But a woeful gay coming-out dramedy. As one earlier comment wrote, the story lacks the sensitivity and care that would have been evident had it been written and produced by gay people. There is probably no event more momentous and potentially traumatic for a queer individual than coming out to their friends, family and community. Instead of a respectful movie about this difficult process, Love, Simon weaves it into an improbable fantasy high school drama.
However, it is not without its merits. As a gay man of colour, I am used to not only seeing heteronormativity play out in most of TV and film, but also the under-representation of people of colour in queer TV and film. Straight TV and film are actually better at racial diversity than queer ones. Recent examples, such as It's A Sin, Heartstopper, Uncoupled and Bros, portray only white protagonists. Another comment below described how disappointed he was when Simon did not end up with a white guy, while claiming that he is not being racist. For me, Love, Simon redeems itself by not going with the obvious.
However, it is not without its merits. As a gay man of colour, I am used to not only seeing heteronormativity play out in most of TV and film, but also the under-representation of people of colour in queer TV and film. Straight TV and film are actually better at racial diversity than queer ones. Recent examples, such as It's A Sin, Heartstopper, Uncoupled and Bros, portray only white protagonists. Another comment below described how disappointed he was when Simon did not end up with a white guy, while claiming that he is not being racist. For me, Love, Simon redeems itself by not going with the obvious.