Love, Simon

Gay-themed films are still extremely gay-centric, which simply isn't enough to make an intriguing premise. Love Simon is a pretty average high-school romcom, only with a gay boy in the lead. And so the film runs through the usual troubles of coming out, adds some random high school drama and calls it a day.

Though Simon has liberal parents and a group of supportive friends, he still hasn't come out of the closet. When he meets an online pal who hasn't outed himself yet either, Simon finally finds someone he can talk to about his situation. But then one of his classmates discovers Simon's secret, and blackmails him to hook him up with one of Simon's friends.

The characters are pretty drab, the US high school setting is annoying, and the comedy isn't all that funny. It's a very toothless and overly comfortable film with a horrific soundtrack that never deviates from the expected. Very forgettable and extremely simplistic, but I guess there's an audience for these films.