Review of the film HEARTSTOPPER FOREVER by Wash Westmoreland. An ending in keeping with the gay romantic saga: highly sensitive and tender.

After three seasons, including a more troubled final one, Heartstopper comes to an end. Everything is ultimately wrapped up in a film. This graphic novel adaptation will undoubtedly have marked a generation of teenagers and older viewers rediscovering the innocence, magic and sensitivity of first stirrings of love in a very distinctive atmosphere.

A conclusion centred on Nick and Charlie

Perhaps we should begin with the downside of this feature film: by not offering an entire season to bid farewell to the characters, the secondary characters are pushed much further into the background and are far less developed. This may be frustrating, as we had become quite attached to some of them, particularly Elle, still wonderfully played by Yesmin Finney. Here, they are more part of the scenery, and their developments are rather rushed or serve to drive the series’ central romance: that of Nick (Kit Connor) and Charlie (Joe Locke).

A gay romance as sensitive and deeply moving as ever

And that is the good news: it is difficult not to be won over by this final act, which brings back everything that made us fall for Heartstopper: enormous tenderness, a certain purity of heart, innocence, romanticism, not to mention the extreme sensitivity with which it addresses anxiety and trauma. Nick and Charlie are described as “the perfect couple”, but they know full well that they have many weaknesses and flaws. Through their kindness and efforts to communicate, they try to emerge ever stronger in the face of doubts, fears and other obstacles.

The evolution of the couple formed by Nick and Charlie

True to himself, Nick is still “the dream boyfriend”: who would not have liked to have had such a kind boy as a boyfriend as a teenager, a strong shoulder to lean on or seek comfort against, a gentle, protective and encouraging figure? There is always something magnificent in the way Nick looks lovingly at Charlie, gives him strength and rejoices in his successes. He worries about him too, while making sure not to be too intrusive about his eating disorder. But what is even more beautiful here is that the two characters grow and evolve, and in this film Charlie appears more assertive, more self-confident and more at peace with himself. Charlie is then often the one who reassures Nick, who fears that he no longer brings him much now that he is doing better, and encourages him to put into words what is eating away at him. In short, they are a real couple, with each supporting the other. There is also a certain sexual versatility, with the film showing us a Nick who does not confine himself to the cliché of the protective top boyfriend.

The end of adolescence, love and emotions at the heart of the film

The film’s other theme is the end of adolescence and high school. As student life approaches, along with a first step into the adult world, nostalgia begins to rear its head. Nick and Charlie are young, yet they almost feel as though they are already an old couple. They have certainly heard the stories about teenage love that rarely survives the passage of time. But although they will indeed have doubts, they can still give themselves a chance and remember that every story is unique.

This is where the title of this film, “Heartstopper forever”, resonates and moves us: for the main couple as well as the secondary characters, a very lovely message emerges. Let us stop being so hard on ourselves, comparing ourselves to a norm that does not exist, fearing “what ifs” or the looks of others: we simply need to let things and relationships live, even when they are imperfect, when they may seem to go against the current, when time and events seem to be lying in wait. If there is one thing that Heartstopper has brought through its seasons and this film, it is this invitation to be gentler with ourselves and those we love, and simply to love. Far less sappy than it may appear, this romantic saga spreads a much-needed wave of love.

Film released in July 2026 on Netflix

Other tender gay romances

• Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
• Love at First Sight
• Last Summer