Movie Review: Love, Simon is Genuinely Lovable

Love, Simon, released on March 16, 2018, is a teen rom-com-drama film based off of the 2015 young adult novel, Simon vs the Homosapien Agenda. Viewers will recognize the main character Simon Spier as Nick Robinson, who was featured in Jurassic World and more recently, Everything, Everything. Also among the cast is Katherine Langford, who played the main character of Hannah from the hit drama 13 Reasons Why.

To cut to the chase, Love, Simon is a landmark film for a variety of reasons. The film is among the first truly mainstream films in the most recent years to feature a young adult, gay love story. Love, Simon has the backings of a major studio and has earned a spic and span PG-13 rating, opening it to a wide audience. Moreover, Love, Simon has been heavily marketed— both on television and online. In terms of cultural atmosphere, the film arrives hot on the heels of this year’s Oscar-nominated Call Me By Your Name, which had a smaller, though critically acclaimed release. Love, Simon’s mainstream release means that it will serve as a litmus test for mainstream audiences.

With that being said, how does Love, Simon fare?

Love, Simon takes on the expected glossy and predictable storyline of the many teen rom-coms that followed before it. However, this decision doesn’t necessarily work against the film: the story is charming, heartfelt, and has a strong ensemble of characters. Like other young adult films, it centers on the main character’s coming of age, and in this case, Simon’s struggle of being open with his identity with his friends and family.

Love, Simon, presents Simon Spier as an ordinary individual: not as the popular girl’s handbag holder, nor as a punchline for a joke. The audience closely follows Simon’s inner emotional turmoil as he falls in love with an anonymous classmate via email (hence the film’s title) and as he becomes blackmailed by a fellow student, setting off a chain of events that threaten the identity that Simon has built. The movie’s comedic moments are delivered brilliantly by Tony Hale, who plays the lovably out-of-touch vice principal. What is more, Simon’s parents provide moments of warmth to the story, offering Simon emotional depth to explore.

A sole critique is the film’s use of technology— for instance, in overlayed text message bubbles and FaceTime calls— that could have been done without. To filmmakers: it is possible to tell a modern story without these digital detractors.

Audience members will see themselves in the characters of Love, Simon, whether as the loving parents, or the close-knit friends themselves. In the movie viewing, audiences let out definite “oohs and ahhs” during the film’s Ferris wheel scene. Furthermore, Robinson, as Simon, radiates a shining charisma in his performance. The film is a genuine and fun film to watch, and all audiences will be able to enjoy Love, Simon.