Fin Argus
The musical biopic Clouds has received mixed reviews from film critics. The story, based on the memoir Fly a Little Higher by Laura Sobiech, concerns high school musician Zach Sobiech, who learns that the rare cancer he has been fighting has become terminal. The cast includes Fin Argus (Zach), Sabrina Carpenter (Sammy), Madison Iseman (Amy), Neve Campbell (mom Laura), Tom Everett Scott (dad Rob), Summer H. Howell (Grace), Vivien Endicott-Douglas (Alli), Dylan Everett (Sam), Lil Rel Howery (Mr. Weaver), and Jason Mraz (as himself). Many of Zach Sobiech’s real-life friends make cameos in the film. The creative team includes Justin Baldoni (direction), Kara Holden (script), Ben Kutchins (cinematography), Brett M. Reed (editing), Brian Tyler (music), and Zach Sobiech and Sammy Brown (songs). The film is streaming now on Disney+.
Indie Wire (David Ehrlich): It only takes a few minutes to realize that Clouds isn’t just another honeyed and ham-fisted piece of evangelical propaganda. … Real enough even when forcing his way through some of the movie’s clumsier dialogue, Argus endows Zach with an eager self-awareness that … prevents Clouds from drifting off into abstract sentimentality. … Clouds keeps its focus squarely on the ground from start to finish, and it soars that much higher for it. Grade: B-.
Los Angeles Times (Gary Goldstein): Clouds has all the makings of a profound and powerful heart-tugger. So why isn’t it more wholly moving and cathartic? It’s no fault of its stars, including a charismatic Fin Argus. … That said, the movie’s plainly stated theme, “You don’t have to find out you’re dying to start living” is, of course, valuable and super-timely. … Straight talk about peer-aged mortality, if not everyone’s cup of entertainment, is a vital discussion.
New York Times (Amy Nicholson): Big on hugs and scant on plot, the gentle, hazy script is jolted by dramatic moments, like Zach bathing in the healing waters of Lourdes, France, and a seemingly self-destructive incident behind the wheel, which is quickly ushered away unresolved as if to shrug, that’s life. … While Clouds is as doe-eyed and puppyish as an acoustic serenade, Baldoni is wise to recognize that attention must be paid to Zach’s survivors.
RogertEbert.com (Nell Minow): This film is particularly perceptive on the issue of what it means to try to be “normal” under excruciatingly painful circumstances. … The focus is on Zach, and the way that his limited time affects the normal teenage concerns. … This movie is a reminder that we should not have to wait to fly above the clouds to keep our lives wild and precious. 3 stars.
Variety (Guy Lodge): It’s not a film that especially distinguishes between the sublime and the stickily sentimental, but in that respect, it feels true to the spirit of many a teenage romantic. … Zach’s songwriting and Baldoni’s storytelling are well-matched in their smiling-through-the-tears gentleness and emotional simplicity. … Its overall softness suits its subject: a brave, smart kid who wrote a pop song about dying, not as an end but as an ascent.