Rating 3/5
Like all things John Green, Paper Towns is a metaphor. With last year’s release of The Fault in Our Stars, comparisons will inevitably be made between these two films. However, Paper Towns — while similarly containing teenage characters who speak unnaturally — takes on simple and relatable events in a person’s life. It is a coming-of-age film that delves into that limbo time where you’re just about to leave high school and encountering moments of realisation that people aren’t always how you imagine them to be.
Nearing the end of high school, Quentin “Q” Jacobsen (Nat Wolff) has led a repetitive and dull school existence. Under the impression that his life will become more interesting once he leaves for university, Q spends his time studying and playing video games with his two best friends, Marcus “Radar” Lincoln (Justice Smith) and Ben Starling (Austin Abrams). But his childhood friend and longtime crush, Margo Roth Spiegelman (model turned actor, Cara Delevingne) has a different approach to high school. Popular and enigmatic, Margo is known for her random escapades and the interesting clues she leaves behind that pinpoint her locations.
One night, Margo enlists Q to help take revenge on her friends, who have all betrayed her. The pair find themselves driving all over Orlando, Florida; before the night ends, Margo encourages Q to get out of his comfort zone. When she disappears the next day, Q takes it upon himself to find her and embarks on his last adventures with his friends before university, adventures he considers his firsts.
Schreier’s dreamy cinematography coupled with an enjoyable soundtrack overrides scenes and dialogue that appear unrealistic. Performances from both Wolff and Delevingne also make those moments bearable. Having seen Nat Wolff in Stuck in Love and Palo Alto, his performances are endearing even when his characters are not always likable. Scenes with Q and Margo show how the actors complement one another, and Delevingne’s portrayal of Margo appears effortless as she both fits and breaks the “mysterious girl” trope that her character could have remained stuck in.
With in-depth characters and cleanly filmed scenes, Paper Towns is a comfortable watch. While Schreier may not offer the audience anything original, his execution of the film captures the essence of being a teenager on the verge of something new and the growth that comes with that.