Review: Heartstopper (2022)

Based on the best-selling graphic novels by Alice Oseman, this new Netflix series is everything it needed to be and more.

One of the biggest hurdles creators face today (and one that seems oh so very hard to get around) is representation. The thing about representation is that everyone knows about it, only some are daring enough to attempt it, and even fewer are actually successful at showcasing it. Nowadays it has become increasingly difficult to have relatability without representation and although having one does not guarantee the other, it certainly helps. I think the trap that so many creators fall in when trying to be "representative" is that they fail to actually work with individuals that they are trying to represent - the stories they tell lack a genuine understanding of their own characters experiences. To put it simply, of all the modern tv shows and "Netflix originals" claiming to be the next trailblazer for all underrepresented groups, Heartstopper is running laps around them all. And that is because it represents the very people who created it - their own stories clearly interwoven throughout every aspect of this incredible book-to-screen adaptation.

This is what happens when you cast real teenagers to play teenagers. I know, SHOCKING concept. And it doesn't stop there. In Heartstopper, gay actors are playing gay characters, trans actors are playing trans characters, and nearly every characters' ethnicity is kept the same as it is in the book. A reason Heartstopper is so successful for me, as someone who has read the graphic novels, is that they truly captured the essence of each of the characters that are so important to the fans for so many different reasons. It is surprising to me that this is the first professional acting gig for so many of the cast members. Kit Connor and Joe Locke each breathe life into their characters Nick and Charlie, while Tao, Elle, Tara, and Darcy are all depicted flawlessly as well. Every aspect of teenage pining is completely understood; the awkwardness of flirting, the excitement of gossiping with your friends, the shyness with which you attempt your first kiss. Everything about the teenage characters feels all too real, just with added whimsy to keep the story connected to the cartoon world from which it originated.

Perhaps somewhat surprising, but something certain individuals might understand, is the strangely melancholic feeling older viewers have gotten while watching Heartstopper. Just know that if this happened/happens to you, you are not alone. Heartstopper exists in a very modern world; one that is ruled entirely by Gen Z. This means the game has changed slightly. It means we get to see kids just being themselves in high school of all places. Yes, shows like Glee existed with gay and even trans characters back in 2012, however their stories were always ones of survival, not of freedom. Not to say these stories are not important, because they are absolutely real and deserve a platform. However it is so refreshing to watch queer people just being happy. Heartstopper gives us exactly that - it manages to depict the very real struggles of growing up queer in high school (it doesn't pretend we live in some kind of utopia now), while also showcasing the truest form of unbridled queer joy. It is absolutely valid to feel complex emotions with respect to this kind of representation. Although we feel happy to have the queer community depicted in this way, we are confronted with the fact that things weren't always like this. We feel a loss for what we could have had and what we deserved. But this feeling is not a bad thing. It means the world is moving on and changing just in time for so many young queer people to grow up and feel like they can be themselves so much earlier in life.

To finish things off, I would say just go watch it. Let yourself feel every emotion, but at the end of the day remember that Heartstopper is simply a new-age teen series about identity, mental health, self-discovery, and above all else, joy. I find the scene that sticks with me the most is not one involving either of the two main characters at all, but rather one where two girlfriends dance at a party, surrounded by their peers and flashing lights, and feel safe enough to be together. The absolute best kind of representation, and the new gold standard in my opinion.