Heartstopper
Heartstopper is streaming on Netflix at the time of publication.
Television programs are typically reviewed after the first two or three episodes. This report card does not cover the entire season. It may contain MINOR spoilers for the first few episodes.
SCREENPLAY: A-
Against all odds, Charlie and Nick become friends at an English boys’ school. Against bigger odds lies the question, will they become more than friends?
The joy and the horror of watching Heartstopper is not knowing how things will work out. Every dreadful feeling I experienced as a straight teenager trying “to figure things out” clawed its way up my spine as I watched Nick and Charlie navigate their lives. I covered my eyes on more than one occasion. As a straight man, I’m aware the intensity of my experience can’t compare. These boys carry a weighty fear I have never had to. Their entire worlds could crumble. It wraps what could be a generic teen rom-com in a prickly and precarious blanket of high stakes. The storytellers also wrap their characters in another blanket made of love and dignity. It’s a sometimes frightening, sometimes adorable story.
ACTING: A-
The two leads are charming and terrific. Every word that tumbles out of Charlie’s (Joe Locke) mouth sounds like he’s hearing it for the first time. That delivery makes us feel like we’re discovering everything right along with him. We grab his arm, eager to find out what he’ll reveal next. Nick (Kit Connor) is the sweetest boy ever created. He’s the All-American All-English Boy of the Century. He communicates every ounce of wonder and fear through his face. He’s phenomenal.
Charlie’s sister Tori (Jenny Walser) and that 1980’s Perkin’s restaurant glass she’s always drinking from are both a delight.
CRAFT: A-
The soundtrack slides your heartbeat to just the right pace - a pace that makes you feel a part of these kids’ world. I’m usually not a fan of lyrics that literally describe what characters are thinking. But the idea feels right in this case since music plays such a crucial role in helping teens make sense of the world.
Graphic novel-type graphics occasionally flutter across the screen. They help lighten what could easily be a too-heavy drama. They transform the story into a fable. They remind us that the story we’re watching has a message we should remember. They also serve to lessen the terror I feel every time a character’s heart is poked, questioned, and crisply filleted.
TEXTING: A
I love the texting scenes. Heartstopper won’t merely post a complete text conversation on the screen and move on. We get to spy on the boys while they send each individual text. We watch them type, delete, think, type, worry, and delete before finally settling on what they’re willing to share with the person on the other end of the screen. We gain deep insights into their minds, deeper than any finished text string could provide. The “Typing” and “Viewed 10 minutes ago” notifications masterfully ratchet up the tension tenfold.
FINAL COMMENTS:
Heartstopper seems to be asking us to consider what the life we really want to live looks like. Is identity defined by accomplishments listed on a resume, or does it live in the heated, hidden, squishy parts of the soul? I think both things can be true. You can find yourself through accomplishments. But a braver, much more epic life is usually found in the messy places. You can still discover a good life without doing it - but if you’ve got enough courage to sit with your identity in the mess, hug it close, and let it lead you where it will, you’ll likely receive even greater rewards.
Of course, I’m speaking about real life. What will our two favorite fictional fellows in Heartstopper discover? Two episodes in, I can’t wait to find out.