2 Hearts is a feel-good romantic comedy based on a true story about an organ donor, and a person who was so grateful for their life that they opened up a non-profit for transplant patients. Two couples living in slightly differing modern periods experience a series of traumatic events that are both sweet and sad. Their stories intertwine when illness brings them together in a mysterious way.
Chris (Jacob Elordi) a college freshman, falls in love at first sight with Sam (Tiera Skovbye), a college senior, when they literally bump into each other on campus. There, they become safety buddies, as they donate their time driving around at-risk college students who need a ride. Their sweet, young love blossoms into a full-blown romance.
Meanwhile, in the recent past, wealthy and handsome mixed-race Jorge (Adan Canto) has been suffering a chronic condition since his childhood, and he's been told that his lung disease will kill him at any moment. Yet he lives on and struggles to live a normal life, growing up as part of his family's successful rum business, despite his exile from Cuba to Florida. When Jorge meets Leslie, a flight attendant (Radha Mitchell), on an airplane, he immediately falls for her. He then travels to exotic locales to win her heart. But when illness throws a curveball into their lives, both couples are faced with the grim possibility of their early ending. Their stories overlap when the possibility of a great sacrifice and a shot at a new life steers them in a new direction.
Directed by Lance Hool (One Man's Hero, Steel Dawn), there's a heavy-handedness to everything 2 Hearts. While his instincts are not bad, he focuses too much on making sure that the audience gets the message, rather than interpreting his own uniquely told story. While his technical work is solid, it may be more suited for an after-school special than the silver screen.
Written by Robin U. Russin (On Deadly Ground) and industry newcomer Veronica Hool, the absence of experience is ever present throughout the film. A narrator sets the tone to belabor the all-too obvious message of the film, just in case there were any question. The characters are paper thin, each of them created to fulfill a role in the overall story and not just be their authentic selves.
It really feels like the slightly derived script was not sure if it would be strong enough just focusing on one couple. So, lacking enough solid material, they decided to merge two similar love-at-first-sight stories into one blended storyline where they all meet up at the end. This type of flash-in-the-pan love story may sound sweet on paper, but it leaves the actors to develop their own chemistry on screen in lieu of smaller, constant sweet moments that most couples need to fall in love.
In the end, 2 Hearts delivers schmaltz in spades, which is perfect for anyone craving some happy-go-lucky twists of fate. Despite a lack of depth, the movie still hits the right notes at certain times, but as loudly and obnoxiously as possible.