I’m not even going to put it off: I LOVE Netflix’s adaptation of Alice Oseman’s graphic novel Heartstopper. As a quick rundown, Heartstopper follows two high schoolers, Nick and Charlie, and their friendship that buds into something a bit more.
This entire show made me so very happy. I realized as I was watching that Heartstopper was exactly the type of thing I needed as a queer kid. Even at nineteen years old, there were points of the show that moved me to tears. From Nick questioning his sexuality to Charlie having to deal with friendship difficulties and anxieties after being outed to his school, there is so much that brings me comfort even as an adult.
Although the show is definitely aimed at younger audiences, I found a ton of stuff to enjoy. There’s a huge emphasis on healthy friendships/relationships as well as supporting the people we love as they go through personal life changes. Support systems are such a huge part of this show. Charlie has a ton of friends to fall back on when things get tough who are also willing to welcome Nick in once it’s discovered that his friends aren’t the greatest. Every single dynamic is well-developed from the good to the bad, and it made the entire show really enjoyable to watch.
Heartstopper is a beautiful example of what book-to-T.V. adaptations should be. It stuck close enough to the original source material while sprinkling in some new content that added more to the story than detracting from it. The actors looked like they were picked directly from the graphic novel, which was a major plus.There’s honestly zero complaints I can make against this show. The plot was simple to follow, the main set of characters were well developed, and the soundtrack kept me engaged without being too intense. I would recommend to check the list of trigger warnings for this show if you’re interested, just because there is homophobia and a very mild sexual assault scene (as well as other things, such as discussions of mental health, etc.) Heartstopper is lovely in every form of the word, and I genuinely recommend it to everyone who is interested in a simple story about friendship, love, and figuring out who you are.