Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Forever Out of My League’ on Netflix, The Final Installment in the Italian Teen Cystic Fibrosis Romance Trilogy

Last year, Italian teen weepy Out of My League premiered on Netflix and told the story of Marta, a young woman diagnosed with cystic fibrosis looking for love in unlikely places. It was followed up by a sequel, Still Out of My League, in December, and now, the final film in the unconventional trilogy, Forever Out of My League, has arrived to give Marta her happy ending at last. We’re here to let you know if it’s worth tuning in for the last installment of this Italian romance series. 

FOREVER OUT OF MY LEAGUE: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: When we last saw Marta (Ludovica Francesconi), she was heading into surgery for a potentially life-saving lung transplant as her current boyfriend Gabriele (Giancarlo Commare) rushed to be by her side. Forever Out of My League picks up right where things left off, following Marta’s surgery. Gabriele, Federica (Gaja Masciale), and Jacopo (Jozef Gjura) all wait for news of their beloved Marta, and the doctor tells them that the surgery went as well as it could – now, they simply wait two weeks as they slowly bring her out of her sedated state. The group does their best to get on with their lives; Jacopo pursues Dr. Dario, Federica quits her job, and Gabriele simply pines for her. Marta finally wakes up, declaring she’s already feeling better. Before she’s released, Jacopo questions Marta about why she told the hospital she had no living relatives, as he knows this to be a lie. She gives him a non-answer, telling him that ‘the old lady’ is as good as dead to her, but before they can talk more, she’s released from the hospital. Marta takes her new lungs for a spin, enjoying her relationship with Gabriele and trying to keep a happy outlook even as her doctor tells her she needs to be careful.

Things take another turn when Marta decides to move in with Gabriele, and Federica and Jacopo plan to stay behind and turn the house into a B&B that will turn a profit for all of them. Marta and Gabriele soon find that apartment hunting is a little more difficult than they anticipated, and the need for a guarantor creates another bump in the road. Jacopo urges Marta to ask her grandmother, an idea she shuts down immediately. As the two grow closer and she finally explains her past with her only living relative, Gabriele resolves to try to reconnect the two women. Between this development and an unexpected addition for Jacopo and Federica, questions are raised for all of them about the meaning of family. Only time will tell if they can all get their happy endings.

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: Still Out of My League has The Fault in Our Stars and A Walk to Remember vibes, and may also remind you of movies like Into the Wind, JJ+E, and Confessions of an Invisible Girl. 

Performance Worth Watching: Jozef Gjura remains a charming delight as Jacopo, serving as both comedic relief and the heart of much of the film. His budding relationship with the doctor helps to fuel some of Forever Out of My League‘s slower sequences, and his general goofy state of being keeps things light and fun throughout. From his loud shirts and large hair to infectious smile, it’s hard not to love him.

Memorable Dialogue: The dialogue in Forever Out of My League remains its weaker point – no particularly memorable lines here.

Sex and Skin: Forever Out of My League continues to keep things tame with post-coital, under-the-covers cuddling.

Our Take: Forever Out of My League somehow ramps up the corniness this times around, accompanying most scenes with a piano score saccharine enough to give you a cavity. All three of these movies easily could have been combined into one; the second installment is basically a retelling of the first anyway, and there are so many storylines stretched out unnecessarily just to meet a certain run time. It’s a shame that the films are so low-stakes and predictable, too, because the cast is utterly charming; it’s impossible not to fall in love with them (particularly Federica and Jacopo), especially after three films. Unfortunately, however, the films just don’t do them justice.

Forever Out of My League continues the series’ tradition of making problems where there are none in the hopes of moving the story along, and this choice feels even stranger in this installment given that Marta has finally received the life-saving surgery she’s been waiting for. There’s also the addition of random storylines that don’t seem to fit into the world at all – who is this influencer character again and why do we care? The tone is also still completely out of whack, going from melodramatic hospital sequences to a wink and a smile in the drop of a hat. Forever Out of My League‘s better moments come from the sincere exchanges between friends, whether they’re laughing or sharing a quiet revelation. If only Forever Out of My League had any interest in telling a story with actual stakes (and a little less soap).

Our Call: SKIP IT. While three movies with these characters have certainly allowed us to develop some fondness for them, Forever Out of My League fails to make any lasting impression (much like its predecessors).

Jade Budowski is a freelance writer with a knack for ruining punchlines, hogging the mic at karaoke, and thirst-tweeting. Follow her on Twitter: @jadebudowski.