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johnnyclements
Reviews
Philophobia (2019)
Felt like an extended edition of Hollyoaks
Formulaic, low budget, average acting, below average script - bored me quite early on and never regained my interest.
It felt like a teen soap opera - so I guess some will like it. As a teenage coming of age drama it's all been done before and this had nothing new to add to the drama.
The plot revolves around a group of friends who live in a small town, some of them long to escape - it's set during a summer of final school exams - but it's all been done before.
There are some fairly interesting scenes - mostly involving the one actor who has since gone on to do other things, but overall I was underwhelmed.
Something Like Summer (2017)
Nothing Like Summer
I have never heard of the book this was supposedly based on, but from other reviews it seems that the book is very good. This came up on Amazon Prime and from the description sounded good (no mention of it being a musical).
It's not good at all. Awful script, average acting, and a really jumbled mess of a film. The songs give it the feel of a high school end of term show - not in a good way.
It feels cliched and formulaic - using the same old plot lines of a M/M romance with one in the closet and one very much out - this theme has been used a million times (often better) but it would be nice if someone could make something innovative and original for a change.
Overall it feels like a made-for-tv movie with a small budget and no ambition..
Disappointing.
Heartstopper (2022)
Heartstopper is already a classic
You could be forgiven for thinking a story about teens and set in school, is only for teens. Forget that - regardless of your age, you will have the privilege to watch a beautifully written, produced & acted masterpiece that will resonate with audiences for years to come.
I'd not heard of the Alice Oesman comic novels it is adapted from - I only watched because it came up as a highlight on Netflix - I thought I'd give it a few minutes & move on to something else.
I ended up watching all 8 episodes over 2 days and have watched it several times since.
It is quite simply an uplifting, life-affirming, joyous piece of art - the involvement of the author has ensured it remains true to her work. The casting is just spot on - everyone is great but none are greater than the two leads, Kit Connor & Joe Locke. That two young actors can produce such magic - can convey such depth of emotion with just a look, is breathtaking.
Unless your heart is made of stone it will make you cry (in a good way) when you aren't expecting it - it's truly wonderful.
I know life isn't perfect, but it's refreshing to have an LGBT story that isn't all angst and sadness - hopefully it reflects that society is finally moving forward on these issues - if you were young & discovering your sexuality, this would be just the thing to give you positive hope.
But that's the joy and brilliance of Heartstopper - it's an LGBT story but it's a story for everyone - a story of hope & kindness and love.