You better hurry if you’d like to rewatch a romantic dramedy starring Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin before it’s removed from BBC iPlayer. Released in 2016, Me Before You is an adaptation of Jojo Moyes’s 2012 novel of the same name.
Directed by Thea Sharrock from a script by Moyes, the film follows Lou Clark (Clarke) as she’s hired as a caretaker for Will Traynor (Claflin), a cynical former banker who is considering assisted suicide after an accident left him a tetraplegic.
Lou manages to win over the closed-off Will with her positive attitude, taking it upon herself to show him that life has a lot to offer. But as the pair’s connection develops, Will’s plan to go to Switzerland casts a shadow on their spark and potential future together.
Warner Bros.
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Me Before You is currently available to watch on BBC iPlayer, though not for too much longer. The romantic drama will leave the platform on 29 August, so you have a little over a week to catch up on this tearjerker.
The stacked cast for the film is rounded out by Jenna Coleman, Janet McTeer, Charles Dance, Samantha Spiro, Brendan Coyle, Vanessa Kirby, Matthew Lewis, Joanna Lumley, Ben Lloyd-Hughes and Diane Morgan.
Upon its release, Me Before You garnered a mixed response from critics, with Rotten Tomatoes currently reporting an approval rating of 55% from 176 reviews. It did, however, fare much better with moviegoers, as it holds an audience score of 73%.
It was similarly praised by users on IMDb, where it has a solid rating of 7.4/10 from 342,000 logs. In one 8/10 review, a viewer called it “amazing”, and opined that Clarke was “born” to play the lead role of Lou.
Warner Bros.
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“Gorgeous film, full of love and warmth. It’s emotional and sad at times, but it’s beautifully made and worth a watch,” wrote another fan, while a third branded it “fantastic” and a “definite must-see”.
A fourth user echoed these sentiments, writing: “The high point of the film is the performance by Emilia Clarke. She is hair-brained, and scatty, completely adorable and wonderful. The camera-work is gorgeous and the soundtrack is second to none.”
Me Before You is streaming on BBC iPlayer until 29 August.
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Reporter, Digital Spy
Stefania is a freelance writer specialising in TV and movies. After graduating from City University, London, she covered LGBTQ+ news and pursued a career in entertainment journalism, with her work appearing in outlets including Little White Lies, The Skinny, Radio Times and Digital Spy.
Her beats are horror films and period dramas, especially if fronted by queer women. She can argue why Scream is the best slasher in four languages (and a half).