Charlie St. Cloud (2010)
Kernel Score: 78% · 2,221 ratings · Rated PG-13
Genres: Drama, Romance
Released: 2010-07-30
Runtime: 99 minutes
Is Charlie St. Cloud worth watching?
Depends on your taste. Charlie St. Cloud is a sentimental grief romance with a supernatural twist, set in a pretty seaside town. It's earnest and tearjerking, but the story is predictable, so it's for viewers who want a weepy comfort watch.
Watch it if you
- like weepy romantic dramas
- enjoy ghost-tinged love stories
- want something sentimental and pretty
Skip it if you
- dislike predictable melodrama
- want realistic grief or a tight plot
Best for: Comfort night in
Fresh Kernels verdict, AI-assisted from our scores, audience reviews and the official rating.
Where to watch Charlie St. Cloud
- Rent: Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube
- Buy: Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube
US availability, updated 2026-10-23.
Overview
Accomplished sailor Charlie St. Cloud has the adoration of his mother Claire and his little brother Sam, as well as a college scholarship that will lead him far from his sleepy Pacific Northwest hometown. But his bright future is cut short when tragedy strikes and takes his dreams with it. After high school classmate Tess returns home unexpectedly, Charlie grows torn between honoring a promise he made four years earlier and moving forward with newfound love. As he finds the courage to let go of the past for good, Charlie discovers the soul most worth saving is his own.
Charlie St. Cloud parents' guide: ages 11+
Parents need to know that Charlie St. Cloud is a romantic drama involving the death of a sibling and a ghostly promise.
- Violence & scariness: A little — A fatal accident and its aftermath are depicted with emotional weight rather than graphic detail.
- Sex, romance & nudity: A little — Includes a mild romantic relationship.
Fresh Kernels AI-assessed from the official PG-13 rating, publicly documented content. A guide for families, not an official rating.
Movies like Charlie St. Cloud
If you liked Charlie St. Cloud, these are the movies we'd watch next.
- The Best of Me (2014) — 84%: Weepy romance about love, loss and second chances
- The Longest Ride (2015) — 86%: Romantic drama that mixes sweeping love with heartbreak
- The Last Song (2010) — 82%: Gentle coastal romance with a family loss at its centre
- The Choice (2016) — 80%: Seaside romance driven by choices and sentiment
- Life in a Year (2020) — 90%: Tearjerking young romance shaped by loss
- Now Is Good (2012) — 82%: Young romance in the shadow of loss
Director
Burr Steers
Cast
- Zac Efron as Charlie St. Cloud
- Charlie Tahan as Sam St. Cloud
- Amanda Crew as Tess Carroll
- Augustus Prew as Alistair Wooley
- Donal Logue as Tink Weatherbee
- Kim Basinger as Louise St. Cloud
- Ray Liotta as Florio Ferrente
- Dave Franco as Sully
- Matt Ward as Connors
- Miles Chalmers as Latham
Charlie St. Cloud FAQ
Is Charlie St. Cloud worth watching?
Depends on your taste. Charlie St. Cloud is a sentimental grief romance with a supernatural twist, set in a pretty seaside town. It's earnest and tearjerking, but the story is predictable, so it's for viewers who want a weepy comfort watch.
Where can I watch Charlie St. Cloud?
In the US you can rent it from Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play and YouTube.
Is Charlie St. Cloud OK for kids?
Charlie St. Cloud is rated PG-13. Fresh Kernels suggests ages 11+. Parents need to know that Charlie St. Cloud is a romantic drama involving the death of a sibling and a ghostly promise.
What movies are like Charlie St. Cloud?
If you liked Charlie St. Cloud, try The Best of Me, The Longest Ride, The Last Song and The Choice.