Overview
- The A24 release, which opened over the weekend, drew robust ticket sales and ranked among the top films, even as reaction split across audiences and critics.
- Reviews widely single out Zendaya and Robert Pattinson for nuanced performances, with many describing the film’s tonal tightrope and moral framing as polarizing.
- Publicity kept details under wraps to preserve an early revelation, and March For Our Lives and others say the secrecy‑driven campaign misrepresented the film’s seriousness.
- A 2012 essay by director Kristoffer Borgli about a relationship with a 16‑year‑old resurfaced before release and continues to color coverage, and neither he nor A24 has offered a substantive public response.
- Post‑opening discussion now fixates on character dynamics and ethics, with some viewers casting a supporting role as the story’s antagonist and several critics arguing the lead is underwritten.