‘I Love You Forever’ (2024)

A novel take on a rom-com gone blue, ‘I Love You Forever’ follows Mackenzie (Sofia Black-D'Elia) as she navigates her higher education and meets Finn (Ray Nicholson). The two quickly form a strong bond, but things take a turn for the worst when Finn shows his true colors.

Incredibly fresh and fun, Mackenzie is continuously supported by her roommate Ally (Cazzie David) and friend Lucas (Jon Rudnitsky). Interacting well, the threesome deliver some of the more distinctive and edgy humor in the feature, creating a biting and surprisingly sharp witted comedy, commonly lacking from more conventional romantic comedies.

With a pointed and shrewd comical tone established, the film then leans heavily into the developing and budding romance between Mackenzie and Finn. Having met by chance at a party, Finn wows Mackenzie as he books out a whole restaurant for the two to enjoy their first date. Huge romantic gestures follow and Mackenzie is swept off her feet by the unbelievably romantic Finn, a welcome change to what had come before him.

Soon shifting, with the tone becoming more serious, the film begins to explore the toxic side of Finn. Expecting Mackenzie to keep in touch constantly, the young woman soon discovers and is guilted onto complying with Finn’s need to constantly be updated. Showing a controlling relationship from a new perspective, ‘I Love You Forever’ brings to the forefront the progressive downturn that Mackenzie is taking.

Showcasing the ways through which Nicholson’s Finn wears away at Black-D'Elia’s Mackenzie, the story tracks every instance of increasing paranoia and loss of control that Finn’s actions have on Mackenzie, ultimately reducing her to a shadow of her former self.

Starting off as a fun loving and studious person Black-D'Elia’s Mackenzie is full of life and ready for anything. The forging relationship tears away at her soul, with each passing day with Nicholson’s Finn draining more life away from her, devolving to an unrecognizable husk of who she used to be. Displaying the torment and conveying the pain Mackenzie goes through every day, Black-D'Elia captures the struggle and misery well, leaving one to pity her.

Posing as the ultimate tormentor, Nicholson portrays an unmatched force of evil, with apparently only one goal – to be with someone and to control them absolutely. Showing the erratic and manipulative ways in which one could behave to control another person, Nicholson delivers a fearful image of a toxic partner, reminding us that a bad relationship is not just one where physical aggression occurs.

Doing well in presenting an unhealthy dynamic, ‘I Love You Forever’ shifts drastically in tone from its start to finish. At times delivering hilarious exchanges, the film shifts in tone too fast and tries to convey a more serious and poignant message, failing to do so due to an awkward and sudden shift in tone.

With the film portraying manipulation, disrespect, and a lack of support well, some suspension of disbelief may still be required. Even though Mackenzie may be a bit awkward and anxious, the main character is portrayed as smart and capable, leaving one to wonder about her surprising lack of conviction and urgency to distance herself from such a relationship. Leaving more than little to be desired by way of character development, writers and directors Cazzie David and Elisa Kalani focus on the detrimental effects of a toxic relationship, leaving all else to the side.

Initially fun and rousing, ‘I Love You Forever’ feels fresh and has a bite to it. What soon follows is an uncomfortable and tragic devolution of a young woman that experiences first hand the harmful effects of being with the wrong person. Cringey, awkward and sad, the film plays well as a cynical look at unhealthy relationships, examining the concept whilst leaving its characters one-dimensional.

Score: 2/4