With an estimated budget of only $50,000, Conrad Jackson’s romantic drama Falling Overnight is a simple indie film with unexpected results. This subtle film sounds less interesting than it really is; a boy who is about to undergo risky surgery meets a girl and falls in love. With such a serious premise, the way the film is handled and plays out becomes a pleasant surprise. Also, the incredible performance from the lead, Parker Croft, greatly benefits the film by making it feel so genuine.

Sitting alone at a restaurant is Elliot Carson (Parker Croft) who is more focused on stacking coffee creamer than eating anything. When the waiter comes by to ask what kind of salad dressing he would like, Elliot is forced to remove his headphones and responsed that he does not care. Something is clearly on his mind. When he arrives at the hospital, what is distracting him becomes clear.

Just looking at him sitting in the waiting room of the hospital you can tell that he has not eaten a proper meal for a while and he looks very tired. Both are confirmed when he speaks to the doctor about how he has been feeling lately. The doctor tells him this is a normal reaction to the medicine he is taking. Then we find out what has been bothering him. Tomorrow he will be undergoing surgery to remove a tumor from his brain.

On the way home from the doctor’s appointment Elliot has a chance encounter with a quirky artist at a road-side store who invites him to an art show. An offer he dismisses at first, but decides to pursue when being alone with his own thoughts at home proves too much. She is surprised to see him at the show and introduces herself as Chloe Webb (Emilia Zoryan). It is not long before he finds himself attracted to her while talking to her. Luckily for him, she seems just as interested in him.

The night looks like it ends well with him getting her phone number and a heartfelt hug to cap it off. But two only separate for a few moments before she comes back to ask if he would like to go to a party with her. Even though he mentioned earlier that he was not able to stay out late tonight, he agrees to join. The rest of the evening, as the title hints, is spent with them falling for each other. But sooner or later he has to tell her about his situation. The same reason that brought them together may drive them apart.

One character makes a statement about how much they do not like stars because you are looking at something that might not actually be there, a lie so to speak. That is essentially what Elliot is to Chloe. Because he waits so long before telling Chloe, he almost deceives her into thinking he is fine when things are not looking so great for him. In his defensive, it is hard to bring up that you may be dying to someone that you just met. Besides, he is trying to forget about it as best he can.

I found myself surprisingly drawn to the characters and how it would play out. It was not overly complicated but what it lacked in complexity it thrived in authenticity. There were lines of dialog that felt awkward but it was as awkward as it would be in real life. The scenes with Elliot and Chloe never felt too exaggerated, just regular Los Angeles twenty-something hipsters falling in love.

Falling Overnight is not the first film to focus on a relationship that has a determined time in which it will end but it is certainly an honest and genuine one. The film does not pull any punches, what you think will happen pretty much does. But what makes Falling Overnight stand out from the rest is what happens between the starting point and ending point. It works so well without having to be over the top. The ending could have been safer like other films with the same setup, but I was really pleased with how it was handled.