Review of I Still Believe (2020) by Chrismizerak — 01 May 2020

The first film to be reviewed under my newly established “COVID-19 Catch-up Initiative” is also coincidentally the last film I saw in theatres before the quarantine took effect soon after. I tried to motivate myself to get a review out for it as soon as I watched it, but two things got in the way.

First, many big life events were taking place around that time which exhausted me to the point of draining my energy to do so. Secondly, even if I were to do it, there frankly would not be all that much to talk about.

And now reflecting back a month and a half later on my memories of the faith-based romance “I Still Believe”, starring Britt Robertson and K.J. Apa, I am better able to understand why I did not. This film is based on a true story of an aspiring Christian musician, played by Apa, who heads off to college to better pursue his dreams.

One night, while watching a concert backstage, he meets a girl, played by Robertson, and they begin to hit it off. Their new connection is apparently enough to convince the girl to date him behind her busy boyfriend’s back.

I had to add the word “apparently” to that last sentence, because we are ironically given more reasons why they should not be together throughout the narrative’s progression than we are given any evidence that they should be.

That is problem number one. Problem number two comes with a cat crawling out of the bag in the form of “I Still Believe” being labeled as a “tearjerker”. I have gone on about films being labeled as horror flicks as automatically being spoiled and therefore ruining any surprise the film in question might be capable of pulling.

In relation to that, I would like to go on record of delivering a similar sermon to films that are considered tearjerkers. The moment that the film in question is categorized out in the open as a tearjerker, whether it is through marketing or other means of that nature, the film is automatically spoiled and ruined for me.

I am trying to be fair here. I get why they do categories such as tearjerker or horror for films. It is designed to better prepare emotionally sensitive viewers from being vulnerable to abnormal mental or psychological damage.

But in doing that, these labels defeat the purpose of viewers like me willing to go into a film and better embracing the experience. Because I already know what to expect, there is already less the film can do to truly impress me, and that sucks.

I wanted to be caught up in this well-meaning romance and the sacrifices being made to keep this relationship happily afloat. I wanted Britt Robertson to captivate me with her high spirit and cool personality.

And in spite of the story being religious themed, which is not my cup of tea, I tried my best to embrace what “I Still Believe” had to offer. Unfortunately, the film’s uninspired vision and disinterested direction completely undoes any potential “I Still Believe” might have had going for it.

This is yet another example of a film based on a true story that is not telling the central narrative because it is interesting or heartfelt, but because it conveniently fits a cookie-cutter formula that Hollywood is used to cranking out and has since gone out of style.

It just feels like the studio is going after the success of “The Fault in Our Stars” or “The Notebook” without truly understanding what made those films click with their target audience. As someone who has yet to catch up with said films, I can imagine that those films clicked because it focused on the connection the main couple had as opposed to this film where the couple is more concerned with getting to a destination or goal.

If you are going to tell stories based on real people and events, why not think outside the box a little bit as opposed to playing it safe with every solitary step? The reconciliation with Apa and Robertson’s boyfriend is a start, but there needed to be more of that.

If my prior comments are any indication, the cast is not to blame for the final product not taking off. Britt Robertson does what she can with her limited role. Neither are the production and technical crews behind the scenes responsible.

“I Still Believe” this is a textbook example of a producer greenlighting a project because it is something easy that they are comfortable with putting out rather than the representation of a past love that conquers many obstacles headed its way.