By Sawyer Pollitt, Staff Writer
Recently, the film Love, Simon was released in theaters. Based on the young adult novel Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli, the standard coming of age story that we all know and love is given a fresh spin for modern, young audiences.
The phenomenon of young adult fiction being adapted to film was really popularized by John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars which was a smash hit at the box office when it released in 2014. Generating over three hundred million dollars in ticket sales, this film opened the flood gates for other modern literature being adapted to film.
The story follows Simon Spier, played by Nick Robinson, a young man who is dealing with the usual rigors of post-pubescent life, except for the fact that he is harboring a deep secret; he’s gay. From the beginning of the film he is more than aware of his sexual orientation however he is determined to keep it from his friends and family. This reluctance to let his feelings out changes when a Yik-Yak-esque message board reveals that someone at his school is also gay.
Simon reaches out to this anonymous classmate, only known as Blue, via email. Simon offers words of encouragement to Blue, helping him deal with his own issues of sexual identity. Simon, through chatting with Blue, develops a personal mission to eventually meet this mystery boy who he ends up falling in love with. This sets in motion the events of the film and the trials and tribulations that Simon and the rest of the cast encounter.
Love, Simon hits all the right notes at exactly the right times to evoke strong feelings and even tears from the audience. Its blend of humor and relatable drama do wonders to further improve an already compelling story and put viewers in the shoes of a young man struggling with himself. This is of course due to the masterful acting of the young cast as well as the
However, for someone who does not normally enjoy young adult coming of age films, or mushy rom-coms, there is still something to be found in Love, Simon. There are times where the movie feels like a whodunit mystery. Throughout the entire film Simon is trying to figure out who his clandestine correspondent is. The tension that builds is palpable when Simon appears to be on the right trail toward Blue and thinks he is moments away from discovering who he actually is. Conversely, the disappointment that arises when Simon’s hunches fall short and the boys who he suspects are Blue turn out to be false leads hits the audience equally as hard.
Due to the previous factor, this is an excellent movie to see if you’re a boyfriend. While many might groan when they’re significant other drags them to a sappy coming of age film instead of the latest Hollywood blockbuster, this film is really worth seeing. If you enjoy crime dramas, or romance stories you will love Love, Simon.
In short, this movie was a spectacular watch. It had me on the edge of my seat throughout the runtime of the film, and had on many occasions nearly brought a tear to my eye, which, for this reviewer is not an easy thing.