Credit: Netflix

Ahh, man… nobody wanted Heartstopper to wrap up this quickly, but here we are, counting down the days till Heartstopper Forever. One last go-round with Charlie, Nick, and the rest of the gang sounds amazing… until it hits the end. Then, that’ll be it. Game over. No new season to get dead excited for.

That’s why this film’s such a massive deal, you know. It isn’t just another chapter; it’s the end of the road. We have watched these kids muddle their way through first love and come out when they were ready.

Watching people slowly work out who they are and who they are meant to be is what’s called ‘coming-of-age hopeful cinema’. So, watching them say their goodbyes? Ahh, it’s gonna sting. No point kidding ourselves either, because you are probably going to need five minutes to pull yourself together once it’s finished.

Till then, though, we are all stuck playing the waiting game, aren’t we? But if you don’t want that, these five films are well worth bunging on your watchlist while you are waiting for Heartstopper Forever.

Five Netflix movies to watch while you wait for Heartstopper Forever

The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Stephen Chbosky, 2012)

If you’re a Heartstopper fan, chances are you love stories that actually get awkward teenagers instead of taking the mickey out of them. That’s where The Perks of Being a Wallflower chimes in. Charlie rocks up to high school carrying emotional baggage, and the poor boy hasn’t got a clue what to do with it. Then he bumps into step-siblings Sam and Patrick, who drag him into their little gang. Before he knows it, he is dealing with first crushes and house parties. The romance is sound and all, but it’s the friendships that make the film. Kind of like Nick, Charlie and their gang being everyone’s favourite safe space in Heartstopper.

Stephen Chbosky directed it himself after writing the book, and you can tell, you know. Nothing feels watered down or all Hollywood-fied just for a neat little happy ending. Logan Lerman is absolutely class as Charlie, but Ezra Miller’s Patrick? Ahh, man, he nicks every scene he’s in. Dead funny but vulnerable when it matters. If Heartstopper is your comfort watch, Perks of Being a Wallflower gives you that same warm feeling by treating its teenagers like real kids.

The Half of It (Alice Wu, 2020)

Don’t let the whole love triangle thing put you off, because The Half of It has got way more on its mind than who is snogging whom. Ellie is the cleverest kid in town, making a few extra quid ghostwriting homework for everyone else. Then Paul, the school’s nicest big daft jock, asks her to write love letters to Aster… The only problem is that Ellie is secretly head over heels for Aster herself. But what starts off as a daft arrangement turns into one of those unlikely friendships that’s worth even more than the romance.

It’s a bit like Heartstopper, really. It reminds you that love comes in all shapes and sizes, not just the romantic stuff. Alice Wu came back after sixteen years away from making films, and blimey, it was worth the wait. It’s loosely based on ‘Cyrano de Bergerac’, with Ellie hiding behind somebody else’s words instead of speaking her own.

Alex Strangelove (Craig Johnson, 2018)

See, Nick Nelson had Charlie by his side, which made coming out feel a bit less terrifying. But poor Alex Truelove? He wasn’t quite that lucky, was he? He goes into his last year of school thinking he is all sorted, planning to lose his virginity with his girlfriend Claire. Then along comes Elliott, who is openly gay, and before long, Alex’s whole world gets flipped upside down. The film gets loads of laughs in, but it never makes fun of Alex for being confused. It gives him time. We’ve all had those moments where we just want to disappear, eh?

Craig Johnson made sure not to turn it into one of those miserable coming-out films either. There are awkward parents and good friends. Daniel Doheny and Antonio Marziale bounce off each other super effortlessly, too. Elliott never ends up being this perfect dream boy, but he actually feels like a real person. All in all, a must-watch for Heartstopper lovers.

The Edge of Seventeen (Kelly Fremon Craig, 2016)

Before you say anything, no, it isn’t a queer romance. But stick with us here. If your favourite part of Heartstopper isn’t just Nick and Charlie being cute together but watching teenagers make a complete show of themselves while muddling through friends and growing up, then The Edge of Seventeen is well worth a shout.

Hailee Steinfeld plays Nadine, whose whole life gets completely changed when her best friend starts going out with her older brother. Nice one… nightmare. From there, it’s one daft decision after another and crazy embarrassing moments. But the film never slags her off for being a bit of a disaster. If anything, that’s exactly why you end up loving her. Heartstopper gives you the dream version of having people in your corner. The Edge of Seventeen shows what happens when all that starts falling apart, and it’s even stronger because of it.

Beautiful Thing (Hettie Macdonald, 1996)

Way before Heartstopper had everyone obsessed with Nick and Charlie, Beautiful Thing was already showing the world that queer love stories didn’t have to end in tears to leave a proper mark. Set on a London council estate, it follows shy Jamie and his next-door neighbour Ste, whose friendship turns into first love. Aye, there is bullying and family rows with tons of uncertainty knocking about, but it never loses that hopeful feeling. That’s why it fits so nicely alongside Heartstopper. Both of them reckon queer teenagers deserve happy endings instead of constant heartbreak.

It is based on Jonathan Harvey’s stage play, and over the years, it’s become a proper LGBTQ+ classic. The soundtrack’s packed with Cass Elliot tunes, giving the whole thing this lovely vibe that’s still relevant after all these years. Watching Jamie and Ste find the bottle to choose each other still hits right in the feels. Once you’ve seen it, it’s easy to understand why so many modern queer romances owe this little British beauty one hell of a favour.