Here the Whole Time Review
Director: Daniel Lieff
Date Created: 2026-08-19 20:46
2
Here the Whole Time Review: Directed by Daniel Lieff, the Brazilian coming-of-age romantic film Quinze Dias is adapted from Vitor Martins’ novel of the same name, with a screenplay by Vitor Brandt and Ray Tavares. The film stars Miguel Lallo as Felipe, Diego Lira as Caio, Débora Falabella as Rita, and Mika Soeiro as Beca, alongside Bel Moreira, Olivia Araújo, Fernando Caruso, João Pedro Chaseliov and others. The movie has a runtime of 1 hour and 41 minutes.
Here the Whole Time Review
Netflix’s Here the Whole Time revolves around Felipe, a young man who prefers to spend his vacation in his room as opposed to swimming in the pool that is downstairs. His greatest challenge is not his weight; it is the effects of years of bullying on his sense of self. The openly gay and effeminate Felipe has Rita, his mother, as one of the most tolerant people around him, but it does not immediately make him a proud individual.
He is afraid of his body because of years of torment and bullying, and he is under the impression that everyone else can only see him the way bullies saw him. His situation becomes more difficult when Caio, the boy living downstairs, ends up having to spend his vacation there. The two already have a strained history, but being forced together allows them to understand each other differently.
What intrigued me the most about the Netflix film Here the Whole Time is, in fact, the juxtaposition of Felipe and Caio. In theory, their problems could not be any more opposite. Felipe is one of those people who can afford to accept their sexuality and come out as gay thanks mostly to Rita, but he is extremely insecure about the way he looks. Caio, on the other hand, looks like the definition of confidence in the physical sense—he is attractive and athletic, but still holds another kind of secret within him.
That could be the basis for a much better film. However, what I noticed was that this film brings up the insecurities but does not give them enough space to grow. The insecurities that Felipe has are clearly established through the way that he refuses to go swimming because of how others may look at him. He is really affected by the bullying that has happened. However, once the film establishes the conflict, it shifts towards something more comfortable rather than exploring the reason behind it.
The same issue is even more pronounced in the case of Caio. The story of Caio’s fear of coming out can be considered the more complex and emotionally charged one since Caio is not only afraid of accepting himself, but he is also scared of disappointing his mother. In my opinion, it should have been developed in the film more deeply. On the contrary, it looks as if Caio’s transformation is some plot device needed for advancing the story. In view of the importance of the coming-out theme in the film, I was disappointed with this.
The love affair that Felipe and Caio had also proved to be another difficulty for me. It was clear what the movie makers were trying to achieve. Being put in close contact allows them to grow beyond their preconceptions of each other, and there are times when their bond begins to seem a little more loving. However, I have always found the romance to fall flat for me.
It becomes particularly obvious in this case since the Brazilian movie Here The Whole Time is evidently a feel-good romance. It wants to make the viewer grin at these two boys getting into something unexpected with one another. Still, I kept sitting through their scenes and waiting for the spark to happen. Something which even in supposed to be exciting and romantic, became somehow inhibited. Rather than experiencing butterflies right along with the characters, I found myself thinking how much more it would have impacted me had there been more emotional build-up.
I was also not too impressed with how certain parts of the conflict are resolved. There is a scene where a misunderstanding about a kiss causes unnecessary conflict between Felipe and Caio. The misunderstanding in the movie is used to bring up the drama, but it seems like an old romantic plot device rather than one that evolves organically from the characters. Felipe’s reaction annoyed me since he gives Caio little time to explain the situation. It would have made for an interesting point about trust and communication, but the movie moves on from the conflict way too soon.
One character that really brought more life into the film for me is Rita. In this role, Débora Falabella makes the mother of Felipe a warm presence who comes across as a likeable character without appearing as an idealistic parent. What I particularly enjoyed about Rita is that she encourages Felipe in all he does without becoming just another cool mom to him. She can be understanding and funny, as well as give Felipe room, but at times also call him to order.
Miguel Lallo does bring out the vulnerability of the character, especially in the scenes where he is shown to be insecure about his own body. Diego Lira, on the other hand, brings out the gentle side of Caio that is more reserved than the others. The issue was not with the performances but rather with the script that didn’t give the actors enough meat.
Now, there are some aspects of the Netflix movie Here the Whole Time that I enjoyed. This film has a relaxed mood; the location fits the personal story, and the themes that it tries to cover are quite meaningful. Particularly interesting to me was the fact that Felipe is not portrayed as a character who feels insecure because he is gay. In fact, being gay and body image are two different aspects of the character’s life, which could make for a more interesting story.
On the other hand, it seems to me that the movie fails to give enough attention to the depth of the issue and goes for comfort. It tries to be a film on self-acceptance, coming out, bullying, family, and first love, but some of the mentioned themes are better presented than developed. Moreover, I do not feel any romantic aspect of the main plot strongly enough.
Netflix Here the Whole Time Review: Summing Up
Overall, Here the Whole Time is a sweet coming-of-age love story, but the movie fails to blend them into a deeply moving one. The combination of Felipe’s insecurity and Caio’s fear of letting down his mother might have made a good contrast, and their love story might have been the element that brings everything together. Unfortunately, the movie stays sweet and nicely done without going deeper into these themes. I expected more from Felipe and Caio as a couple, and from the movie about handling such tough feelings when it comes to their sexual identity.
