Charlie St Cloud

(M) Universal DVD/BD

Zac Efron stars in this supernatural drama about a young man who can’t quite let go of the past for fear that he may have to move on in life.

Accomplished high school sailor Charlie (Efron) has the adoration of single mother Claire (Kim Basinger) and little brother Sam (Charlie Tahan) as well as a highly sought after scholarship to Stanford that will lead him far from his sleepy hometown.

One night while delivering Sam to a friend’s house, the brothers are involved in a horrific car accident, which takes the life of Sam.

Five years pass and Charlie has let life pass him by. He now works at the cemetery and seems to have a unique gift: he is able to talk to those who have passed and been buried there.

This is an excellent film about grief, its aftermath and the ability to move on with life. It is also a profound film about second chances and the plans God has for us.

It is refreshing to watch a film for a teenage demographic that doesn’t talk down to them and at the same time is as engaging for adults.

Adrian Drayton