A local theater showed an advanced screening of “Midnight Sun” on Valentine’s Day for insight on critics’ opinions. “Midnight Sun” hits theaters on Friday, March 23, and the audience will recognize a familiar storyline from other movies.

Starring Bella Thorne as a teen-girl named Katie and Patrick Schwarzenegger as Charlie, “Midnight Sun” follows Katie living with a rare genetic condition, a life-threatening sensitivity to sunlight. Thorne has starred in movies where she embraces the mean girl act, like in “The DUFF.” But in “Midnight Sun,” Thorne portrays a character more innocent and pure.

Schwarzenegger earned his first big lead in this movie. He and Thorne did well portraying their chemistry on the screen. This could be due to their rumored romance off screen.

After being asked out by Charlie, her longtime crush, Katie can only make up excuses to only go out at night with Charlie in an effort to not tell him about her disease because she fears he will only see her as a problem. She stresses to her father that in time she will tell Charlie, but she wants to enjoy a few dates with him before she does.

Seems reasonable, but this story line is too familiar and has been used before in the early 2000’s Nicholas Sparks movie “A Walk to Remember.” In “A Walk to Remember,” the female lead has cancer and does not tell her boyfriend about her sickness until it’s too late. “Midnight Sun” follows this exact route.

Because of the lack of originality, “Midnight Sun” doesn’t deserve a 5-star rating, however, the solid acting makes up for some of it. Because of Thorne and Schwarzenegger, “Midnight Sun” deserves 3/5 stars.