Netflix's queer gem graduates with flying colors in Heartstopper Forever

Heartstopper has always owned its sappiness. The Alice Oseman-created British series—a dutiful Netflix adaptation of her graphic novels—never shied away from being unabashedly mushy while tackling its protagonists’ serious coming-of-age challenges, like mental health problems, eating disorders, bullying, and homophobia. This tonal tightrope is exactly why, for three seasons, it was easy to digest and necessary to watch, especially because of its joyful portrayals of various queer romances. While sticking to the source material and the genre’s trusted tropes, Heartstopper emerged as a countermeasure to some of the darker, more toxic love stories on TV. Thankfully, it remains true to those strengths for the cozy finale movie Heartstopper Forever.

Directed by Still Alice‘s Wash Westmoreland, Heartstopper Forever is just as much of a progressive, confident, and cheesy narrative PSA for viewers—not just teens!—about self-acceptance. It’s just packaged through the lens of two understandably angsty youngsters on the precipice of discovering the world outside of their comfortable bubble. How can adults who’ve gone through those experiences not relate? Ever since they began dating, Charlie Spring (Joe Locke) and Nick Nelson (Kit Connor) have been gleefully tangled up in each other. But with the latter graduating and likely moving hours away for college, the two have to reckon with the uncertainty of their futures. 

In addressing resonant feelings of doubt, anxiety, and a near-crippling fear of leaving home, Heartstopper Forever continues the show’s streak of being poignant and wholesome at the same time. The film also follows a familiar rom-com path: Charlie and Nick are closer than ever, but worry that physical distance will affect their connection. While Charlie slowly recovers from his time in a mental health clinic and his body dysmorphia, Nick struggles with his own identity. Who is he if not a doting caretaker for his boyfriend? Who are each of them outside of a relationship that has consumed them entirely? These individual issues naturally fuel miscommunication, secrets, and lingering thoughts of a breakup.

As dreary as that sounds, Heartstopper Forever still succeeds because Oseman truly understands and captures the whimsy of teenage love, as well as its fragility,  because all these high schoolers wear their emotions on their sleeve. Much like the show, the movie cautions against putting too much weight only on romance, but it also proudly depicts how a supportive relationship can make you more open and responsible, as is the case with Charlie and Nick. Animated fluttering hearts and fireworks—courtesy of 2D animator Anna Peronetto—still fly between them, acting as a continuous reminder of their bond. At ages 17 and 18, nothing else matters to Charlie and Nick more than holding hands, going on dates, and hooking up. It’s all devised to make viewers say “aww.”