Heartstopper Review: A Sweet Teen Drama On Netflix A Ray Of Light To The True LGBT Youth Even In The Darkest Moments
Stars: Momo Yeung, Joseph Balderrama, Kit Connor
Director: Euros Lyn
Streaming Platform: Netflix
Filmyhype.com Ratings: 3.5/5 (three and half star) [yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]
Heartstopper Review: Among the numerous Netflix releases of April 2022, the next few days will see the debut on the streaming platform of a new original production dedicated to young subscribers. Heartstopper, arriving on the 22nd of the month, will be the most welcoming teen drama among those currently in the catalog, often exasperated by a continuous recycling of intrigues and exasperated dramas: the new show by Netflix and See-Saw Films, based on the graphic of the same name novel by Alice Oseman, aims to tell youth relationships and bonds in an inspired and positive way.
The author, here in the role of producer and screenwriter, has collected numerous enthusiastic opinions also in terms of sales, managing to publish four volumes – the last of which arrived on Italian shelves last August – which thoroughly explore themes of friendship. and sexuality. Under the skillful direction of the expert director Euros Lyn (behind the camera in numerous British and non-British productions, from Sherlock to Daredevil and His Dark Materials), this new LGBTQIA+ product, which joins an already large array of similar works, intends to captivate the observer by giving great space to sweetness and spontaneity. Here are our thoughts on Heartstopper.
Heartstopper Review: The Story
The story of the series focuses on the figures of two apparently very different boys: Charlie Spring (Joe Locke, in his first experience), openly gay, calm and introverted, and Nick Nelson (Kit Connor), lover of rugby and popular element within school social circles. The two, students at a British men’s high school, never got to know each other until they are seated at the same desk. Despite the respective differences, the characters of the boys manage to find many points in common and create the conditions for an excellent friendship. If for Charlie there is immediately the feeling of feeling something more, on the other hand there initially does not seem to be any possibility for any developments: Nick has always considered himself heterosexual, but the relationship with Charlie seems to evolve in such a particular way that being able to arouse very different feelings in him.
By delving into problems of various kinds, from youth difficulties to bullying, the protagonists of Heartstopper will try to tackle together a path of personal growth and acceptance that will show the strength of the respective bonds. At the same time, the show will explore through the gazes of Nick and Charlie the lives of other characters, students and young people who are grappling with fundamental steps of their growth path, both personal and character. In doing so, the series focuses its attention on the widest spectrum of relational situations and contexts that can bring out the mutual desire to help each other on a journey in search of one’s authenticity.
Heartstopper Review and Analysis
Observing Heartstopper from an exclusively narrative point of view, it will immediately be possible to notice that there are no details that can stand out for originality or innovation. Nothing new or really particular is added in terms of plot development, at least in this first season of the series. However, what allows the show to stand out is not the what is told, but the how: the direction of Euros Lyn, under the indications of the script of the original author, uses every element to bring to the screen the atmosphere and the style they have. allowed the graphic novel to reach the hearts of many readers. Thus, what is told in different sauces on multiple products, here you see a particular emphasis on the spontaneity of the interpretations and on the emotionality of the characters with a view to inspiring the viewer with positivity.
There are no excessive or unmotivated dramas, but narrative plots developed through colored photography and an enveloping direction, full of references (including graphics) to the pages of the reference work. Using compassion, humor and warmth, Oseman welcomes even the most mature subscribers into her youthful tale. In this sense, beyond the colorful environments and well-chosen soundtracks, it is the actor’s performances that make each scene extremely credible.
The protagonists, even without interpretative clamors, manage to be genuine and sincere, with great applause for the first level experience for the young Joe Locke. Many will be delighted to discover the presence of Oscar winner Olivia Colman as Nick’s mother, perhaps the sweetest extra in the cast – certainly the most adult-eyed role model in a program aimed at kids. Her lightness and immediacy are the masters in a transposition that wants to be clear and direct right from the start. Heartstopper is to all intents and purposes a young product for a young target, and for this reason it could easily risk averting the gaze of the less attentive spectator. The absence of sensational peaks or noteworthy narrative developments could represent a negative aspect for a product that intends to face a very wide audience.
Nonetheless, the sweetness and positivist style of which the show is permeated allow us to appreciate on several occasions the spontaneity and immediate simplicity of different sequences. Heartstopper will not be particularly surprising, but it is certainly a product that for its target manages with great air to involve in a story that deals with important issues with courage and elegance. Just as happens in Oseman’s works, the series also tries to convey the message that having inner difficulties or conflicts should never lead to exclusion or isolation from others. Therefore being protagonists becomes important in a serial like this: Heartstopper proudly displays all the intentions and character that many other similar productions should have. Precisely for this reason it is not necessary to focus on useless mysteries or obvious transitions, but it becomes essential to dedicate oneself body and soul to those little moments and those stories that make up the life of each of us. Joys and sorrows, as persistent as they are ephemeral, which make the discovery of oneself an unforgettable journey to be experienced in the best possible way.
At a time in fiction when the quintessential youth series is ‘Elite’, ‘Heartstopper’ is ready to show what a series truly is by and for teenagers , with the real concerns they have, especially within the LGBT community. Oseman’s creation addresses the daily bullying Charlie suffers because he is gay by straight teenagers characterized by his toxic masculinity. The young man has been taken out of the closet, which has confronted him with a reality for which he was not prepared. ‘Heartstopper’ seeks to be informative among society and show how necessary it is for everyone to have their time to make their own decisions. Tara and Darcy deciding to go public with their relationship or Nick being afraid of revealing himself to his friends are the perfect examples.
But, in addition, the series shows the need for young LGBT people to surround themselves with a circle of people like them who can understand them. Nick suffers from it, given that his friends are the main bullies in the school, and he finds not only Nick, but also Tara and Darcy, two allies who are willing to understand him and understand his fear of assuming his sexual orientation publicly without any fear. type of trial. The lack of LGTB around you is one of the main problems faced by LGBT adolescents who are discovering themselves and who have no one to look at and with whom to share fears, insecurities and impressions. At this point, ‘Heartstopper’ tries to send a message of hope to all of these to tell them that there are people who feel the same way as them.
Heartstopper Review: The Last Words
Heartstopper manages to tell the story of young people discovering themselves in an elegant, warm and enveloping way. While not standing out from the narrative point of view, the direction of Euros Lyn and the simplicity of some interpretations allow this product for young people to attract, with its colors and its atmospheres, different spectators, offering a sweet tale of love and bonds.
