Amazon's The Last Sunrise Review: Soapy YA Romance Lacks Charm

Amazon's "The Last Sunrise," a new offering in its "romance content" category, has been reviewed as a soapy and bland Young Adult romance film that fails to leverage its setting for genuine charm. Directed by Carlson Young, the movie is an adaptation of Anna Todd's 2025 novel of the same name. Anna Todd is known for her "After" series, which itself originated as One Direction fan fiction and saw multiple film adaptations between 2019 and 2024. The review positions "The Last Sunrise" within a recent trend of high-return romance properties for Amazon, citing examples like "Every Year After" and the successful run of "The Summer I Turned Pretty." These productions typically feature idyllic locations, attractive heterosexual couples, and themes of wealth, aiming for easily palatable narratives.

However, "The Last Sunrise" is critiqued for substituting narrative simplicity and potential for romantic chemistry with cheap melodrama. The film's plot is described as improbable, incorporating family secrets and dramatic confrontations, such as an "across-the-face slap," which the reviewer suggests aligns it more closely with a soap opera than a sophisticated romantic drama like "Under the Tuscan Sun." The review notes that while similar tropes have been present in rom-coms since the 2000s, the execution in "The Last Sunrise" falls short, lacking the electric chemistry, tailored wardrobes, and appealing depictions of locales that characterized earlier successful films in the genre. The film's reliance on these melodramatic elements is presented as a key weakness, detracting from any potential for authentic romantic connection or engaging storytelling.

The reviewer highlights the film's use of common romance tropes, including a titular sunrise, a summer fling fantasy, themes of exorbitant wealth, and characters with "impossibly sculpted bodies." These elements, while profitable in the romance genre, are deemed insufficient to elevate "The Last Sunrise" beyond its perceived superficiality. The film's setting, described as sunny, is underutilized, contributing to the overall sense of blandness. The review implies that the production prioritizes formulaic elements over nuanced character development or compelling romantic dynamics, resulting in a viewing experience that is both thankless and uninspired. The adaptation of Todd's novel is seen as another instance of Amazon capitalizing on a popular author's existing fanbase within the YA romance market, but without delivering a product that stands out creatively or emotionally.