Ever since John Hughes made The Breakfast Club back in the 80’s, coming of age movies have always made its viewers remember that high school kind of sucks. But Greg Berlanti’s Love, Simon uses this setting to tell a profound story with a protagonist viewers will constantly find themselves rooting for.

The film follows Simon (Nick Robinson), a high school senior who lives a pretty normal life and is savoring every moment with his long-time friends. However, Simon does have one problem: no one knows that he’s gay. But when Simon begins to fall for a mysterious person that he has been emailing with, he must keep their conversations a secret while also coming to terms with his own identity.

Nick Robinson’s performance is flawless. There are no stereotypes attached to Simon. He is just a normal guy with normal friends coming from a normal family. He could be your son, your brother, or even your best friend. No one has any expectations of him being gay and he doesn’t just fall into some flamboyant or feminine representation. He has real issues and is probably one of the most relatable characters to this generation of teens.

Simon’s desire for his own happy ending is something that anyone can understand regardless what sexuality you are. Audiences will be able to see a little bit of themselves in Simon and they will want to see him succeed. Thankfully, the film gives Simon the happy ending that he as well as many moviegoers deserve to see on the big screen.

The film’s strongest element is its ability to shed light on a serious subject in a fun and more thoughtful way. It has moments that are incredibly fun and are nice breaks from the more intense and realistically painful woes. It’s a good mix and it makes the material and the messages feel like they fit the content.

Love, Simon makes everything happening in it feel so real and this is something that audiences will love. It showcases the real hardships of anyone struggling to understand who they are and the struggles they go through when the people around them try to accept them. It makes Love, Simon almost more than a movie and more of a message or learning experience that everyone can get something from.

Instead of deciding if it will cross the line, Love, Simon questions why the line is there anyway. It’s full of characters and moments that anyone can relate to no matter what sexuality they are. Love, Simon is a true landmark for the coming of age genre and a turning point that is well-due.