You had me at teen romance meets whodunnit mystery.
Simon Spier, the protagonist of this lovely story, is a smart but otherwise fairly average high school student in Georgia. By chance, he begins frequent e-mail correspondence with a guy named ‘Blue’ whom he knows to be a student at his school but beyond that Simon has little to no identifying clues. So he goes on a quest to find out who this boy is that makes Simon fall for him more and more with every e-mail. A sudden surge of unwanted attention makes this mission all the harder and Simon’s relationships with friends, potential boyfriends and his family are put to the test.
Love, Simon is the adaptation of the beloved YA novel Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli. Since the movie’s overseas release in March of this year it has gained many fans and for good reason. Though the storylines and characters in the book and the film are fairly different, Love, Simon is without a doubt the best adaptation that could have been made. Reactions online are overwhelmingly positive and many, especially younger viewers have said they felt a genuine connection to this movie, its characters and its message.
One can’t really help but be reminded of a John Green story, but Love, Simon is miles ahead of The Fault in our Stars or – and I can’t mention this “movie” without squirming in disgust – Paper Towns.
Where those two fail miserably to portray believable teen characters, Love, Simon delivers. Where other high school movies are a horrendous cliché that makes you question if the writers ever even went to school themselves, Love, Simon delivers.
The plot as well as the dialogue feel quite authentic and, for a welcome change, not like an adult wrote what they would have wanted to be like as a teenager. There are quite a few Panic! At the Disco references, for instance, which are seamlessly woven into the conversation instead of heavy-handedly trying to appear ‘with the times’. The writing as a whole is rather impressive. Especially when it comes to character motivation and behavior because, as opposed to the book, these two seem far more relatable and realistic in the film.
Ok, let’s talk soundtrack. Troye Sivan’s Strawberries & Cigarettes has become an instant staple in my playlist as soon as it hit my ears. Overall, the song choices instill a feeling of content, nostalgic heartache in me. A weird combination, admittedly, but not uncomfortable at all. Actually nothing short of perfect as a complement to the story of Love, Simon.
And, sue me, I just have to mention what absolute babes the cast are. Nick Robinson (Simon) is ideally cast and we already know the faces of Keyinan Lonsdale (Bram) and Katherine Langford (Leah) form recent tv/Netflix shows. And although their characters are just as ridiculous and dramatic as you’d expect from a YA novel adaptation, the actors all give heart-warming, tear-jerking, wonderful and genuine performances.
Don’t miss out on this wonderful movie, you’ll fall in love with it instantly!
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