There have been a lot of coming-of-age movies and there have been a lot of high school romance films, some with homosexuality as their premise. In a mixture of all these genres lies ‘Love, Simon’. Simon Spier is just another 17-year-old boy who is waiting for his school days to be over. He has a happy family and a great group of friends, a perfectly normal life. The only thing that troubles him is his secret. Simon is gay and he is scared to find out how people will react once he comes out. This film tells his story as he finds another person who shares a similar situation, while he tries to keep his secret in the dark.
We have tried to come up with a list of some great films similar to Love Simon that are our recommendations. If you are interested, you might be able to stream some of these movies like Love Simon on Netflix or Amazon Prime or even Hulu.
14. Lady Bird (2017)
‘Lady Bird’ is the directorial debut of actress Great Gerwig (’20th Century Women’, ‘Maggie’s Plan’). Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson is a strong-willed and deeply opinionated teenager, harboring big dreams and frustrated of her current state of being. As she navigates through her tumultuous life, she comes to terms with its reality and makes strong bonds with people to unify her desire to stay. The film is a semi-autobiographical, based partially on the life of Gerwig herself. Though slightly exaggerated, the reason behind her motivation to make the movie was to express through the character of Lady Bird her own indignations and of million other young girls. Perfectly paced and endearingly charming, ‘Lady Bird’ is a great coming of age film.
13. The Spectacular Now (2013)
Sutter Keely is an outspoken, charming, affable, life-of-the-party kind-of a guy who has apparently everything sorted in his life. One unfortunate day, he’s dumped by his girlfriend and his world seemingly goes upside down. Drunk and exhausted, he wakes up on the front yard of one of his classmates – Amy Finecky. Although initially Amy is painted as a geek who is socially awkward, Sutter finds her interesting and they both fall for each other, more like Amy falls for Sutter and not the other way. When Sutter realizes that he can’t go by on his own and he needs Amy on his side, he reconciles and goes by the notion that one’s life depends on one’s own actions and inactions and that humility is the best gift. ‘The Spectacular Now’ is spectacular throughout – in performances, storyline, direction, and screenplay. Go watch it, if you haven’t.
12. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
The recipient of numerous awards and accolades, ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’ became one of the commercially and critically most successful films of the year 2012. Surrounding a teenager who is lonely and depressed, Charlie finds his solace in his literature and books, most importantly lent or recommended by his English professor. Sam (Emma Watson) and her brother Patrick (Ezra Miller) are socially outgoing siblings who take Charlie towards a more “happier” life. While Sam shows more compassion towards Charlie, Charlie falls for her although she is in a relationship. As Sam moves ahead of her relationship, she finds Charlie as the right one for her as they enter a new phase of their lives, while Charlie is still riddled with his flashbacks of depression. ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’ connects all the dots, opens up a new sub-genre of movies depicting relationships independent of boundaries and glorifying the idea of being a free spirit, which has been a rare happenstance.
12. The Incredible True Adventure of Two Girls in Love (1995)
Randy Dean is mistreated in school because of her openly lesbian status. She works at a gas station and tries to stay out of trouble. Yet, people don’t leave a chance to make her life miserable. When she meets Evie, who is a popular girl in school, their friendship blossoms romantically. They have to find a way to handle things when their relationship will be revealed to their families and the society.
10. G.B.F (2013)
Tanner Daniels and Brent Van Camp are gay. Brent decides to come out of the closet before the prom because he can use it as an opportunity to become a popular guy. On the other hand, the members of the Gay-Straight Alliance discover through an app that Tanner is gay. Hence, Tanner’s identity is revealed. With their secret out, life should become easier for them, right? Not exactly.
9. Geography Club (2013)
Russell and Kevin are in a relationship, but because Kevin doesn’t want to harm his reputation in the football team, Russell has to pretend to go out with girls. Something similar is happening with Min and Therese who are afraid to tell people about themselves. Ike is just confused about himself and wants to find out more but is afraid to discuss it with anyone. Together, they form the Geography Club to discuss their situations that they can’t talk about with anyone else.
8. The Curiosity of Chance (2006)
16-year-old Chance Marquis is a gay in the 1980s world. While he believes in being true to oneself and tries to practice it in real-life, the bullies at school make fun of him at every turn. Chance befriends a group of people who are queer in their own ways as he deals with the bullies and realises the true philosophy of life.
7. Blue Is the Warmest Colour (2013)
15-year-old Adele is an introvert. She finds it difficult to connect to people and can rarely talk with someone about the things she likes and the life she wants. Another thing that troubles her is her sexual identity. When she meets Emma, she connects with her on an emotional level and as she explores herself, their relationship soon turns sexual.
6. Pariah (2011)
17-year-old Alike is an African-American girl who likes to wear baggy clothes and hangs out with her openly lesbian friend, Laura. Fearing the bad influence of Laura on her, Alike’s mother forces her to become friends with Bina, a more cultivated church going girl. As she spends more time with Bina, Alike finds herself falling in love with her. And things only complicate more after this.
5. Princess Cyd (2017)
While everyone was revelling in the awesomeness of ‘Call Me by Your Name’, there was another film with a similar context that was wowing another set of critics. It tells the story of a 16-year-old Cyd who goes to Chicago to spend the summer with her aunt. There she meets a girl and starts falling in love with her.
4. The Way He Looks (2014)
Leonardo is blind and is helped by his best friend Giovana in making it through school and other times of the day. When Gabriel arrives in his life, Leonardo’s whole world changes as he is confused by his attraction to him. When Gabriel reciprocates his feelings, Leonardo receives a new perspective on life.
3. Tomboy (2011)
10-year-old Laure is only beginning to explore her sexual orientation. When she sees a group of boys playing outside her window, she pretends to be a boy so she can play with them. There she meets Lisa and they become friends. As time passes, Laure tries to present herself as a boy in order to further her friendship with Lisa. But, what will happen when her secret will be outed?
2. C.R.A.Z.Y (2005)
It is the late 60s, teenager Zachary Beaulieu is exploring his sexuality. He believes that he is more inclined towards being gay. However, he has a Catholic upbringing and knows that his sexual orientation won’t sit well with his family. So, he forces himself to like girls. How long before he surrenders to his true nature? And what then?
1. Call Me by Your Name (2017)
One of the best films of last year, ‘Call Me by Your Name’ is a love story that touches your heart and haunts your soul. In the summer of 1983 in Lombardy, Elio meets Oliver. Oliver has come to stay with Elio’s family and is an intern for his father. Throughout the summer, their romance develops and by the end of it, it becomes truly heart-breaking. It is not just the story of first love, but also the story of a boy who is exploring his sexuality while getting to know the meaning of love.
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