Charlie St Cloud (Zac Efron) is that guy from high school who looks like he has it made. Everyone expects great things from him and he will most likely succeed.

But when a car accident leaves his brother Sam (Charlie Tahan) dead, Charlie doesn’t succeed in anything.

Having almost died himself, he is given a second chance by the paramedic that won’t give up, and the unbelievable ability to see his brother.

However, five years later and it would seem Charlie has wasted his second chance at life. He is at the bottom. But as these things go, he meets a girl and begins the process of re-finding himself, which includes a difficult decision of whether he lets down his brother or saves someone worth saving. He learns there is no such thing as a lost cause and that life is worth living, even if it is without people you love.

Efron really has some acting chops, showing he is more than just a song and dance. He pulls at the proverbial heart strings, bringing the raw emotion of the role to the screen.

He has some pretty amazing chemistry with Amanda Crew, who plays Tess – the love-interest, who makes his second chance worthwhile.

With a supporting cast of Ray Liotta and Kim Basinger, you would expect a bigger presence by them on screen, but maybe it shows a change in Hollywood – the next generation is coming in to their own.

Directed by Burr Steers (17 Again) and based on the original novel, The Death and Life of Charlie St Cloud by Ben Sherwood, this is a great adaptation and definitely one that requires a box of tissues.

It is the ultimate story of a little boy lost; just trying to find what makes him happy.