Love- | Simon

Of course, the film has its critics. Some argue its vision of coming out is too sanitized—a story for white, affluent, cisgender teens with accepting parents. The film’s suburban setting is almost aggressively safe. The "villain" of the piece is a bumbling straight boy, not systemic homophobia. These are valid critiques. Love, Simon does not speak for every queer experience. It speaks for one very specific, very lucky one.

Before 2018, the mainstream Hollywood teen romance had a blueprint: the boy-meets-girl, the grand gesture at the football game, the prom night resolution. For LGBTQ+ youth watching from the margins, these stories were a mirror that refused to reflect them. Then came Love, Simon —a film that didn’t just add a gay protagonist to the formula, but proved the formula had always belonged to him, too. Love- Simon

As Simon himself narrates in the film’s final moments: “This is my life. And I’m not invisible anymore.” For millions of viewers, neither were they. Of course, the film has its critics