In this young adult ghost story, lingering feelings, and a lingering spirit, prevent a teenager from making peace with the death of her boyfriend.
The In Between stars Joey King as Tessa, an angsty young photographer who was orphaned at a young age and finds it difficult to connect with those around her. When she meets Skylar (Kyle Allen) she is charmed by his ability to speak French and his knowledge of foreign movies that rivals her own. The film flits between two time periods: one in which the two are getting to know each other and falling in love and one in which a freak accident has claimed Skylar’s life and has left Tessa with a literal and figurative wounded heart.
As Tessa struggles to remember what happened the night Skylar died, his restless specter struggles to connect with her from the other side. As her friends and family worry that she’s slowly losing her sanity, Tessa becomes more and more desperate to reach her lost love. Even if it means risking her life to do it.
Joey King, who is mostly known for her role in the Netflix Kissing Booth series, does a decent job here portraying a lovestruck teen turned grieving girlfriend. She and Kyle Allen have palpable chemistry and believably portray two teenagers who are enamored with and pushing each other to become their best selves. The two perfectly illustrate the highs and lows that come with young love, familial responsibilities, and trying to figure out one’s future.
While the film works on several levels with great leads and a good script, it also includes clichés and tropes that are well worn and a bit harmful. For example, Tessa has a black best friend (Celeste O’Connor) who exist solely as a sounding board and to help her reconnect with Skylar’s spirit in the final act. There’s another black character with knowledge of the spirit world who clues Tessa in on the fact that Skylar’s restless spirit is trying to communicate with her. The use of black characters as devices to help further along a white character’s story is harmful and used all too often. I really wish the movie had avoided this harmful trope.
If you’re looking for a watchable teen ghost story, The In Between, even with its flaws, is worth checking out.
The In Between is currently available to stream on Paramount+.
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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.
