PremiumThe Tearsmith leads you to the dark side of childhood abuse but is too predictable to feel love and pain
Based on Italian best-selling novel of the same name, Netflix's The Tearsmith is the tale of two orphans from ‘The Grave’ orphanage who are adopted by the same family.
Last Updated: 07.20 PM, Apr 12, 2024
Netflix’s new Italian melodrama movie ‘The Tearsmith’ is a teen romance movie that had viewers excited because of its fairytale imagination and forbidden love themes. The movie premiered on the streaming platform in the first week of April in multiple languages, including the dubbed versions in English, Hindi, and other languages. However, the thrill died soon after its release due to the cliched dialogues and predictable storyline.
This film adaptation of Erin Doom’s popular novel showed a lot of promise, so it really does come as a disappointment that it failed to live up to expectations. The following are all the reasons why The Tearsmith just doesn't work:
The Tearsmith falls into a formulaic ending
Adapted from an Italian best-selling novel of the same name, The Tearsmith is the tale of two orphans from ‘The Grave’ orphanage who are adopted by the same family. Their lives take a dark turn when they develop romantic feelings for each other, making their relationship a forbidden tale of love.
Despite the magical chemistry between the lead characters, Nica (played by Caterina Ferioli) and Rigel (played by Simone Baldasseroni), the movie falls prey to a formulaic ending. The cliche dialogues make it seem like a movie made for teens and is about their moral dilemmas. It has a love triangle, family crisis, childhood abuse, and enemies-to-lovers trope, but the crux of the film, ‘love and acceptance', is not explored in depth during its 1 hour, 45-minute run time. The short screen time is to blame, but the execution does not help matters either, as it could have been smoother.
Although the movie got a 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a harsh critical review, it is receiving love on Netflix and is currently in the top 10 films in India even in its second week of premiere.
Dark themes are used as a prop
The Tearsmith revolves around childhood abuse but fails to hold your attention because of its flawed narrative and execution. For instance, a climax court battle scene when Nica testifies against her evil headmistress, Margaret Stoker, is abandoned without a verdict. But it pans out in a hospital room, with Rigel suddenly coming out of a coma with Nica’s touch. All this makes it a cliched and rushed happy ending. Maybe the movie could’ve ended with a cliffhanger verdict or a well-paced conclusion.
The themes of love, acceptance, and shared trauma are left unexplored, with many instances where better and more mature dialogues could have added value or layers to the film. There is a beautiful scene with a black rose, which signifies the forbidden love of Rigel for Nica, but even that is spoiled with rushed execution and messy dialogues.
The only reason I chose to ignore all these loopholes is the magnetic chemistry between the two leads. Their intimate scenes and intense gazes add depth to an otherwise hollow film.
The Tearsmith is available to stream on Netflix.