In the earlier part of this year, Out of My League, a teenager from Italy, hit Netflix and was blown away by the queer leading actress and her struggle with cystic fibrosis. A few months later, we got a sequel, titled Still Out of My League, which follows Martha as she explores the world of dating after breaking up with her dream, Arturo.
We’re here to tell you if this sequel is worth the time or if you’re entirely out of the league.
It’s really very hard to believe, but it’s been a year since Martha (Ludovico Francesconi) fell in love with the Arturo (Giuseppe Maggio) of her dreams. However, he has since stopped doing something because he realized that it was too different. Martha now sees Gabriele (Giancarlo Compare), an acute artist who made the world think about her. He likes it to make the things difficult for himself, and they have a great time together, even if he still thinks about Arturo from time to time. Meanwhile, roommates Martha and BFFs Federica (Gaia Masciale) and Jacopo (Josef Gyura) go on their trip. Federica starts a fantastic (albeit dark) new job and becomes the target of bad girls. At the same time, Jacopo looks for a worthy romantic partner.
Everything was going well, except for the occasional health problem. Martha still needs a lung transplant – when Gabriele got the chance to go to Paris. Martha urges him to leave, and the two begin a long-distance relationship. A decision that turns out to be much more complex than what they expected. While Martha and Gabriele face reality and wonder what the future holds. They are also preparing for what life would be like without cystic fibrosis dictating every move. The story ends exactly as it started – just as Martha goes into surgery, we receive a “must continue” card. Only the time will reveal the fate of our leading lady, her love and everyone else.
Federica (Gaja Masciale) stole the show this time:
Have a better chance of shining in this sequel than in the first part of this wacky story. He continues to play his best friend, but he also gets a lot more out of his own story here. By starting a new, seedy job and taking on some nasty girls in the office. Masciale is a balanced and comedic moment. More like a leading lady than a best friend, so it feels like she deserves more screen time here.
I’m not a massive fan of the first film in the series. So that I might be biased, but Still Out of My League is a little annoying. Not because of the content, but because of wasting such a fun young player. The film focuses on the same rhythms as its predecessors for making drama (the ups and downs of Martha’s Disease etc.) and doesn’t seem interested in anything remarkably fresh.
However, there’s a real chance here to shake things up and make it happen. I remembered from afar. Still Out of My League is incredibly predictable and repeatable. And it removes all real stakes because we can guess where it will lead. The film is also less than 2 hours long, drawing scenes longer. Than they should and filling the minutes unnecessarily feasting on the eyes.
While Still Out of My League is a real treat:
The artistic use of light and direction is just as beautiful as the first time – the whole aesthetic of life on earth can’t keep up with such a gross scenario. Of course, our characters had some moments of growth (especially roommate Martha and BFFs getting some good scenes, although they sometimes felt thematically out of place). Still, we ended up getting back into a predictable emotional position. Based on the last title card, we’ll also look at the third instalment of the Out of My League franchise. If it’s more than equal, I’m not sure what it is.
Still Out of My League has a big heart and a cast full of electrifying chemistry, but the lack of focus on the story and the long-running time makes it all a bit pointless.