Five Feet Apart (2019), directed by Justin Baldoni and adapted from a screenplay by Mikki Daughtry and Tobias Iaconis, tells a concise yet emotionally resonant story about two teenagers—Stella Grant and Will Newman—who form a deep romantic bond while living under strict medical isolation. The film explores themes of love, control, risk, and the human need for connection, framed by the distressing reality of cystic fibrosis (CF) and the protocols designed to protect patients from cross-infection.

Stella Grant (Haley Lu Richardson) is every bit a seventeen-year-old, but unlike most teens, she spends much of her time living in a hospital as a cystic fibrosis patient [5.3]. Her life is full of routines, boundaries, and self-control—all of which are put to the test when she meets Will Newman (Cole Sprouse), an impossibly charming fellow patient who has the same illness [5.1].