Many long for the carelessness and freedom of youth as they get older and take on more responsibilities. Nights spent partying and drinking are replaced with time at home with significant others and children. Life is all about change and demands that we pivot to accommodate the new status quo for ourselves and those around us.
In Jennifer Cram’s comedy-drama Sick Girl, an adult misfit desperate to hold on to her fleeting youth and her friends tell a lie that has disastrous consequences. Wren (Nina Dobrev) can’t let go of the wild times she spent partying, going on road trips, and bar hopping with her friends, CeCe (Stephanie Koenig), Laurel (Sherry Cola), and Jill (Haley Magnus). The life of each of Wren’s gal pals has evolved to include serious boyfriends, husbands, and even children. Wren is disillusioned with it all and longs for the way things used to be. Her frustration with her friend’s neglect and longing to reconnect with them comes to a head at a tense group dinner. In a desperate attempt to salvage the situation, she lies and tells her friends she has cancer. While this little white lie does have the desired effect, it soon spirals out of control.
Sick Girl is entertaining enough, even though many of the film’s jokes don’t land. Those who grew up watching Dobrev in over-the-top teen dramas like Degrassi: The Next Generation and The Vampire Dairies will enjoy the movies’ top premise. Dobrev is and has always been a talented dramatic actress, but it’s nice to see her lean more into the comedic elements of the script. She effortlessly brings the emotional weight, vulnerability, and comedy the role demands.
Koenig, Cola, and Magnus do well enough in their respective roles but come off as a bit cringeworthy due to the abundance of unfunny jokes in the film. The three primarily serve as comedic relief, but seeing as the jokes aren’t all that funny, to begin with, it threatens to overshadow the talent of three fine actresses. Flat humor aside, each brings a specific archetype to the group, making them a realistic reflection of how friendship dynamics operate in the real world.
Brandon Mychal Smith as Leo is also a great addition to the film. Leo is a cancer patient who meets and befriends Wren in a cancer support group. Although he is frustrated and confused when he realizes Wren is lying about her illness, his guidance helps push her to explore not only the moral implications of what she’s doing but also helps her learn the start and depressing reality of living with cancer on a day-to-day basis. The film hints at a romantic relationship possibly forming between the two but doesn’t fully explore it, which is wise. Although Dobrev’s character greatly matures throughout the film, her ending up in a relationship with someone currently living with their cancer diagnosis seems a little unrealistic and a terrible decision for both parties.
Although Sick Girl isn’t nearly as funny as it would like to be, the story’s emotional beats land well. Fans of Nina Dobrev’s body of work will enjoy her portrayal of a female misfit suffering from arrested development.
Sick Girl is currently playing in select theaters and is available On Demand courtesy of Lionsgate.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUJRVrf9Ztc]
Although Sick Girl isn't nearly as funny as it would like to be, the story's emotional beats land well. Fans of Nina Dobrev's body of work will enjoy her portrayal of a female misfit suffering from arrested development.
Writer. Video Essayist. Film/TV Critic. Pop Culture Enthusiast.
When he isn’t writing for Geek Vibes Nation or The Cinema Spot, Tristian can be found typing away at one of the novels or screenplays he’s been working on forever.
