“Heartstopper”, what is it about?
Two boys meet, become friends, and fall in love. Charlie (Joe Locke) is a young man with a tender heart, Nick (Kit Connor) is a rugby fan. Their unlikely high school friendship turns into an unexpected romance. On their journey to self-discovery and acceptance, Charlie, Nick and their circle of friends will have to support each other to come to terms with who they are.
Why is everyone talking about it?
Released on April 22 on Netflix, “Heartstopper” immediately gained popularity on social networks, especially Twitter. According to the professional journal variety (link in English), more than 929,000 tweets were exchanged in one weekend, making it the most discussed series on this network, well ahead of “Euphoria” (OCS) or “Bridgerton” (Netflix).
As an adaptation of a comic book by Alice Oseman, first published on the Internet (still available, link in English) then in bookstores (available in France at Hachette novels), “Heartstopper” already had a small popularity. But the series surprised the spectators, who underline the quality of the characters, the accuracy of the gay representation (but also bi, lesbian and trans) and in general, the good humor and the overall sweetness of the series. Or even the surprise presence of Olivia Coleman (star of “The crown” and Oscar winner for “The Next”) in a secondary role.
This support translates into very good audience figures for its first week of broadcast. According to the Flix Patrol site (link in English), “Heartstopper” appears in the Netflix top 10 in more than 60 countries, including France, but also all of Europe, almost all of South America, New Zealand or Australia.
So should you watch it?
In these eight episodes of about thirty minutes each (written in particular by the author of the original comic strip, Alice Oseman), “Heartstopper” thus tells the budding romance between Charlie and Nick, but not only: we also follow the group there. of Charlie’s friends, Tao, Isaac and Elle. She, a young trans girl, becomes friends with Tara and Darcy, two friends who fall in love, Tara being Nick’s first crush…
The basis of the series is that of a romantic comedy, and “Heartstopper” assumes its genre, including in the clichés. Yes, there will be misunderstandings, yes there will be jealous exes, heartfelt adversaries, or kisses in the rain. But it’s very well done, with a benevolence towards its characters that give pleasure. Above all, we have the impression of seeing authentic young people, both in their way of communicating and in their reactions. In this game, the two main actors, Joe Locke and Kit Connor, are excellent.
So yes, “Heartstopper” is “just” a romantic comedy. But his sweetness and good humor make him a very good representative of this category.