Now streaming on Netflix is the Swedish coming-of-age drama, A Part of You (aka En Del Av Dig). Directed by Sigge Eklund, the movie stars Felicia Maxime, Edvin Ryding, and Zara Larsson, and follows the story of a young girl dealing with a family tragedy.
In the movie, Agnes Svan is a 17-year-old drama student living with her mother and her older sister. While Agnes’ life is typical of most teenagers, she wishes things were different, and that she could be more like her sister, Julia.
Julia is extremely popular, gets invited to parties, and is dating a caring boy named Noel. From Agnes’ perspective, Julia is everything she wishes she could be and more.
But things take a dramatic turn when one night Julia is suddenly killed in a car accident. The incident turns Agnes’ world upside down and she doesn’t know how to cope.
Over the coming days, Agnes begins to change as she reacts to Julia’s passing. She dresses like Julia, becomes close with Julia’s friends, and becomes intimate with Noel.
Carefully told, with an eye for detail and a focus on the pain associated with loss and grief, A Part of You is a touching and poignant picture about a teenager’s response to death. The film follows Agnes’ journey as she deals with the initial shock of the accident, begins to take on certain character traits associated with Julia, and then (understandably) goes off the rails.
Agnes has spent her life watching Julia, idolising her and becoming somewhat envious in the process, and now that Julia is gone, Agnes doesn’t really know what to do. Her initial response is to almost become Julia, but in doing so she loses part of her own identity.
This all makes for an interesting watch, as Agnes goes through a journey of exploration and transformation. But is she becoming more like Julia because she misses her, because she is trying to keep Julia alive in someway, or because she would simply be more like Julia if Julia never existed?
While the film doesn’t necessarily pose these questions, it certainly flirts with these ideas. It then allows the audience to decide why Agnes chooses the path she is on, as the story plays out the highs and lows that follow.
For the most part, A Part of You works well, and while it isn’t the most dynamic or energetic film, it hits all the right emotional beats. The film’s core cast is excellent too, with Felicia Maxime and Edvin Ryding giving impassioned performances.
The film touches upon issues to do with mental health, and there are suggestions that Julia’s accident wasn’t entirely accidental. A self-destructive thread appears to run through the whole family, with Julia battling some inner demons, and once again this makes for interesting viewing.
Where A Part of You struggles a touch is in the pacing, and also in the lighting. The film is dark as heck so you may need to turn down the lights, shut the curtains, and get up close with your television screen to see what’s going on.
However, putting this to one side, A Part of You is a decent coming-of-age-story, which differs considerably from its peers and feels very personal. It tackles a difficult subject matter, does so with tenderness, and more or less hits the intended landing.
—
—
Thank you for taking the time to read this review on It’s A Stampede!. For more reviews, check out the recommended reads below.
It's A Stampede! 
Leave a comment