"We Live in Time," a 2024 romance drama starring Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield, is coming to theaters nationwide on Oct. 18. The 108-minute film, directed by John Crowley, ensures "every moment counts." It stays true to this theme in its quality— as it certainly is worth your time.
The film is nonlinear; the story jumps around through critical moments in two characters' lives. Almut (played by Pugh) and Tobias (played by Garfield) navigate their relationship and own senses of self through tribulations and hardship.
However, A24's "We Live in Time" is not dull, or brooding, or anything of the sort. It's resoundingly hopeful. It cares about love, about family. And it finds time to be romantic, light and packed with dry British wit.
Pugh shines playing the prodigious chef Almut. Her charm is simply unmatched: She's magnetic and glows throughout each era the film explores. The cinematography matches this by bathing her almost exclusively in golds and in sunlight, especially during more romantic parts of the film.
All of the shots and colors provide a resounding sense of realness — whether a peaceful landscape with wide shots, or a warm, intimate close-up, "We Live in Time" always knows how much space to give its characters.
Garfield isn't completely outshone, of course, but he and the exceptionally memorable and heartfelt side characters are truly there to compliment Pugh's stunning lead performance.
Though the tone and flow do seem to noticeably shift around the halfway point, the pacing never feels off and the story keeps unfolding as needed. Context builds and builds until the details are important to the plot.
"We Live in Time" flashes between joy and pain, between tension and tranquility, often and effectively. The score exemplifies this: It knows when to swell or swirl around the characters, but also when to be silent, to be still.
The raw emotion, the emphasis on family, the refreshing and realistic romance are what drive the film. The execution of these themes allows the film to exceptionally explore its narrative and, truly, feel with the characters.
It's not the complete sob-fest that some marketing has shown, it's not redefining a genre or telling a story like never before. It's not going to completely change your life or your perspective. But "We Live in Time" doesn't need to do anything but be what it is, which proves to be a movie that's worth your time.
Rating: 4/5
Edited by Alysa Horton, Sophia Ramirez and Natalia Jarrett.
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Andrew is a junior studying journalism and mass communication. This is his third semester with The State Press. He has also worked at The Arizona Republic.
