R#J

All in all, I would say that R#J, as a new version of Romeo and Juliet, will have some appeal to its supposed Gen-Z audience, although I’m not sure they will understand it unless they read the play first. But isn’t that always the case that the book is better than the movie? If anything, do watch this film to the absolute very end.

The movie works mainly because of the magnetism and sincerity of its cast, who are giving it their all throughout. Engels and Noel have excellent chemistry, and their world is populated with charismatic, dynamic supporting players, best represented by Saunderson’s maximalist take on Mercutio. If this is what it takes to introduce a new generation to a classic story, so be it.

R#J certainly looks new, but flashy graphics can’t detract from the problems that lurk inside its structure and its script

Even the most eagle-eyed and engaged viewers might run out of patience with R#J. Thankfully, Williams’ magnificent cast counters the disorder with their confident screen presence and theatrical muscles that stand out within the film’s unique atmosphere.

Told mostly through the screens that consume the characters’ lives, the feature debut of director Carey Williams has its superficial pleasures as a riff on our media-soaked moment, but the novelty of the approach is hard to sustain, and a fresh-faced cast fails to capitalise on the play’s enduring appeal.

Simply because you have an idea that could be a film, that doesn’t mean that it should be a film; that’s a mantra that should be considered long and hard by any filmmaker attempting to ‘modernize’ Shakespeare. R#J stands as a warning of how wrong it can go when you try.

It’s tough to get invested in a romance between two people more interested in likes than love.