We have finally graduated from teenage romance to wholesome adult reality!!

After almost four years of following Nick & Charlie through their teenage years, they are now 18 & 17. As such, they are faced with difficult challenges that take a toll on their relationship inevitably. Netflix’s “Heartstopper Forever” picks up from where Season Three. Obviously, it is a feature film and not a series adaptation, unlike the previous seasons, so we can’t say how much of the original content is lost in transition. The movie is adapted from the sixth, and last, Heartstopper graphic novel, which was released just two weeks before the film premiered on Netflix to high expectations. The film features our main couple and their motley group of friends as they have hard decisions to make before they graduate from school & enter varsity. “Heartstopper Forever” doesn’t shy away from portraying teenager anxiety, self-doubt and a heartbreaking yet foolishly intermittent breakup!!

What Happens to Everyone in “Heartstopper Forever”

The film opens with an encouraging shot of Charlie (Joe Locke) delivering a speech for the “Head Boy” election. He is still working through his eating disorder and his desire to self-harm his therapist, Geoff (Eddie Marsan), but he is much more confident. As he gets busy with forming a new club exclusive to queer students, Nick (Kit Connor) starts questioning his self-worth outside Charlie’s influence. He is about to graduate and unlike Charlie, who seems quite settled in his life, Nick has difficulty making his final choice for varsity. He is unable to define his life, beyond Charlie, as they have spent the last four years together and to him, it feels that Charlie doesn’t need him like before. Unable to voice his inner fears, he hides his frustration and anxiety from Charlie, until a simple argument spins out of control and Charlie expresses a desire to keep a distance. Nick takes it the wrong way and decides to break up unilaterally. They stew in self wallow for quite a few days, even attending Truham Pride separately. They end up having two awkward encounters where both times Charlie misunderstands Nick and believes that Nick has moved on. His eating dissect seems to escalate until his friends step in. Spending time apart gives them a new perspective on their relationship as Charlie realizes that he is the centerpiece of Nick’s tapestry, while Nick finally accepts that he never wanted to break up. As Charlie invites Nick to the beach, they have a rather casual conversation and reunite.

Sadly, the other couples don’t get as much screentime as Nick and Charlie. Tao (Will Gao) and Elle (Yasmin Finney) keep breaking up and getting back together. The difference in opinion is paramount and as Elle decides to move to Berlin, Tao supports her from distance. Whether they remain friends or not isn’t clearly defined, as Tao visits Elle in Berlin where she is holding an exhibit and Tao’s portrait is the centerpiece. Tara (Corinna Brown) is undecided about whether or not she wants to go to university, so she and her partner Darcy (Kizzy Edgell) take an interrailing trip to India. Sahar (Leila Khan) continues playing with her band but in the end, decides to go solo.

The Final Farewell

As we finally bid farewell to our favorite couple, the ending is well deserved. The movie neatly ties into the wistfulness that a relationship is never about one individual. Nick derives his self-worth from his importance to Charlie, and that lowers his confidence. This film obviously documents Nick’s need to assess his self-worth. As both of them grow individually, they understand their relationship better and their need for each other. Maybe some day in the future, we might see Kit & Joe in another romance, till then it is adios!!

Rating- 5 out of 5

Streaming on- Netflix