At first glimpse, Alex Strangelove looks like a mere rip-off of Love, Simon but far from its smiliar LGBTQ+ lead characters, this coming-of-age film has a charm of its own with Daniel Doheny adorably playing the role of Alex Truelove and his quest – with the help of his supportive friends – to lose his virginity to his awesome girlfriend / bestfriend Claire (Madeline Weinstein).
Unlike Love, Simon – this isn’t as wholesome and as realistic in terms of how accepting the high school kids are and virtually just about everyone around Alex. That is where it falters a bit in my opinion. Alex Strangelove is a cliché yet poignant and optimistic movie in an unforgiving high school setting moving towards acceptance, rather than just mere tolerance when it comes to sexuality and individuality. It is beautiful yet too ideal a scenario that we only see on TV and the big screen – this time, through my smartphone.
That being said, Alex Strangelove is a step forward towards education. A step towards acceptance. We’ve already made some progress. One step at a time. One step at a time.
Director: Craig Johnson
Cast: Daniel Doheny, Antonio Marziale, Madeline Weinstein, Daniel Zolghadri, Nik Dodani, Fred Hechinger
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
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