The majority of us have been made to watch and decipher tales in a particular way since childhood. There’s a definition to everything. From a general perspective, every story has a protagonist and an antagonist who are pitted against each other.
Love, for example, is mainly shown as a business of two different genders. However, recent works of art, ranging from books to films, have shown a more inclusive face of affection.
A novel addition to the list is Heartstopper, a Netflix series that promises to be swoon-worthy, romantic, and heartfelt. It has several amazing moments that demonstrate different forms of love. Before getting into a detailed discussion, here’s a Heartstopper review summary.
Heartstopper Review Summary
Showcasing what love is for those not falling in the traditional realm of boy meeting girl type of stories, Heartstopper beautifully encapsulates stigmas surrounding the LGBTQ community. But it doesn’t stop there and explores an obscure narrative of normalizing same-sex love. Read on to find out how I decipher the Heartstopper review.
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Heartstopper Synopsis
Created by Alice Oseman and directed by Euros Lyn, Heartstopper is a Netflix show based on the concept of same-sex relationships. The show’s origins lie in a graphic novel by the same name written by Alice Oseman.
It stars Joe Locke (Charlie Spring), Kit Connor (Nick Nelson), William Gao (Tao Xu), and Yasmin Finney (Elle Argent), among others.
The story revolves around Charlie Spring, a high school student struggling to get into a fruitful relationship while dealing with bullies at school. He is a quiet person and finds solace in his friend circle. Things take a turn when he falls in love at first sight with Nick Nelson, his new schoolmate.
Heartstopper is essentially a journey of acceptance, recognition, and inclusivity.
What works for Heartstopper?
Vibes
The first thing I noticed and fell in love with after clicking the play button on Netflix was the vibrant atmosphere Heartstopper generates. When you create a story around a school campus, you’ve got to match the vibes of the place.
There has to be fun, loudness, immaturity, and excitement, among other facets of student life. Moreover, it is necessary to not overdo such things for the sake of your plot, and Heartstopper passes the on-campus ‘vibe-check’.
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Performances
Heartstopper is filled with some mighty performances. The casting is perfect, and all the actors combine to deliver a heartwarming experience.
Joe Locke as Charlie Spring is a blend of restraint and excitement. He brings to the fore simplicity and charm of a teenager while communicating the personal issues of a gay. Locke’s expressions are subtle and more under the hood. Instead of being outrageously overt, he finds comfort in simplicity.
If you are searching for style, Kit Connor will satisfy you as he plays Nick Nelson on screen. Unlike Charlie, Nick looks more mature and responsible from the outset. However, both are almost similar when assessed in-depth.
The best part about Kit Connor’s performance is that he, on one hand, comes around as a strong leader of the pack but, on the other hand, remains emotionally fragile.
William Gao and Yasmin Finney are other significant assets of the series with a pleasing chemistry. While Gao ensures ‘verbal’ humor, Yasmin’s presence is enough for the audience to love the show.
The Normalcy in Narration
I come from India, where there’s a lot of prejudice towards queer relationships. It’s not that we don’t have films that celebrate same-sex love; however, we do it putting a lot of emphasis on the subject.
On the contrary, Heartstopper ensures normalcy in the narration. It doesn’t scream that we have made a series on LGBTQ relationships; instead, the makers simply start a tale where there’s a group of friends mingling with each other while respecting individual choices.
There’s no forced infusion of relationships just for the sake of love, which is what makes Heartstopper a genuine outing.
Story
The series has ample ingredients to sail through the audience’s benchmarks. What does an amazing love story have? Probably, romance, bonhomie, emotions, intimacy, separation, etc., and Heartstopper successfully ticks all the boxes.
Characterization
No character in Heartstopper has a nominal value. There’s a purpose to fulfill for each of them, and they are more or less effervescent. Even Jenny Walser and Tobie Donovan, who only have an intermittent presence in the series, are organic instead of intrusive.
Duration
Watching a web series is usually a daunting task with a plethora of lengthy episodes. Furthermore, there is this never-ending wait for the next season. But Heartstopper doesn’t cost you much time. Though it has eight episodes, their average duration is 30 minutes.
Four hours are all you need to binge-watch this heartwarming show, which is pretty much okay when compared to others.
What doesn’t work for Heartstopper?
At the moment, I cannot think of anything that goes against Heartstopper. The fact that it is based on a graphic novel makes its success foolproof. And yes, the mug with a Netflix logo that Nick Nelson uses is a quirky promotional tactic by the streaming giant.
FAQs
Heartstopper is based on which graphic novel?
The Netflix show Heartstopper is based on a graphic novel by the same name, which has four volumes. It is written by Alice Oseman, who has also created the series.
Will there be a Heartstopper season 2?
As of now, there is no talk of a season two for Heartstopper. However, going by the plot, the concept can be continued for the second season.
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