“Love, Simon” tells the story of a closeted gay teenager during his senior year of high school. While the story mainly focuses on the character’s sexuality, it also touches on issues like bullying, blackmail and friend troubles.

Simon Spier (Nick Robinson) faces the difficulty of coming out even into what he knows to be an accepting community. The film uses a ferris wheel motif to communicate the ups and downs of life that Simon has to overcome.

The film did an excellent job of hiding small details for vigilant viewers to notice, such as a strategically placed Hufflepuff patch on Simon’s cork board or a gay pride flag pin on the painfully uncool vice president’s lapel. These elements were fun additions to the film that did not distract from the story at hand.

Without a doubt, Robinson himself was the best part of the film. He did an excellent job of portraying Simon as a regular teenager, and it was quite refreshing to see a gay lead who was not over-the-top flamboyant. Robinson’s performance is compelling and emotional while still believable and relatable.

Although the film is reminiscent of “The Fault in our Stars” and other such young adult novel-to-film adaptations, “Love, Simon” truly stands in a realm of its own. As the first gay teen film from a major production company, it transcends comparison.

The movie managed to keep gay stereotypes out of their main cast, but unfortunately not from the supporting. Ethan is a kid in Simon’s grade who has been out since earlier in his high school career and is routinely bullied for the way he dresses and styles himself. Despite the many qualities of his character, Ethan’s portrayal manages to strengthen gay stereotypes.

Simon and his friends are so utterly normal it’s unbelievably easy to relate to at least one of the characters in the movie. Even adults may see themselves reflected in Simon’s own parents, portrayed by Jennifer Garner and Josh Duhamel.

Overall, “Love, Simon” is a win. It deals with relevant issues and gives closeted teens someone to look up to in popular media, something they have been deprived of for too long. I found myself giggling far more often than I thought I would and close to tears within the next moment, much like the ups and downs of a ferris wheel. Studios need to prioritize young people and adapt to a metamorphosing community, which is exactly what this film does.

Love, Simon: ★★★★/5