Heartstopper is irresistibly charming

While it seems comfortable to work with the cliché, using a narrative structure with such obvious paths can be a great challenge, especially in series, where the viewer usually dedicates more time to the work than to a film. Fortunately, the series heart stopper it is one of the rare cases where the cliché fits him well and hits the nail on the head. with a story irresistibly effectual and charming, the new original production of Netflix is certainly one of the most “marathonable” on the platform.

History

The main plot focuses on the sweet Charlie (joe locke) and rugby star Nick (Connor kit) getting to know each other in high school. But soon this unlikely friendship begins to turn into romance. From there, the duo and their circle of friends must face this journey of self-discovery and acceptance, supporting each other and learning to be themselves.

The production, an almost literal adaptation of the eponymous graphic novel by Alice Osseman, is a pleasant surprise to raise issues such as bullying and acceptance within an inviting, gentle and almost didactic format.

uncomplicated love

Moving away from many recent productions aimed at teenagers – at least in mainstream – who weigh their hands when it comes to portraying their anguish, dramas and their daily lives with the excuse of seeking a realistic portrait of youth, it is refreshing to see the arrival of the series of heart stopper to the catalog of Netflix, which proves that it is possible to create a narrative that does not ignore teen problems (especially the LGBTQIA+ audience), but approaches them in a healthy and optimistic way.

By the way, heart stopper does the simple as we haven't seen it for a long time in romantic comedies: here the important thing is the first chaotic and insane feelings, which are manifested through small gestures and actions. Without great proof of love, here are the details that matter.

Certainly, this essence was only able to count on the creation of Oseman, who besides being an excellent comic book artist, she was very competent writing in a new medium. In fact, being behind the camera as a writer and producer gives fans hope that possible future seasons will follow the same level of excellence as season 1.

Characters

Charlie is the classic high school misfit. He's a geek, hangs out with weirdos, likes alternative music. And on top of that, he's gay. Of course, he would fall in love with Nick Nelson, practically the opposite of him: a handsome and gentle rugby player, who, behind his popular posture, has a sensitive and introverted side, which is still discovering himself in the world.

The Harry Greene Papers (Cormac Hyde-Corrin) and Ben Hope (sebastian croft) are of those who fit the cliché of rejection and homophobia suffered within schools, but both are functional. As well as the small participation of Nick's mother, played by Olivia Colman, delivers some of the most touching moments of the season.

So (William Gao) and Elle (Yasmin Finney), Charlie's best friends are much more than emotional support for the protagonist, the duo also goes through personal problems, such as bullying suffered by Tao and Elle's transition to a trans woman, which forced her to change schools.

Adaptation

As mentioned above, the Heartstopper series is almost a literal adaptation of the comics, the alterations of the pages for the series were minimal, but not forgetting to bring pearls such as the “62% homosexuality”, the result here is more than satisfactory. and it becomes a difficult task for even the most demanding to criticize.

The simple lines and the careful use of the colors of the comics were very well adapted in the casting choice, especially to the protagonist couple, as well as the composition of the palettes of the series. Although it is not as inspired as the original material (for example, when Oseman uses predominantly cold colors in moments of insecurity or warm when the love between the protagonist couple blossoms), it is clear that the production sought to transpose the imagery sensations of the work on canvas. original.

Soundtrack

Like almost every series teens, the incidental tracks are not outstanding, in fact, the sound resources are quite discreet and functional for the plot. However, the playlist of songs played in the series draws attention to the most underground bands and artists, getting very close to what would be a mixtape selected song by song by Charlie himself.

Among the highlights are the songs “Colours of You”, “Want Me”, “Dover Beach” and “Buzzkill”, all by the singer Baby queen; “Sappho” by the band frankie cosmos and “Moment in the Sun” by Sunflower Bean. If you like indie parties, this is the playlist fits you perfectly.

Conclusion

Heartstopper is a great reference work for several characteristics that are in no way conflicting. It's a romance teen and that in no way makes it any less attractive to older audiences, as it has a tightly packed and inviting script, charismatic characters, and a message of universal understanding.

To those who hide homophobic opinions disguised as criticism, heart stopper it is the type of work that stands up very well on its own, that raises the flag of representativeness, but is never dependent on it. In addition, its narrative and editing structure, with eight short episodes, is ideal for those who love to marathon series.

Oseman delivered his message, in two different media, and with the popular power of Netflix, maybe it can be spread to a wider audience: traumas don't need to be exposed in a graphic way and it's also okay to be simple and use clichés, just put your heart in the right place.

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Marathon Heartstopper and looking for new series to watch? Check out our article with 10 HBO Max miniseries to marathon over the weekend.