Alex Strangelove

Netflix

    The current trend of coming-of-age LGBT teen comedies is creating real and relevant change for millennial teens, and it does my heart good. In the same vein as the recent release Love, Simon, the story focuses on the point-of-view of a closeted teenager. Alex Truelove (Doheny) is in a relationship with the girl of his dreams (Weinstein), but when he meets young adult Elliott (Marziale) he feels something that he can’t explain. As he tries to work his way through what sexuality makes the most sense to him (queer, bi-sexual, bi-curious) he finds that it’s hard to be truthful with those you most want to protect.

    The journey between questioning and realization is sometimes a lot longer than most people realize. Sometimes you only have some questioning tendencies and other times you have full-blown repressed sexuality. Society is not welcoming in most cases, and more than that it doesn’t always make space for what it considers “Other.” If you’re not straight, or white, or a dude, the world doesn’t create media catered to you. This is why every LGBT friendly film, even the ones that sometimes get things wrong, are vitally important. Though I personally didn’t appreciate Alex’s journey starting with the idea of bisexuality, that is the journey that some gay men take, and having that introspection is refreshing.

    Craig Johnson directed and wrote this film, his second large feature film release after 2014’s The Skeleton Twins. In this much lighter faire Johnson tackles coming out when you’re struggling against personal odds and expectations. The humor feels authentic, the experiences of these characters feels pulled from real life, and the performances are subtle and yet vibrant. Marziale is especially charming as the love interest, and Weinstein proves to be the perfect girl next door. In the realm of teen comedies, I wouldn’t list this among the pantheon of classics, like those that John Hughes produced, but this revolutionary story is just as important to today’s kids than The Breakfast Club was for Generation X.