Heartstopper has been nothing short of a phenomenon for Netflix. Its debut propelled Joe Locke and Kit Connor to overnight stardom as soppy schoolboys Charlie Spring and Nick Nelson, while the show racked up seven Emmys and enraptured tens of millions of viewers.
Acclaimed and beloved as it has been, viewing figures for the third season in 2024 noticeably dipped, leaving the proposed conclusion in a state of limbo for months. Writer Alice Oseman (whose bestselling graphic novels the show has been adapted from) was fittingly reassuring throughout, telling fans she was working to find a solution. Heartstopper Forever is the fruit of that labour – a feature-length instalment that clocks in at nearly two hours long, and is probably better described as an extended TV finale. It also features some of Oseman’s finest writing to date.
From the off, Oseman signposts that Charlie and Nick are in a different stage of life to when we last saw them. The first (of many) sex scenes occurs within minutes of the opening titles, Nick develops an unhealthy relationship with alcohol and, maybe most shockingly of all, Charlie says the F word.
These inclusions aren’t just there to give the show a bit of edge, although they do. Rather, they illustrate Nick and Charlie’s evolving relationship and dynamic as their divergent post-school plans cast a moody shadow. The imminent upheaval in their lives is what drives Nick to lean on drink and, subsequently, to some tense rows with Charlie. Up until now, the show has rarely interrogated the stability of their romance, but these confrontations are also a showcase of how Locke and Connor have matured as performers.
Director Wash Westmoreland brings out the best from his young cast. He doesn’t wildly deviate from the show’s distinctive style, but his flourishes punctuate key moments – and remind us that this is, technically, a film. Alas, the shorter length versus a full eight-episode season means that there are fewer scenes to share out among Heartstopper’s swelling ensemble. Oseman instead focuses most of her attention on crafting a satisfying send-off for her leads, which unquestionably pays off.
But that inevitably means certain characters are left in the wings. Some are rushed to the finish line (in the case of Rhea Norwood’s Imogen and Jenny Walser’s Tori), and others just have very little to do – which ends up being the regrettable fate of Tara (Corinna Brown) and Darcy (Kizzy Edgell). Turbulent couple Tao (William Gao) and Elle (Yasmin Finney) get a larger share of screen time to hash out their own existential crisis, with the latter also given a thought-provoking sequence to address the rising vitriol targeted at trans women.
View Green Video on the source websiteOseman integrates this timely issue into her script without much crowbarring, while setting an example for how to proactively support those in need; a message also visible in Charlie’s protection of a bullied junior student. If this all sounds a bit ‘edutainment’, that’s because it is. Heartstopper has always had a degree of ‘after school special’ in its DNA, which serves to accommodate and inform its younger following. And this finale elevates those conversations to a higher level.
If the series sought to assure LGBTQ+ youth that they too deserve to be happy, safe and loved, then Heartstopper Forever acknowledges that beautiful things don’t always last – at least, not in the form they emerged. And that is a more nuanced, but just as valuable, message.
Heartstopper Forever will be available to watch on Netflix from 17 July.
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