A Charming Boyish Romance in Heartstopper

by Tom Soares

Anyone in search of a great feel-good romance, the kind that bursts your heart and leaves you smiling from ear to ear, for hours and hours, should look no further than Heartstopper, a brand-new romantic series coming to Netflix later this week.

Based on the award-winning graphic novel with the same name, created by Alice Oseman, and directed by Euros Lyn (Doctor Who), Heartstopper is an absolute delight of a show, and one that truly brings flawless LGBTQ+ representation from its very first episode to the last.

The series tells the story of Charlie Springs (Joe Locke), a fourteen year old freshman highschool student who befriends the charming star of the rugby team, Nick Nelson (Kit Connor), on their first day of school.

A little bit shy and more reserved than most of his closest friends, Charlie was previously outed as gay by other classmates, and that forced him to grow up isolated, hiding in the art room during lunchbreak, to avoid constant teasing and bullying. 

Meanwhile, Nick seems to have everything. Good-looking, very intelligent and popular with girls, the young athlete is one of the few people in the school to be genuinely kind and caring to Charlie, and interested in his well-being even before their romance bloomed.

When their unlike friendship naturally develops into something more, the two boys are left to figure out how to navigate their feelings for each other.

Not only is Heartstopper the cutest, most exciting and romantic series on any streaming service right now, and a very well-produced one too, it further delivers strong LGBTQ+ representation, with gay, lesbians, bissexual and transgender characters that enrich the story and are more than simple plot devices.

And that’s not everything. Heartstopper is very family friendly, with Disney-like characteristics that could provide a great time for parents of young teenagers, and an opportunity for them to talk about LGBTQ+ issues. 

Charlie’s and Nick’s romance is sweet, innocent, uncomplicated and something that anyone could aspire for, no matter their age or sexuality. Every scene with them together is like a warm hug on a cold morning, and their relationship is one of kindness. 

While Charlie gives the rugby player space and enough time for him to figure out his feelings, Nick works hard on being the boyfriend, best friend, cheerleader and protector that Charlie always needed. Indeed, the beauty of their love story is unmatched, even by the standards already set on another teenage LGBTQ+ romances, such as Love, Simon and its spinoff series, Love, Victor.

Joe Locke and Kit Connor perfectly embody their respective characters, not only physically but emotionally, giving solid, heartfelt performances and making both Charlie and Nick very human, authentic and relatable.

Heartstopper also introduces the talented actress Yasmin Finney as Elle Argent, a transgender student at an all-girls school, who’s a close friend and confidant to Charlie. Finney is an up-and-coming name in the Black and transgender community, and she recently got cast in Billy Porter’s directorial debut What If?, produced by MGM’s Orion Productions.

Heartstopper is an impeccable series, and another clear indication that Netflix takes its LGBTQ+ content very seriously. With similar shows and movies debuting on other streaming services in the past few months - Everybody is Talking About Jamie, on Amazon Prime Video, and Better Nate Than Ever, on Disney+ - there’s absolutely no question that this is the best time to be a young member of the LGBTQ+ community, when it comes to representation in entertainment.

The importance of productions like Heartstoppers goes beyond simply having a great time, but it could be lifesaving for many children and teenagers around the world.

Heartstopper premiers on Netflix this Friday, April 22.