‘Heartstopper’ Review: Netflix’s Addictively Sweet Gay YA Seri – The Hollywood Reporter

Contents:

• WATCH THE TRAILER FOR SWEET GAY ROMANCE SERI ‘HEARTSTOPPER’
• IS ‘HEARTSTOPPER’ ACTOR K CONNOR GAY? HERE’S WHAT HE SAYS
• WHY HEARTSTOPPER MAK ME WISH I'D HAD MY OWN GAY TEEN ROMANCE
• ‘HEARTSTOPPER’: INSI THE GAY TEEN ROM-COM EVERYONE IS SWOONG OVERAWW!NETFLIXA TOTALLY CHILL AND NOT-AT-ALL OVERENTHIASTIC GUI TO EVERYTHG “HEARTSTOPPER” THAT HAS FANS LOSG THEIR MDS. (SURPRISE, ’S OLIVIA COLMAN!) WARNG: SOME SPOILERS.FLETCHER PETERSENTERTAMENT REPORTERUPDATED APR. 22, 2022 3:14PM EDT / PUBLISHED APR. 22, 2022 3:05PM EDT AS SUNNY DAYS AND SUMMER FLGS APPROACH, NETFLIX IS HEATG THGS UP WH A NEW ROMANCE SERI—BUT ONE THAT’S ALMOST TOO STICKY SWEET. SCRATCH THAT, ACTUALLY—HEARTSTOPPER IS SO ADORABLE. IT’S PERFECT! I LOVE ! IT N DO NO WRONG!WH A DITED FAN BASE SGG S PRAIS ALL OVER SOCIAL MEDIA, A TWEE SOUNDTRACK RIPPED STRAIGHT OM A 2010’S TUMBLR ACUNT, AND THE SWEETT TWO YOUNGSTERS PLAYG THE LEADS, HEARTSTOPPER WILL, WELL, STOP YOUR HEART. (AND NO, I WILL NOT APOLOGIZE FOR THAT RNY PUN.)MORE REALISTILLY, WILL: MAKE YOUR HEART SKIP A BEAT, FLIP AROUND AND FLUTTER WH JOY, SHATTER TO A LN PIEC, ETC.—ALL THE SWOONY HALLMARK THGS—AS LTLE CHARLIE (JOE LOCKE) EXPERIENC THE EPIC HIGHS AND LOWS OF HIGH-SCHOOL FOOTBALL ( ENGLAND ’S LLED “GBY,” I GUS). CHARLIE IS GAY, SO DATG AT HIS ALL-BOYS SCHOOL ISN’T EASY. HIS FIRST FLG SEEMS REALLY TO HIM, DASHG AROUND THE SCHOOL TO MAKE OUT RNERS AND EXPRSG THEIR FEELGS FOR EACH OTHER OVER INSTAGRAM DMS. BUT HE WON’T GO PUBLIC.THAT SADNS ONLY LASTS A LTLE WHILE, WHICH IS ONE OF HEARTSTOPPER’S CHARMS: EVEN THOUGH CHARLIE FAC PLENTY OF WALLFLOWER ISSU, HE’S STILL PRETTY NFINT ABOUT BEG GAY AND GETS A REAL, THRIVG ROMANCE OF HIS OWN WH ANOTHER BLOKE. ENTER NICK (K CONNOR), A SPORTS BRO WHO RECS CHARLIE FOR THE GBY TEAM. NICK DON’T JT STT ALL HANDSOME AND CHARMG TO TAKE CHARLIE’S BREATH AWAY, THERE’S A FUN TWIST WH HIS CHARACTER—BUT MORE ON THAT LATER. THEIR CHEMISTRY IS JAW-DROPPING. SERLY: IF YOU LOVE ROM-S, G-OF-AGE, OR REALLY, ANYTHG THAT FALLS UNR THE “FEEL GOOD” TEGORY OF TV, HEARTSTOPPER IS A JAM. SPEAKG OF JAMS, HERE’S ANOTHER ROUND OF APPLSE FOR THE MIC—FEATURG, FOR EXAMPLE, “DON’T DELETE THE KISS” BY WOLF ALICE, FRANKIE COSMOS, MAGGIE ROGERS, ETC.—WHICH MANAG TO F THE VIBE OF THE PROJECT AND SOUND LIKE WAS RIPPED STRAIGHT OM CHARLIE’S SPOTIFY.ALICE OSEMAN’S ORIGAL WEBIC, HEARTSTOPPER HAS A RABID BUILT- FAN BASE. THEY ARRIVED DROV AS SOON AS THE BATCH OF EIGHT EPISOS LAND ON NETFLIX. THEIR FAWNG OVER THE HEARTSTOPPER LOVERS MA THE SERI IMMEDIATELY SOAR TO THE TRENDG PAGE OF TWTER WH AN OUTPOURG OF SUPPORT FOR THE ADAPTATN.FANS ARE PECIALLY STCK BY THE AMOUNT OF PARALLELS THE SERI HAS TO THE WEBIC, GRATEFUL THAT THERE WAS SO MUCH RPECT FOR S SOURCE MATERIAL. REMEMBER THAT PEN EXPLOSN EPISO 1? THAT’S STRAIGHT OM THE IC. ADVERTISEMENT WE’RE NOT EVEN AT THE BT PART OF THE SHOW YET, THOUGH. THAT EPISO 1, RIGHT AROUND THE END OF THE FIRST CHAPTER OF THE SHOW: AMY AWARD-WNER OLIVIA COLMAN MAK A SURPRISE APPEARANCE AS NICK’S SUPPORTIVE MOTHER. WHEN I FIRST SAW HER FACE—TALK ABOUT HEART-STOPPG! (AGA, I WILL NOT APOLOGIZE!)OSEMAN HAD THE SAME REACTN AFTER COLMAN JOED THE ST. “I LERALLY THOUGHT THIS WAS THE STUPIST IA EVER,” OSEMAN RELLED WHEN COLMAN’S NAME WAS FIRST MENTNED. “I THOUGHT THERE WAS NO WAY SHE WOULD WANT TO BE A PART OF THIS OR ANYONE FAMO WOULD WANT TO BE A PART OF THIS. I WAS PROVEN WRONG!” NETFLIX THE HEARTSTOPPER FANS HAVE IMMEDIATELY WELED COLMAN TO THEIR UNIVERSE, CELEBRATG HER TOUCHG SCENE LATER THE SEASON—SPOILER ALERT!—WHEN SHE LOVGLY ACCEPTS HER SON AFTER HE OUT TO HER.“THANK YOU #HEARTSTOPPER FOR GIVG NICK NELSON,” ONE ER SHARED, “TO SEE HIM FIGURE HIMSELF OUT, UNRSTAND HE IS BI AND TELL HIS MUM ON HIS OWN TERMS HIS OWN TIME AND FOR HER TO JT HUG HIM.” ADVERTISEMENT OH, AND JOE LOCKE, WHO PLAYS NICK, N NOW LL COLMAN HIS “UNOFFICIAL MOTHER--LAW” HIS INSTAGRAM B. JT ONE MORE ADDN TO THE SEA OF MANY REASONS TO LOVE HEARTSTOPPER! FLETCHER PETERS

WATCH THE TRAILER FOR SWEET GAY ROMANCE SERI ‘HEARTSTOPPER’

A romance blossoms between two gay Brish teens the trailer for Heartstopper, which buts on Netflix jt a few days. The story follows Charlie Sprg (Joe Locke), who feels isolated om his classmat at an all-boys school England bee he is gay.

IS ‘HEARTSTOPPER’ ACTOR K CONNOR GAY? HERE’S WHAT HE SAYS

Netflix Is Adaptg Gay Graphic Novel Heartstopper Into A YA Seri. Greg Gayne/Hulu.

Stream "Datg Amber" on HBO MaxIn "Datg Amber, " two closeted gay teens start a fake relatnship. Set 1990s Ireland, Eddie and Amber hi their sexualy due to persistent homophobia. The fake relatnship leads them to travel outsi of their small hometown to the bigger cy of Dubl where they n be unknown and experience a larger gay muny.

WHY HEARTSTOPPER MAK ME WISH I'D HAD MY OWN GAY TEEN ROMANCE

There's Eric, who is openly gay and credibly nfint; Adam, whose storyl often revolve around his inty stggl; Ola, who is pansexual; and Florence, an asexual teen. One of the band members, Alex, is openly gay and has been sce he was still alive the early '90s.

Charlie and Nick - played by newer Joe Locke and Rocketman actor K Connor - are subjected to homophobic bullyg by Nick's so-lled (Yasm Fney), a transgenr teen, has recently moved om the boys' grammar school where all her iends are, to the girls' equivalent, after also sufferg cel, who has a built up a big followg on TikTok, postg about her experienc of beg a young, black transgenr woman the UK, endured difficulti at school source, NetflixImage ptn, Elle fds hard to make iends at her new school at first"For me, school was the same. "The bate about thentic stg is still ongog - should gay rol only be played by gay actors, for example? Nick don’t unrstand his ial attractn to Charlie, who me out as gay the prev year at school.

‘HEARTSTOPPER’: INSI THE GAY TEEN ROM-COM EVERYONE IS SWOONG OVERAWW!NETFLIXA TOTALLY CHILL AND NOT-AT-ALL OVERENTHIASTIC GUI TO EVERYTHG “HEARTSTOPPER” THAT HAS FANS LOSG THEIR MDS. (SURPRISE, ’S OLIVIA COLMAN!) WARNG: SOME SPOILERS.FLETCHER PETERSENTERTAMENT REPORTERUPDATED APR. 22, 2022 3:14PM EDT / PUBLISHED APR. 22, 2022 3:05PM EDT AS SUNNY DAYS AND SUMMER FLGS APPROACH, NETFLIX IS HEATG THGS UP WH A NEW ROMANCE SERI—BUT ONE THAT’S ALMOST TOO STICKY SWEET. SCRATCH THAT, ACTUALLY—HEARTSTOPPER IS SO ADORABLE. IT’S PERFECT! I LOVE ! IT N DO NO WRONG!WH A DITED FAN BASE SGG S PRAIS ALL OVER SOCIAL MEDIA, A TWEE SOUNDTRACK RIPPED STRAIGHT OM A 2010’S TUMBLR ACUNT, AND THE SWEETT TWO YOUNGSTERS PLAYG THE LEADS, HEARTSTOPPER WILL, WELL, STOP YOUR HEART. (AND NO, I WILL NOT APOLOGIZE FOR THAT RNY PUN.)MORE REALISTILLY, WILL: MAKE YOUR HEART SKIP A BEAT, FLIP AROUND AND FLUTTER WH JOY, SHATTER TO A LN PIEC, ETC.—ALL THE SWOONY HALLMARK THGS—AS LTLE CHARLIE (JOE LOCKE) EXPERIENC THE EPIC HIGHS AND LOWS OF HIGH-SCHOOL FOOTBALL ( ENGLAND ’S LLED “GBY,” I GUS). CHARLIE IS GAY, SO DATG AT HIS ALL-BOYS SCHOOL ISN’T EASY. HIS FIRST FLG SEEMS REALLY TO HIM, DASHG AROUND THE SCHOOL TO MAKE OUT RNERS AND EXPRSG THEIR FEELGS FOR EACH OTHER OVER INSTAGRAM DMS. BUT HE WON’T GO PUBLIC.THAT SADNS ONLY LASTS A LTLE WHILE, WHICH IS ONE OF HEARTSTOPPER’S CHARMS: EVEN THOUGH CHARLIE FAC PLENTY OF WALLFLOWER ISSU, HE’S STILL PRETTY NFINT ABOUT BEG GAY AND GETS A REAL, THRIVG ROMANCE OF HIS OWN WH ANOTHER BLOKE. ENTER NICK (K CONNOR), A SPORTS BRO WHO RECS CHARLIE FOR THE GBY TEAM. NICK DON’T JT STT ALL HANDSOME AND CHARMG TO TAKE CHARLIE’S BREATH AWAY, THERE’S A FUN TWIST WH HIS CHARACTER—BUT MORE ON THAT LATER. THEIR CHEMISTRY IS JAW-DROPPING. SERLY: IF YOU LOVE ROM-S, G-OF-AGE, OR REALLY, ANYTHG THAT FALLS UNR THE “FEEL GOOD” TEGORY OF TV, HEARTSTOPPER IS A JAM. SPEAKG OF JAMS, HERE’S ANOTHER ROUND OF APPLSE FOR THE MIC—FEATURG, FOR EXAMPLE, “DON’T DELETE THE KISS” BY WOLF ALICE, FRANKIE COSMOS, MAGGIE ROGERS, ETC.—WHICH MANAG TO F THE VIBE OF THE PROJECT AND SOUND LIKE WAS RIPPED STRAIGHT OM CHARLIE’S SPOTIFY.ALICE OSEMAN’S ORIGAL WEBIC, HEARTSTOPPER HAS A RABID BUILT- FAN BASE. THEY ARRIVED DROV AS SOON AS THE BATCH OF EIGHT EPISOS LAND ON NETFLIX. THEIR FAWNG OVER THE HEARTSTOPPER LOVERS MA THE SERI IMMEDIATELY SOAR TO THE TRENDG PAGE OF TWTER WH AN OUTPOURG OF SUPPORT FOR THE ADAPTATN.FANS ARE PECIALLY STCK BY THE AMOUNT OF PARALLELS THE SERI HAS TO THE WEBIC, GRATEFUL THAT THERE WAS SO MUCH RPECT FOR S SOURCE MATERIAL. REMEMBER THAT PEN EXPLOSN EPISO 1? THAT’S STRAIGHT OM THE IC. ADVERTISEMENT WE’RE NOT EVEN AT THE BT PART OF THE SHOW YET, THOUGH. THAT EPISO 1, RIGHT AROUND THE END OF THE FIRST CHAPTER OF THE SHOW: AMY AWARD-WNER OLIVIA COLMAN MAK A SURPRISE APPEARANCE AS NICK’S SUPPORTIVE MOTHER. WHEN I FIRST SAW HER FACE—TALK ABOUT HEART-STOPPG! (AGA, I WILL NOT APOLOGIZE!)OSEMAN HAD THE SAME REACTN AFTER COLMAN JOED THE ST. “I LERALLY THOUGHT THIS WAS THE STUPIST IA EVER,” OSEMAN RELLED WHEN COLMAN’S NAME WAS FIRST MENTNED. “I THOUGHT THERE WAS NO WAY SHE WOULD WANT TO BE A PART OF THIS OR ANYONE FAMO WOULD WANT TO BE A PART OF THIS. I WAS PROVEN WRONG!” NETFLIX THE HEARTSTOPPER FANS HAVE IMMEDIATELY WELED COLMAN TO THEIR UNIVERSE, CELEBRATG HER TOUCHG SCENE LATER THE SEASON—SPOILER ALERT!—WHEN SHE LOVGLY ACCEPTS HER SON AFTER HE OUT TO HER.“THANK YOU #HEARTSTOPPER FOR GIVG NICK NELSON,” ONE ER SHARED, “TO SEE HIM FIGURE HIMSELF OUT, UNRSTAND HE IS BI AND TELL HIS MUM ON HIS OWN TERMS HIS OWN TIME AND FOR HER TO JT HUG HIM.” ADVERTISEMENT OH, AND JOE LOCKE, WHO PLAYS NICK, N NOW LL COLMAN HIS “UNOFFICIAL MOTHER--LAW” HIS INSTAGRAM B. JT ONE MORE ADDN TO THE SEA OF MANY REASONS TO LOVE HEARTSTOPPER! FLETCHER PETERS

His exploratn of queer inty happens the dark of his room, where he googl qutns like “am I gay” and “how do you know you’re bisexual.

Created by Amerin activist Ryan O'Connell, Special follows Ryan, a gay man wh cerebral palsy, as he navigat relatnships and work. It was October 31, and the Brish actor, then 18, was the middle of shootg the send season of Heartstopper, the young-adult Netflix romance seri which he plays Nick Nelson, a bisexual-but-hasn’t-realized--yet jock who be the primary love tert of the central character, the gay misf Charlie (played by Joe Locke). He’s got a supportive mother (the great Olivia Colman, also seen the first season; “Dog a scene wh her is gog to teach you more than a year of drama school, ” Connor gh) and a tense dynamic wh a homophobic brother.