Heartstopper review: The most joyous, powerful and important TV series of 2022

Heartstopper delivers a story every bit as endearing as it is powerful, making it one of Netflix’s best original shows ever.

How does one describe the experience of watching Heartstopper? Is it a discussion about the grounded and authentic manner in which it handles complex character arcs? Is it through an analysis of how the characters and stories of Alice Oseman’s comic effortlessly come to life on-screen? Or perhaps it’s with a comment about how a light-hearted and positive LGBTQ+ story like this one is long overdue.

The truth is that I thought about opening this review with all of those options, but I think the best way of describing the Heartstopper experience is to simply tell you that I watched all eight episodes with the biggest, stupidest smile on my face. That‘s Heartstopper.

The Netflix show is taking the world by storm, and for good reason. Based on Oseman’s eponymous graphic novels, the eight-part series centers on Nick Nelson and Charlie Spring, as the pair form an unlikely friendship that has the potential to blossom into something far greater.

What makes that friendship unlikely? Well, Charlie is seemingly the only openly gay kid at his all-boys high school, while Nick is the school’s star rugby player (with his fellow pupils going so far as to call him “the rugby king”). It’s a welcome spin on the age old “opposites attract” set-up and

the story that follows

is one of the most endearing you’ll see on television all year – as, through a sequence of touching “Hi”s, these unlikely friends form a deeper connection than either one of them have with anyone else.

Heartstopper is an uplifting LGBTQ+ love story

Heartstopper isn’t just good, it’s a faithful adaptation of its source material, full of complex characters struggling with change when they are surrounded by it.

Charlie is attempting to let go of something toxic in the form of a previous relationship that made him feel nothing but shame and anguish and he does it through a friendship that makes him fully confident and respected for who he is. Nick, on the other hand, is embarking on a journey of self-discovery, learning things about himself that he didn’t even know were possible until he meets Charlie, as a whole new world presents itself to him, and with it comes the possibility of something truly beautiful.

They aren’t the only ones feeling it either. Elle, one of Charlie’s best friends, is attempting to fit in at a new school that, in spite of its less toxic environment, leaves her missing her friends. Similarly, Tao is missing her greatly, as he too is terrified of the changes that have befallen their friendship group.

Change is everywhere in Heartstopper. It’s big, it’s subtle, it’s terrifying and exciting all at the same time, and that makes it incredibly authentic, nailing the foundations of a coming-of-age story far more tastefully than so many projects in the genre these days. To watch it feels like you are watching a snapshot of the teenage experience, and it will no doubt resonate with so many people because of that.

To see that teenage authenticity in a series centred on an LGBTQ+ romance is truly refreshing. We owe a great deal to previous projects that have paved the way for LGBTQ+ representation on both the big and small screens, but to say that more uplifting and joyous LGBTQ+ love stories are long overdue would be an understatement.

And joyous really is what Heartstopper is, with Charlie and Nick’s adorable romance-in-the-making being an easy narrative to get invested in, thanks in no small part to the wonderfully youthful and light-hearted tone the show employs.

Another thing that makes it all come together oh-so-well is the pacing. Each 25-minute installment flows nicely into the next, allowing for enough exploration of the themes of each chapter and some nice progression to the overarching story, simultaneously ensuring that it never outstays its welcome and that it leaves you wanting more.

Heartstopper‘s greatest strength, however, belongs to Charlie Spring and Nick Nelson, or actors Joe Locke and Kit Connor to be more specific. There is a gentle quality in Locke’s performance that makes for a quietly powerful personification of Charlie Spring; he’s wonderful in the role and it’s mind-boggling to think that this is his first professional acting role (and after this it certainly won’t be his last). Connor matches him in quality, approaching Nick Nelson with such charm and heart that it’s easy to see why Charlie falls for him, and the nuanced performance he delivers as Nick figures out who he is is nothing short of stunning. Together, their chemistry is magical.

Heartstopper is a breath of fresh air. A gentle one that will bring a smile to your face, but like its protagonists, it’s a quietly powerful phenomenon (and a long overdue one at that) that celebrates love, change, self-discovery and the LGBTQ+ community. It’s everything, and much, much more.

Heartstopper is now streaming on Netflix.

Have you been enjoying Heartstopper? Will you be watching it? Let us know in the comments below!