Overview
A heartfelt exploration of love and friendship unfolds in a small town high school setting.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- witty
- wistful
- tender
- date night
- quiet evening
What critics said
Critics broadly praised Alice Wu’s gentle direction, mature treatment of queer immigrant self-acceptance, and emotionally resonant reinvention of the Cyrano premise.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Ellie writes romantic messages for Paul to send to Aster, adapting Cyrano de Bergerac through a queer adolescent perspective.
Ellie’s Chinese-American identity, social isolation, and emerging queer feelings shape her journey toward self-recognition.
The relationships lead to friendship, self-knowledge, and personal growth rather than a simple paired-romance resolution.
The film emphasizes quiet yearning, awkward connection, and mature emotional ache over broad romantic spectacle.
Films like The Half of It, and why
Booksmart
Shared queer coming-of-age themes, small-town adolescent longing, and gentle emotional realism.
Love, Simon
Shared high-school setting, witty teen romance, identity exploration, and heartfelt ensemble dynamics.
The Edge of Seventeen
Shared unconventional romantic structure, introspective young protagonists, and bittersweet self-discovery.
Dating Amber
Shared queer teen perspective, longing, friendship, and tender contemporary coming-of-age tone.
Movie Details
- Director
- Alice Wu
- Release Date
- 2020-05-01
- Runtime
- 104 min
- Rating
- 7.1 / 10 (1627)
Cast
- Leah Lewis
- Daniel Diemer
- Alexxis Lemire
- Enrique Murciano
- Wolfgang Novogratz
- Catherine Curtin
- Becky Ann Baker
- Collin Chou
- MacIntyre Dixon
- Alec Tincher
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Half of It about?
- A guarded Chinese-American student becomes the ghostwriter for her athletic rival’s crush, discovering that love can transform friendship and self-understanding without following a conventional romantic formula.
- What is The Half of It like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Half of It as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Half of It violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in The Half of It.
- What did critics think of The Half of It?
- Critics broadly praised Alice Wu’s gentle direction, mature treatment of queer immigrant self-acceptance, and emotionally resonant reinvention of the Cyrano premise.
- Which films are like The Half of It?
- Films with a similar feel include Booksmart, Love, Simon, The Edge of Seventeen, and Dating Amber.
- How long is The Half of It?
- The Half of It runs 104 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Half of It?
- In United States, The Half of It streams on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads.
