Everything, Everything is a romance about a girl who can’t leave her house, and it knows exactly what kind of story it is from the first scene to the last. The film follows Maddy Whittier, played by Amandla Stenberg, a teenager with a rare condition that keeps her confined to her home. Nick Robinson plays Olly Bright, the boy who moves in next door and changes everything she thought she could live without. The setup is simple. The execution is less so.
Trailer, via Warner Bros..
Maddy’s World
Maddy lives in suburban Los Angeles with her mother, Dr. Pauline Whittier, played by Anika Noni Rose, and her nurse, Carla, played by Ana de la Reguera. Only three people are allowed in the house. Maddy watches everyone else from windows and screens. Then Olly arrives next door, and he starts writing his phone number on his window for her to see.
Olly Arrives
Maddy and Olly communicate through text messages and emails. They grow fond of each other quickly, and the film leans hard on the chemistry between Stenberg and Robinson to carry the middle stretch. When Maddy finally convinces Carla to let Olly visit inside the house, the scene is tense and quiet. Later, on the Fourth of July, Maddy and Olly share a kiss as fireworks go off outside.
The Screenplay
The film’s central problem is the screenplay. J. Mills Goodloe wrote the script, and it feels thin next to the novel it is based on. The stakes are clear — Maddy’s condition means she cannot leave her home — but the path to resolution is often handled with broad strokes instead of careful ones. Characters act in ways that feel convenient rather than earned, and the emotional beats land less because of writing and more because of the actors carrying them.
The Verdict
The performances are the film’s strongest argument for itself. Stenberg gives Maddy a quiet dignity that keeps her grounded even when the story drifts. Robinson holds his own opposite her, and their scenes together are the reason the film works at all. The film’s tagline promises to risk everything for love, and that promise is mostly kept — but the risk is smaller than it needs to be.
The film grossed $61 million worldwide on a production budget of $10 million, which counts as a win for the studio but leaves the film’s critical standing weak. Reviews at the time were mixed, with praise for the leads and sharp criticism of the screenplay. That split remains fair.
Everything, Everything is a likable, competent romance that never quite reaches the heights its premise suggests. It earns its place as a pleasant watch rather than a great one.
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Principal photography begins | September 6, 2016 |
| Principal photography ends | October 7, 2016 |
| Release date | May 19, 2017 |
The final score is 5.2 out of 10.
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