In the past few years, Netflix has bombarded their platform with original content created exclusively for the site. Among the most popular of these movies and shows is the genre that I have coined “cheesy but cute high school rom-coms.” You know, fan faves like “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before,” “The Kissing Booth” and most recently the cinematic masterpiece that is “Tall Girl.”
But I’m here to tell you that an underdog Netflix film blows ALL of these contenders out of the water. Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce you to my favorite cheesy Netflix rom-com: “Alex Strangelove.”
“Alex Strangelove,” which came out in 2018, follows senior Alex Truelove through his final year of high school. Throughout the movie, Alex, who has been with his current girlfriend Claire for almost a year, begins to question his sexuality when he meets handsome, charming Elliott at a party. Alex planned to lose his virginity to Claire, but his sudden attraction to Elliot throws a wrench in his meticulously planned life. Add a couple of goofy guy friends and you’ve got yourself the perfect cheesy rom-com plot!
“Alex Strangelove” is hilarious, awkward, cheesy, romantic and relatable. It’s one of those movies that I find myself coming back to over and over again, especially when life gets tough and I want to forget about my problems for a couple hours.
I’m not saying that this movie is the best film to ever grace screens. It’s goofy and corny at times, but something about the characters and dialogue is so endearing and adorable. So no, this movie isn’t going to win any Academy Awards anytime soon, but it is so heartfelt and genuine that you can’t help but smile, laugh and cry along with all of the characters throughout the film.
So the next time you want to watch a fun, lighthearted Netflix original, resist the urge to click on anything with Noah Centineo in it. Instead try out “Alex Strangelove” for crazy antics, high school drama and teenage romance. I mean, come on! Can it get much better than that?