Members of the LGBTQ+ community crave to see characters like them on screen. While few films and shows have managed to include accurate representation, Netflix’s Heartstopper sets the bar to a new level.
What is Heartstopper About?
Heartstopper is a romantic, coming-of-age drama released in April of 2022 on Netflix based on the graphic novel series by Alice Oseman. The series follows the love story of Charlie Spring and Nick Nelson as they navigate their sexuality and young love and find their proper place in society.
The show carefully handles the topic of sexuality and identity crisis. Charlie, forced to come out due to bullying, struggles to fit in his school. He and his friends Tao, Elle, and Isaac deal with their fair share of bullies. Elle even had to change schools after her transition because people troubled her for being a tongue black transgender woman. On the other hand, Nick is the star of the rugby team and, according to Charlie’s friends, “a massive heterosexual.” But not everything is as it seems as Nick and Charlie form a friendship which leads to something beautiful that neither of them expected.
Diversity in the Cast
Because the storyline revolves around sexuality, identity, relationships, etc., the creative team wanted authenticity at its core. According to the executive producer Patrick Walters, they only cast actors with “an essence of that character in them.”
Even crew members for the production were people from the LGBTQ+ community. Euros Lyn, the series director, wanted as many LGBTQ+ people on set as possible because their input and perspective added to the whole experience.
The cast is genuinely diverse and authentically represents the characters on screen. The actors embrace the characters and make the audience believe they are not actors but the characters themselves.
Authenticity was a priority for the creators. They wanted people to feel seen. The creators were genuinely committed to the project and even enlisted Jeff Ingold, an LGBTQ+ consultant. He said, “we did a lot of conversation and training around what is happening in schools these days so, particularly for the cast, they could take that into the roles, and for the crew, they could also understand why this show matters and what its gonna mean to the audience who watch it.” This authenticity allowed the show to portray queer teens of today accurately.
Breaking Away from Stereotypes
The representation of queer youth in media has often been laced with stereotypes. What Heartstopper gets right about representation is that it does not shy away from being sensitive and vulnerable. The show is optimistic but also realistic. Diversity and representation come naturally in the show. At times, it feels almost like watching reality.
Heartstopper and its characters provide comfort to the audience. The LGBTQ+ community is finally getting the representation it deserves. Characters like Charlie and Nick will set a new milestone for queer youth today. These characters are not perfect, nor do they pretend to be. They make mistakes, and they try again. For all those who see themselves in characters like Charlie, Nick, Elle, Darcy, and Tara, there is a sense of reassurance and acceptance that things will turn out just fine. Representing the LGBTQ+ community in such a positive light has proved to be the right choice.
