Okay, so we’ve been preparing to see a slightly darker, grittier version of Lili Reinhart since we got our first glimpse of her new YA film Chemical Hearts. However, we were *not* prepared for this moody, low-voiced and quite pained character that’s been revealed in the first official trailer for the film. Reinhart looks and sounds so different from her preppy, good-girl character Betty in Riverdale, the role fans grew to love her from.
The trailer, which is giving us emotional Perks of Being a Wallflower vibes, sees Reinhart’s character, Grace, developing a friendship with Henry Page, played by Austin Abrams. He’s the introspective, sad boy type and she’s the mysterious new student who uses a cane to aid her walking after a car accident. “Being young is so painful… it’s almost too much,” Grace says in the trailer. Huge Jughead mood and… we’re extremely into it. So far, Chemical Hearts looks like a movie that confronts the complexity of teenage emotions in a way that’s authentic, not condescending.
After Grace joins the school newspaper staff that Henry is on, the pair end up growing closer and, of course, feelings start to develop. If this sounds like déjà vu, you’d be right. Reinhart’s Riverdale character Betty tries to restart the school newspaper with Jughead, played by her ex-boyfriend Cole Sprouse.
Based on the trailer and what the cast have shared about the film, you can expect things to get pretty angsty, “Stop leading me on,” Henry yells at Grace during the trailer. Hoo boy, prepare to get your heart broken.
Reinhart has explained that Chemical Hearts is a much more realistic take on a teen relationship. “This film is different because these two people are struggling and Henry’s projecting what he wants her to be onto her; that’s a more adult topic in romance movies, it happens with like people in their 30s.”
“I mean, it’s hard to watch a movie where the teenagers… end up together, like, ‘Wow, that’s fine. That’s all happy!’ But it doesn’t really leave you with anything because it’s not real. I like movies that leave an impact on you and make you think. That’s life, and that’s more realistic.”
You can watch the trailer for Chemical Hearts below while we wait for its release on the 21st of August on Amazon Prime Video.
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