Trigger Warning: Relapse of an eating disorder, mental health is discussed, little glimpses of bullying, a mention of self-harming, and mentions of transphobia

As much as I didn’t want the Heartstopper series to end, I have to say that the movie was able to not only do the final volume but the entire series as a whole justice. The vibe was lighthearted but not so much that it took away from the story and how life does get in the way. Charlie, Tao, Issac, Nick, Sahar, Imogen, Elle, Darcy, Tori, Michael, Sarah, Tara, Darcy, and even David felt real with their own highlights and struggles, especially in Charlie and Nick.

One of the main highlights in this movie was the acting. Everyone was able to give there characters life, especially Nick. Connor was able to balance the anxiety that Nick goes through, especially when he has to go to university and wonders what will happen to the relationship he has with Charlie. The journey feels relatable but also shows the struggles that men deal with when it comes to mental health. As Charlie says in the beginning, they feel they have to keep it all bottled inside and the movie beautifully conveys that with Charlie and Nick. Nick, as we’ve seen in the graphic novels and show he has consistently been the shoulder for Charlie to lean on and while he isn’t the knight in shining armor, he feels he always has to be there for Charlie. It’s unhealthy but the way it’s conveyed it never comes off as clingy or annoying. I felt his pain, especially when they have there “break”. The color palette and artistry Oseman conveys is beautiful and captures the emotional turmoil that Nick goes through. It’s devastating but gorgeous to see in films that rarely combine hand drawn artwork and live action in a way that doesn’t feel gimmicky or contributes to the story. It’s poignant and shows how much trauma that Nick went through. As much as he tries to be strong, we get to see his struggles come to a boil and its not resolved till he reveals how he feels to his mom, which was comforting to see, but rushed in my opinion. As much as this scene was a great way to have Nick share everything with Sarah, I wish Oseman and the scriptwriters were able to let that scene breathe because its such a critical moment in volume 6 and how everything he felt and the relationship he felt he needed to have with his father comes into play. While the scene was well-acted, I wish the pacing didn’t feel rushed and we could’ve seen that strain and how Nick felt about his father come to light. Granted, everything in season 2, volume 4 kind of gets wrapped up since we don’t see him for the rest of both series, however the relationship had such a traumatic impact on him and how that stuck with him growing up. I wish we saw more of that, similar to what Oseman drew in her latest volume but otherwise, Nick’s journey comes in full circle and has to realize that he can have balance between having his own life and having a relationship with Charlie.

Speaking of Charlie, I love Charlie coming into his own. The growth he has gone through in the novels/show and now the movie shows so much development. While he is soft-spoken at times, we also see him coming into his own and the transformation he has of embracing his role as Head Boy at Truham. He becomes well-rounded and is able to be the one to showcase his strength in helping Nick be open about his struggles. Despite it not happening right away, he never gives up on Nick and supports him unconditionally. There was a delicate balance between having Charlie support Nick and him struggling with his own mental health/relapse of his eating disorder. It could’ve been pulled in one way or the other, however they were able to showcase that balance where it didn’t hurt the pacing of the film. Locke really showcased the versatility in his performance, especially when he is looking at the app where he hasn’t self-harmed, that scene made me tear up. Unlike the novel, the movie has Charlie looking at the app alone with no support. The isolation is horrible to see and Locke captured that beautifully. I also love how Charlie was able to recognize the signs and ask for help. Unlike past novels, we see his growth and receives the help he needs, along with his worries for Nick. It meshes into one that doesn’t feel overbearing or annoying. I love seeing Charlie’s growth, especially in how he uses his role to stop the bullying culture that happens at Truham, specifically helping Alfie and other LGBTQ+ students find a safe space.

Not only were the performances in the film were great, I still think the film missed a few key elements. For instant, the big turning point for the friendship was Darcy and how her mother kicked her out. I understand they can only add so much before the pacing becomes too slow or quick, but this moment in Darcy’s journey would’ve been crucial to the film and how Tara is able to help her. While I can see this maybe confusing viewers since season 2 of Heartstopper we do see Darcy move out of her mom’s house, I wish Oseman would’ve addressed this since all of the titular couples (exception of Michael and Tori) go through there struggles and we could’ve gotten there struggles in a way that tied in to everything changing and having to go on with there own lives, which I won’t lie is hard to see with characters we’ve grown to love, but it happens and having all of the titular characters go through there struggles and rise above those struggles would’ve been a good send off to the characters. ‘

Also, I wish we got more depth in how David opens up about his own relationship with there dad. Even though the audience, who read the novel knows why David moved back home, we did see a layer of David that I never thought would work. There’s a pessimism in the character that doesn’t feel spiteful but rather can build some empathy on. However, while the relationship/trauma of David and there father doesn’t get neglected, it’s not touched on enough. We learn that there father cheated on Sarah (which, I’m sorry, cheating will always be a choice and isn’t a requirement) and how David continued that cycle of cheating on his girlfriend and how he says that Nick will cheat on Charlie at some point. That was a moment where we could’ve seen Nick realizing why David is the way he is and rather than accepting his fate, chooses to break that cycle and for me would’ve been a poignant thing to see in today’s film industry where cheating isn’t glorified but rather deal with realistic consequences. While I appreciate that David gave Nick support during the breakup, I wish we got more out of that and in my opinion a missed opportunity.

I talked earlier about the scene where Nick is saying everything to Sarah, while that is a well executed scene, it didn’t resonate as much as the graphic novel. I honestly think Anna Maxwell Martin tried to live up to the role, no one could replace Colman and it showed. I don’t blame Martin as she did her best with the role, showing off her motherly side, I wish Colman did return for this scene as she literally built and molded that character.

Finally, no disrespect to Issac, however when they are in the cafe, he says to Charlie “it’s because he was struggling”, I won’t lie I wish his dad had said that to him, similar to the graphic novel. While the delivery wasn’t the issue for me, in the graphic novel, that moment was between a father and son bonding over a dark time in there life and to have his dad acknowledge the resilience he had over that dark period and how he kept fighting in spite of the challenges, While it works, I wish Charlie’s dad had said it as it would’ve given more emotional depth to that line.