Review of Love, Simon (2018) by Kevin P — 22 Jul 2018

Strengths: When done right, the coming of age teen film can be excellent. Love, Simon hits on all the right notes in that aspect. Focusing on a gay romance made this a bold, groundbreaking idea. Nick Robinson (Simon Spier) is great in the lead role. He's charming, charismatic, and has chemistry with the rest of the cast. You feel for every moment of the film he's involved in. Katheryn Langford (Leah Burke) continues her hot streak after 13 Reasons Why. She's another highlight. Josh Duhamel (Jack Spier) and Jennifer Garner (Emily Spier) don't get a ton of screen time as Simon's parents, but they're both given great scenes with Robinson. Watching Jack angrily react to his son coming out was tough, but it gets even more emotional when you find out it was because he was frustrated with himself for not seeing it sooner. I enjoyed the blackmail aspect of the film, as it made our hero do things that weren't right. He pitted his friends against each other to keep his secret, which was selfish. A layered character that doesn't always do good is important. The side storyline involving Alexandra Shipp (Abby Suso) and Jorge Lendeborg Jr. (Nick Eisner) was a good one that tied back into the main story. There are plenty of heartwarming, emotional moments, while also managing to have several funny scenes. The reveal of who Blue is was a cool little twist and the moment they get on the Ferris wheel together is truly a great, uplifting scene. Throw in a wonderful soundtrack and this movies has so much going for it.

Weaknesses: Tony Hale (Mr. Worth) can be quite funny and usually delivers in small roles. He did well as the Vice Principal in this, but the character was way too over the top. It could've been funny had they dialed it back just a bit. Also, even though the film was original in targeting a gay storyline, it does hit some all too familiar beats from other teen romantic comedies.

Overall: Despite some expected tropes at times, this movie is fantastic. There's a ton of heart and you can't help but feel good after watching it. You'll laugh, cry, and pump your fist in triumph. Nearly everything about Love, Simon is great.