Many said “Love, Simon” was going to be an emotional rollercoaster. I was skeptical; there was no way this would be different than any of the cliché love stories with a twist on it, but I was wrong.
The movie follows the story of a teenage boy named Simon (Nick Robinson) also known for his work in “Everything Everything,” who struggles to come to terms with his sexuality.
When a student by the alias ‘Blue’ posts his own struggles being a closeted gay teenager, Simon takes this opportunity to create his own alias, Jacques, and communicate with Blue through emails. He sorts through the many possibilities of Blue’s identity such as the popular kid, Bram (Keiynan Lonsdale), and Cal, played by “13 Reasons Why” actor Miles Heizer.
At first, the emails are a casual ordeal, with Simon slowly falling for Blue, but when a kid at school, Martin (Logan Miller), finds them, he uses the exchange as blackmail to receive Simon’s help in setting him up with his friend, Abby (Alexandra Shipp).
Robinson’s acting throughout the movie is incredible. He accurately portrays the awkwardness of being a teenager, and the scenes where he emotionally breaks down will hit close to home with a diverse number of teens.
Jennifer Garner, who plays Simon’s mother, brought many in the theaters to tears with her scene illustrating that being yourself is not something to be ashamed of. As she so fittingly put it, “You can exhale now, Simon.”
Overall, the movie battled many issues teens face in society, not just sexuality. Simon’s best friend, Leah (Katherine Langford), struggles with a crush that doesn’t like her back; openly gay character Ethan (Clark Moore) deals with bullying; and Simon’s friend Nick (Jorge Lendeborg Jr.) fights with feeling like he’s out of Abby’s league.
The soundtrack for the movie is not what many would expect from a movie directed at teens. Much of the music is from the band “Bleachers,” an indie pop band with an 80’s and 90’s vibe. It has the illusion that this film comes from an era of classic teen movies, which works well with the movie.
Of course, no teen romance is complete without the cliché happy ending, but “Love, Simon” portrays the situation in a new light. Blue is not who he was expected to be.
“Love, Simon” was a well-acted movie with good music and an interesting ending. All in all, it genuinely deserves 5 out of 5 stars.