Heartstopper Forever: Netflix’s queer teen romance closes with a satisfying end

Netflix’s teen romance Heartstopper has been rightly hailed as an important work of art for young LGBTQI+ audiences.

It should never be underestimated how much value there is for vulnerable groups to see themselves reflected on screen in a narrative that isn’t purely laden with peril and trauma, to have something that is joyous.

But the wider impact of Heartstopper is what it gives to those who don’t “need” it - those who grew up as part of the heteronormative mainstream, who weren’t tormented for their identities or made to feel sinful for their desires.

Heartstopper, which closes out today with a two-hour film to follow its earlier three seasons, presents a world that is complex and challenging, but also one that is supportive, accepting and embraces difference.

This film, Heartstopper Forever, as well as the 24 episodes that preceded it, is a tender, sweet and fortifying portrayal of queer teenage love, and advocates for a version of the world in which that is unquestioned.

That’s extraordinary, to be able to be so specifically queer and distinct, and not feel like a full-on fantasy.

The series and film were written by Alice Oseman, brilliantly adapted from her graphic novels, and they have been a bright spot in an otherwise increasingly mediocre Netflix release slate. It’s a shame that it’s now come to an end.

But high school is but a transition era in life, and so must Heartstopper be.

This film serves as a finale, spanning the final year of Nick’s (Kit Connors) time at school. The year starts off with him and Charlie (Joe Locke) all loved up, but it will not be without ups and downs.

In order for there to be a conflict that propels the story, Nick and Charlie will test the strength of their bond as their own anxieties and problems take over.

When you consider where these characters were at the start of the series – Charlie as someone who was withdrawn and bullied, Nick as someone who was not yet fully aware of his bisexuality – to where they end up, it’s a well-considered growth trajectory, one which audiences got to follow along.

Over the years, we got to invest in that, and it pays off in moments such as the start of the film, where Charlie gives a speech in front of the whole school, campaigning to become head boy on a platform of anti-bullying.

Heartstopper Forever is great building these satisfying moments, of Nick and Charlie being incredibly sweet to each other (and much like the characters, Heartstopper Forever has also grown where there are charged sex scenes, instead of just chaste hand-holding), or their friends actually showing up when it matters, of family members being decent to each other.

But it’s not as though Heartstopper Forever exists in a parallel universe where everything is hunky dory. Elle (Yasmin Finney), a trans character, has a moment in which she is asking her friends to march in Pride with her in support of trans rights.

When she articulates how her right to exist is being increasingly threatened by the rising tide of anti-trans bigotry, it is genuinely a tragedy. It’s both incredibly sad and enraging, and characters such as Elle help to humanise trans people among those who have maybe never met anyone who is, or thought about the importance of allyship.

Heartstopper has often been described as a show that many adults in the LGBTQI+ community wished they had when they were young.

But let’s celebrate it for existing now, at a time when queer youth are still being assailed, and when everyone, no matter their generation or sexual orientation, can look to this wonderfully crafted series that presents a better version of our world we can all aspire to.

Heartstopper Forever is on Netflix