Based on the YA novel by Kate Marchant, Float tells the story of Waverly (Andrea Bang) – a young medical student from Toronto who makes a random decision to spend her summer in a small town. There, she hangs out with her cool artist aunt, Rachel (Michalle Krusiec), and enjoys all the quirks the quaint spot has to offer. When Waverly goes to a beach party and nearly drowns (why are you near a lake if you can’t swim? I have questions), a handsome lifeguard named Blake, played by Robbie Amell, comes to the rescue. He saves her life and captures her heart in the process.

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Having not read the book, I can see how the story may have worked better on paper. Themes, conversations and even characters might be a lot more endearing in the abstract, but on-screen they just come off as flat and uninspired. The two leads are lovely, and their acting is fine, but the chemistry between them is non-existent and I found myself not caring if they ended up together or not. Not exactly ideal for a romantic drama.

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Float has some decent acting, and the small-town vibes feel safe and comfortable, but the romance aspect is DOA, and the story feels way too similar to a million others that have been written before. Float is proof that not every Young Adult novel needs to be made into a movie. It checks all the boxes for a stereotypical romantic drama: A big-city girl in a small town, a hunky guy, and a near-death experience. Sadly, it adds absolutely nothing to the conversation and is as forgettable as any film in the genre could possibly get.