Love, Simon (2018)

Love, Simon

• When I tell you that I’ve been itching to watch this, I’ve been ITCHING to watch it. Every time I checked to see where it was streaming, it was rent only. For months on end. It’s finally on HBO Max (for now), so I immediately jumped on it, and it was certainly worth the wait. It’s one of the most rewarding teen drama films I’ve seen, and to me, it checks nearly every box of what a truly great film should be. Especially from a queer perspective, I feel like this captures a lot of that side of life pretty well. I was never out during high school, so I can’t speak on that experience, but a lot of the family/friend situations felt very real. The plot was simple and straight forward, and again, felt realistic and down to earth. There’s definitely some exaggerated moments for dramatic effect and plot progression, but for the most part, it felt very authentic. The writing around the characters was also decent, though there are some character decisions that felt a bit questionable, though still understandable. I have mixed feelings about Simon’s friends, and how they handled his situation. There’s definitely some back and forth in my head on who’s right and wrong, and how each person’s life was affected and how they reacted to everything around them. That might make no sense, but you know what I’m talking about if you’ve seen this. Either way, the writing is the weakest part of the film, but even then, it’s not weak enough to drag this down. The performances were all pretty solid, especially from Nick Robinson. He completely takes over this film, and you can’t help but want to reach through the screen and hold him. Especially because I can relate to him so much. I feel so seen. The soundtrack was absolutely amazing, and features some great hits that help elevate the film’s theme. Overall, it’s a very emotional and powerful film that is deeply relatable and can be appreciated by everyone. Well, everyone who has a heart. I might be in the minority of saying how good it is, who knows. But I will forever defend this film, and it's an instant favorite in queer cinema. I would recommend it to every person to see at some point in their lives. This film is officially Berry Approved, so go check it out now!