Me Before You (2016)

Most people think so. 83% of audiences gave it a thumbs up based on 13,095 votes. Critics scored it lower at 53%, but audiences disagreed.

Lou Clark, a directionless 26-year-old from the English countryside, takes a job at the local castle as a caregiver and companion to a wealthy young banker, Will Traynor. Wheelchair-bound from an accident two years prior, the once adventurous Will has all but given up — that is until Lou determines to show him that life is worth living. Wikipedia ↗

Me Before You is a 2016 romantic drama film directed by Thea Sharrock, based on Jojo Moyes's bestselling 2012 novel. The film stars Emilia Clarke as Louisa Clark, an eccentric, cheerful young woman from a working-class English family who takes a job as a caretaker for Will Traynor, played by Sam Claflin, a wealthy, athletic young man left quadriplegic after a motorcycle accident. Louisa discovers that Will has secretly arranged to end his life through assisted suicide in six months, and she sets out to show him that life is still worth living by introducing him to new experiences and adventures.

The chemistry between Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin anchored the film emotionally, with Clarke bringing her characteristic warmth and expressiveness to Louisa while Claflin conveyed Will's intelligence, bitterness, and gradually reawakening capacity for joy. Me Before You generated significant controversy from disability rights activists who argued that the film's narrative — in which a disabled person chooses death despite finding love — reinforced the harmful message that life with a disability is not worth living. Supporters countered that the film respected Will's autonomy and presented his choice with complexity rather than endorsement.

The debate made the film one of the most culturally discussed releases of 2016. Me Before You earned $208 million worldwide on a $20 million budget, an impressive return for a mid-budget romantic drama in an era increasingly dominated by franchise filmmaking.