“The Sun Is Also a Star” is about two young adults who meet by what seems like fate. Natasha Kingsley is a Jamaica-born quantum physics student who doesn’t believe in love. She has a scientific response to all of the world’s questions until she meets her love interest, Daniel Bae, a dreamer and a hopeless romantic. He believes in fate and love — unlike Natasha who sees most things as coincidence or the result of hormones. Bae’s family members are immigrants from South Korea, which gives the viewer an inside look to the life of a first-generation American and how one’s family influences who you become. This movie is based on the book of the same name written by New York Times best selling author Nicola Yoon.
Natasha Kingsley is portrayed by Yara Shahidi, who can be recognized from the television series “Black-ish.” Charles Melton, otherwise known as Reggie of “Riverdale,” is our Daniel Bae. After their unexpected encounter in New York City, Daniel has one day to make Natasha fall in love with him. However, Daniel discovers that their time together is limited, as Natasha’s family is being deported out of the country the following day.
It is said that people come into your life for different reasons. Some may come for a day, a week or years, but they can all leave a lasting impact. Natasha and Daniel are brought together to make each other realize the importance of following their dreams, despite any obstacle standing in their way. Were it not for their encounter, they would go down paths that they aren’t meant to follow.
The film was a bit unrealistic, but it’s nice to have a bit of hope in the seemingly impossible. You have to acknowledge its corniness, but it can still be greatly appreciated. The only issue I had with the movie was the excessive number of montages. It would have been nice to hear more dialogue between the characters, rather than just see another beautiful view of New York City. If I had heard more of the characters actually speaking to one another, I would have been more immersed in the storyline.
For the generation that no longer believes in love, this movie may be exactly what we need. We tend to scoff at movies about love because we feel there is no way something similar could happen to us. I think we all need more light-hearted content in our lives. This movie gives us the same message Daniel gives to Natasha — a reminder that life doesn’t always have to be boring or literal and to remain open to the world’s possibilities. As one could guess, the two leads fall for each other, supporting the belief that opposites attract.
I think much of the audience was skeptical at the start of the film, unsure of the direction this movie would take. The ending, however, had everyone on the edge of their seats. We were all uncertain of how it would go; some of the reactions throughout the crowd were, “No!”, “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh” and finally, “Yes!”
“The Sun Is Also a Star” won the whole theater over, and there was plenty of cheering and clapping by the credits. Everyone left the theater with big smiles on their faces, endlessly chatting about Natasha and Daniel.
“The Sun Is Also a Star” was released May 17 and is currently playing in theaters.