High school senior, Simon Spiel (Nick Robinson), has a secret: he’s gay. He has yet to come out to his friends or family, however, finds himself falling in love with an anonymous classmate he’s met online. Love, Simon is a warm and heartfelt story that shows the beauty and struggles of discovering yourself and falling in love.
When you look at the last couple of years of LGBTQ positive films (Call Me By Your Name and Moonlight come to mind immediately), it’s refreshing to finally see a mainstream film feature a gay teen as the lead.
I cannot imagine how inspired younger audience members struggling with their identity felt when they saw Love, Simon. These films didn’t exist when I was younger, and it is so crucial for these types of stories to continue to be shared.
The film is more lighthearted and glossier than the topic at hand. The film lacks depth where there could have been and chooses to follow the path of a John Hughes teen movie over other “coming out” stories.
That being said, Love, Simon adopts every romantic comedy cliche in the book. Let’s face it – as cheesy as those moments can be, they are still adorable. When Simon’s anonymous online lover’s identity is revealed, my audience cheered. It’s rare to find romantic comedies where the audience is that invested in its protagonist’s love story.
At the end of the day, Love, Simon shares a story that will help future generations who identify with the LGBTQ community and will undoubtedly leave you smiling with a warm heart.
Final Thoughts: Love, Simon is a feel-good, coming of age story. But most importantly, it is a positive sign that we are making progress when it comes to inclusivity.
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