Kaitlyn Dever (Booksmart, Ticket To Paradise) as “Rosaline” is an understated, charming, shrew – and a treasure in this perfect role for her teenage rebellion. She carries the comedy into genuine adventure with ease. Pairing her with Bradley Whitford (Get Out, The West Wing) as “Adrian Capulet” and Minnie Driver (Good Will Hunting, Speechless) as “Nurse Janet” is the perfect way to open a comedy, making it easier to trust the wit and fall in love with the young cast to follow. Isabela Merced (Dora and the Lost City of Gold, Transformers: The Last Knight) as “Juliet” is a wide-eyed and gentle beauty, perfectly naive and sweet. Sean Teale (The Gifted, Little Voice) as “Dario” is equally handsome, spirited, with a devastating leading man quality.

This is a gem for all ages. “Rosaline” pulls on the knowledge of the classic “Romeo and Juliet” love story, but it proves to be strong enough to stand on its own story for younger viewers. It is PG-13 for a single ‘F***’ I recall, but otherwise safe enough in general. This film is less sexual than Shakespeare’s play, significantly so. And this story upends the seriousness of the original while answering the question of how Rosaline fit into Romeo’s life.

It’s not a steamy date-night movie though, it’s a lazy Sunday afternoon or mid-week feel-good fairytale. Enjoy!

Click To Watch on HULU