The Honor List is a 2018 drama about four high school friends who decided to complete a bucket list after tragedy changes them.
It might seem like a spoiler to say that death plays a central role in Elissa Down‘s newest young adult drama, but it’s really not, being the entire reason the story exists. Certainly, this is nothing new in high school films and could really be considered a sub-genre all its own, so it’s easy to give this thread a pass and merit the film on everything else, which for most of the time manages to find some moments that ring true, helping to make this an earnest effort worth a look.
Four girls, Isabella (Sasha Pieterse), Piper (Meghan Rienks), Sophie (Karrueche Tran), and Honor (Arden Cho) have long been friends, maneuvering their way through years of school, supporting each other through the best and worst of times, both on campus and at home. Unfortunately, Honor dies from a heart problem and the loss devastates the group, creating chasms that test their friendships. Vowing to remember their friend with great joy, they unearth a time capsule they planted years before and discover a bucket list Honor made in hopes of completing before her untimely death. The three girls task themselves with getting it done, which puts them on a personal odyssey of their own, testing their resolve as they deal with overcoming personal demons and issues of loss and resentment at home.
Dealing with death, especially at a young age and so suddenly, makes for some great opportunities to explore how trauma can change those so deeply affected by it, and The Honor list at least attempts to give some weight to Honor’s passing. The story isn’t so much about how her life was a secret mess, the film wisely choosing to have her die from illness rather than anything self-inflicted, something that many in the genre turn to. By doing so, it gives the girls a more authentic reason to celebrate their friend’s dreams, and this makes the tonal ups and downs a little more bearable, having most of the list be fodder for comedy.
Fortunately, Down pulls back on the reigns enough to stop the film from dipping too far into pratfalls and slapstick, even as it does water some of it down to more generic moments. There’s a food eating contest against a gang of boys, some petty thievery with stealing a rival team’s mascot, and most emotionally, an open mic challenge at a comedy club where the girls use their time to unpack some of their own personal issues. It’s kitschy for sure and a little on the nose, but under it all are some truly honest feelings that many will certainly connect with, perhaps most with Isabella and her weight issues, which has her facing off with bullies.
The Honor List is best when it holds on to these moments of empowerment, but it can’t quite sustain it, dipping well into the contrived in the end when it becomes all too serious and melodramatic. It’s handled all okay but feels a little too heavy even as some genuine issues make their mark. Good performances and a lot of heart make this a solid family pick and right on target for its intended audience.