Funny and charming and lovely and real.

The Half Of It is a likeable if not especially memorable entry into the teen romantic-comedy genre - but it gains most of its merit through its sensitive depiction of outsiderdom and self-acceptance.

The idea of a teenage version of Cyrano de Bergerac seems to lend itself to pure romantic fluff, but Wu imbues it with incredible depth and consideration.

The Half of It brilliantly capitalizes on the everlasting appeal of an easy-to-swallow romcom by disrupting the very same tropes it inevitably clings to, resulting in a film that feels comfortably familiar but still entirely fresh.