’s micro-expressions in one scene during a fight with her friend Esther (Alva Bratt) are a masterclass in acting without dialogue. She’s simply extraordinary, expertly commanding this demanding character study.

Maxime is great at showing Agnes’ restraint, allowing us to sense the emotion threatening to burst from her. But the film is at its most rewarding when we are allowed to see those emotions break free — even when they can be ugly. Agnes says some truly awful things to her theater teacher, to her mother, and to her friends, but Maxime never lets us forget her hurt and fragile state. Even when she lashes out, we never stop sympathizing with and rooting for her, and that’s a testament to Maxime’s skill and Michaela Hamilton’s script, which humanizes its young characters to a degree similar projects often can’t meet.

'A Part of You' Is a Sophisticated, Sensitive Coming-of-Age Story

Fredrik Lehmann’s casting is ridiculously good, as Larsson and Maxime aren’t just talented but have some strikingly similar physical features and mannerisms as well — something that extends to their mother, Carina. The female trio feels like the heart and core of this film, with scenes focusing on the three of them among the most emotional and memorable. Carina is refreshingly a multi-dimensional character — a rarity for adult characters in teen-driven films — though it would have been nice to see her a tad more than we get to.

In fact, all of the characters in A Part of You are rich and grounded in reality. The only issue is that there might be a few too many of them. Agnes’ integration into Julia’s friend group is interesting — and has some genuinely beautiful moments, like the scream scene at play rehearsal — but the pacing at which the relationship and tension alike builds can feel jarring. The relationship between Agnes and Noel is interesting in theory, and again, they play off each other well, but the implications of complexities of their budding dynamic don’t hit as hard as they could, all things considered.

It sounds a bit crass to say considering the subject matter, but A Part of You can get a bit boring at times — especially during the first half an hour. It’s somewhat necessary to set up what’s to come, but the beginning drags and feels much longer than it is. The middle of the film has similar issues but on the over-sensationalized end. It’s clear that Agnes is partying to escape from her sadness, but the focus occasionally shifts from that to overindulging in the aesthetics of the scene. Don’t get me wrong, the aesthetics are gorgeous — reminiscent of Euphoria at its best — but it can start to seem a bit redundant. (The scenes exploring how acting and art are tools for Agnes are far more compelling but are unfortunately pushed to the side.) Still, the cinematography is stunning throughout, making for a feast for the eyes, even when the plot can feel a little slow.

A Part of You is touching and effective without ever veering into emotionally manipulative or exploitative territory, which is not an easy feat when you’re dealing with this subject matter, especially in this genre. Eklund does something revolutionary — he trusts his younger demographic with nuance and authenticity. Like Julia, A Part of You looks beautiful and straightforward at first glance, but in truth, it has a lot more substance, messiness, and things to say than you initially expect. Eklund’s direction, combined with Maxime’s breathtaking performance, makes this a small film that packs a big punch.

A Part of You

Felicia Maxime’s performance elevates this tender coming-of-age story about grief and identity to new heights.

8/ 10

Pros

• The acting is magnificent across the board, particularly from Felicia Maxime and Zara Larsson.
• The cinematography is gorgeous and immersive.
• Sigge Eklund's thoughtful and subtle direction makes for a more sensitive, nuanced, and mature kind of teen movie.

Cons

• The pacing can be slow, hitting repetitive and cliche story beats.
• The large ensemble doesn't allow some of the relationships to develop as deeply as one might like.

A Part of You is available to stream on Netflix in the U.S. starting May 31.

WATCH ON NETFLIX