Love, Simon 

Although on the surface it appears like a mainstream, high-school-love, chick-flick film, there is something about this film that distinguishes from the rest: It’s two guys falling in love with each other. Not only does the movie display a classic high school student yearning to find love regardless of their sexual orientation but it also displays the cultural shift on the acceptance of same-sex marriage, which was illegal until the Supreme Court ruled its legality in 2015. Through its phenomenal actors, compelling plot, and endearing scenes, “Love, Simon” is a film that will leave you in awe. 

Based on the novel Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, “Love Simon” is a romcom directed by Greg Berlanti about a 17-year-old high school student struggling with his identity as a gay kid. Simon lives a life that many would envy—he’s wealthy, he has “cool” parents that let him get away with getting drunk, he has a robust group of friends, and he has a charming personality that attracts people. Despite all his blessings and advantages, his one secret regarding his sexual orientation agonizes him. He thinks his whole world would change if people found out. As humans, we are bound to seek acceptance by others and to avoid placing ourselves in vulnerable situations. Simon does a magnificent job in playing the role of a gay man perturbed to live authentically. As Simon says in the film, “Who you are to the world is pretty terrifying because what if the world doesn’t like you?”

Twenty-three-year-old Nick Robinson does a remarkable job playing Simon. Since he was 13, Simon had started to realize he was “different”—fantasizing about the leaf blower guy next door, constantly dreaming about Daniel Radcliffe, and eventually virtually falling for another man. Simon’s secret began to crumble when he stumbled across a post about an anonymous gay kid in school on a website where they reveal secrets to other students. Simon and the anonymous user, who refers to himself as “Blue”, begin to exchange emails discussing their stories and feelings but never their identities, until the end. Dying to know who the other closeted kid is, Simon uses context clues to try to connect the dots and figure out who the mysterious user is. With so many potential candidates and context clues from different characters, the film’s suspenseful buildup leaves viewers on the edge of their seat as the identity of “Blue” becomes imminent. Simon’s whole world is about to change when he forgets to log out of his email at the school’s library and Martin reads his secret correspondence with “blue.” Martin threatens to blackmail Simon and leak the secrecy of the emails if Simon doesn’t help him get a date with Abby. Due to its high stakes, Simon tries the impossible–to set Martin up with Abby in order for him to not get outed. Eventually, Martin gets rejected by Abby in front of the whole school and outs Simon in order to deflect atteintion from. 

Filled with humorous, heartfelt, and emotional scenes, “Love, Simon” is a film that is already causing impact.The film employs various clichés and pop culture references that resound with millennials, even though the film is enjoyable for all ages. Conveying a powerful story of a teen struggling with self-identity and self-discovery, it is well worth the time and money to watch “Love, Simon” and see first-hand why it is causing the impact that it is.