YouTube sensation Troye Sivan has an undeniable screen presence that carries this enjoyable snapshot of three teens facing life -- or possible illness -- after high school graduation. Three Months also boasts an enviable supporting cast, including veterans Ellen Burstyn and Louis Gosset Jr and relative newcomer Viveik Kalra.
Though Sivan is 26, he plays an18-year-old credibly with his slender frame and angelic face; his looks so innocent here that it's almost hard to imagine him in the circumstances that led to the HIV scare. But that doesn't make him ill-matched to the character, who sits at that tender moment between childhood (screaming on roller coasters, smoking weed at every turn) and adulthood (heading off to college, craving a real relationship). His Gen-Z snarkiness softens as he matures over the course of the summer.
The film is split into chapters by summer months, and for the main characters, the summer after graduation is no party. But as Caleb's doctor notes, "It's amazing what you can discover after life gets f--ked up."
And it does seem Caleb is on a journey, despite the holding pattern forced on him by the 90-day wait for test results. Some early scenes echo that waiting around, conveying the impression that nothing much is happening on screen.
The script also plays with some symbolism, like connected pairs cycling synchronously on a tandem bike, the patience required while a drawbridge opens and closes, and brand-new white Converse representing a fresh start. The film's soundtrack and colorful credits add to a hip mood, setting the scene in a pastel-colored beachfront Florida town at the start and eclectic New York City at the end.
Read the full review at Common Sense Media.