Fresh on Blu-ray: ‘EVERY DAY’ and the curious case of cosmic romance

James Cole Clay // Film Critic

EVERY DAY

Rated PG-13, 97 minutes
Director: Michael Sucsy
Starring: Angourie Rice, Justice Smith, Maria Bello, Jacob Batalon, Owen Teague

EVERY DAY is based on the YA novel of the same name by David Levithan, but its premise has more intelligence and heart than meets the eye. In execution, director Michael Sucsy (THE VOW) takes on a story that exposes a diverse message that’s worth championing even if the cosmic idea exceeds the grasp of its creators. 

EVERY DAY starts with a teenage couple Rhiannon (Angourie Rice) and Justin (Justice Smith) deciding to play hooky from school and spend a “perfect day” together. The couple sing in the car together, go to the aquarium, and Rhiannon shares the past traumas in her family. (For all and intents and purposes, Sucsy executes these scenes quite well. The photography is dream-like and polished. And the acting is touching, especially from Smith who is becoming a solid talent in his own right.) We find out the next day that Justin is confused, grumpy and can’t remember the day before, much to the chagrin of Rhiannon. It turns out Justin was “possessed” by a metaphysical being only known as “A,” a life form that transcends having a physical appearance by transforming into a new person every day.  

Sucsy has made a cute movie that treats its premise with a seriousness that allows its message of body positivity to shine. The problem lies within the shallow complexity of a writer looking to show how #deep they are. Sure, this is a film made for teens, but we are left with more questions that answers — only pretty bubblegum pop packaging. 

Rice has shined in a few roles as of late, most notably going toe-to toe-with Ryan Gosling as his preconscious daughter in 2016’s THE NICE GUYS, as well as a bit-part in SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING. Point being, Rice has loads of talent as an actor and has a bright career ahead of her. 

EVERY DAY is a film that’s difficult to outright dislike, as “A” moves through the bodies of people who come from all walks of life. rRace, gender, orientation, or body type don’t matter. “A” is not an entity that discriminates; it only spreads love. If this is the messages preteens are getting from their entertainment than you’d be hard pressed to find a film that presents this idea in a more progressive way. 

Grade: B-

Special Features:

This isn’t a film meant for a deep discussion, but it certainly could be if its premise was exposed on a bit further. We get just a few pieces of behind-the-scenes featurettes that range from 90-120 seconds long. In them, we get to see Rice, Suscy and Smith talk about how the character of “A” will be portrayed by ten different actors. Mostly these are short clips that don’t amount to much substance. 

• Director Michael Sucsy explains how he flipped the beloved novel’s perspective while staying true to the story’s heart
• The cast explores the challenges of having multiple actors play a single character.
• Deleted Scenes.