Five Feet Apart review — Lead Haley Lu Richardson elevates it above other terminal teen angst films.

Apparently we DO need another teens with a life threatening illness falling in love movie, because The Fault in Our Stars and Me and Earl and the Dying Girl just weren’t enough. Seriously.

Five Feet Apart tells the tragic tale of teens, played by Haley Lu Richardson and Cole Sprouse, with cystic fibrosis, who meet and fall in love in a hospital ward. They must always stay five feet apart in order to avoid cross infection. Drama, trauma, misery and comedy ensue.

Filmmakers say it was inspired by social media star Claire Wineland, who set up a foundation to support families living with cystic fibrosis, and died of complications of a lung transplant after serving as a medical advisor on the film. Wineland was a friend of  the film’s director, Justin Baldoni.

It could have devolved into just another sad teen weepy, if it weren’t for the mesmerizing performance of the husky-voiced Richardson. Although the perk factor is a little on the high side, she plays a riveting scrappy girl with unique wit. Up to this point you’ve probably only seen her with lesser roles in films like Split and The Edge of Seventeen, but I can promise you, after watching Five Feet Apart, you will want to see a lot more of her. She has an extremely bright future ahead.

Jaded adults like myself will not be overly impressed with the manipulative nature of the film, but I’m sure teenage girls will flock to see it, keeping Kleenex in business. They could make worse choices. Any film that sheds light on Cystic Fibrosis deserves kudos. Five Feet Apart is sweet, earnest and surprisingly chaste, which is refreshing. Teens could make worse entertainment choices.

Rated PG-13

Two hours 18 minutes

If, after reading this Five Feet Apart review, you’re hot to see it, find times and tickets at Fandango.com.

Five Feet Apart review — Haley Lu Richardson The Fault for the Fab Movie is in the Star.