Disney Plus recently released a new original movie “Clouds” on Oct. 16 and it took me a few days to have the courage to watch it. I remember hearing about Zach Sobiech and his song “Clouds” when I was younger. Knowing his full story now is tough to watch without crying. 

Zach Sobiech is from Stillwater, Minnesota and was 14 when he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer. During his treatment, he underwent 20 surgeries and 20 rounds of chemotherapy. Shortly after his diagnosis, he started to write music and started a band called ‘A Firm Handshake’ with his best friend Sammy Brown. 

The movie “Clouds” follows Zach Sobiech (Fin Argus) during his senior year at Stillwater Area High School. Zach discovers he has terminal cancer and only has a few months to live. With limited time, his best friend Sammy Brown (Sabrina Carpenter) helps him follow his dream of becoming a songwriter and makes an album. Little did they know their music would become viral overnight. 

“Clouds” has many bittersweet moments. For example, Zach’s romantic life with his girlfriend Amy Adamle (Madison Iseman) and the complexity of their relationship. Despite Zach’s conditions, Amy still wanted to be in a relationship with him. Zach’s parents (Neve Campbell and Tom Everett Scott) are there to support him through challenges he’s facing. However, whenever his mom or dad talked to him, most of the lines were cheesy and failed to empower Zach’s spirit. 

My favorite part about “Clouds” was the acting and soundtrack. The cast had mostly new actors, and I thought they weren’t going to perform well. This film proved me wrong with an outstanding performance from the cast. These characters never disappointed me because they showed real emotions that would move anyone who’s watching it. The soundtrack used most of Zach and Sammy’s original songs from their album. I thought it was wonderful that Kara Holden, the writer, incorporated their music into the film because it felt like a part of Zach was truly in the film. 

In conclusion, “Clouds” was a strong film that exceeded my expectations. I was a little disappointed that the film felt like a classic ‘kid with a cancer story following his dreams’. However, this movie had me in my emotions, which rarely happens. I would recommend to anyone to watch this inspiring movie. 

“Clouds”: ★★★★☆