Movie review
February 16, 2018 · 110 min · PG-13
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
Love, Simon follows 17-year-old Simon Spier, a closeted gay teen in suburban Atlanta who falls for an anonymous online classmate while hiding his sexuality from his loving family and friends until blackmail forces him to come out. The film is a light teen romantic comedy-drama that treats the gay coming-out journey as its central emotional story in a supportive, mostly conflict-free environment. It places strong visible emphasis on queer identity, anonymous gay romance, and the idea that gay teens deserve normal love stories just like anyone else, with marketing and story structure built around this premise as a mainstream Hollywood milestone.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Love, Simon.
Woke representation / casting
Prominent gay male lead and central queer romance with visible LGBTQ+ side character; fits the modern suburban teen premise exactly with no race or gender swaps or forced diversity signaling.
Woke political dialogue
Occasional light lines about heteronormativity and the hassle of coming out delivered with humor, but no extended activist speeches, systemic critiques, or heavy messaging.
Identity-driven story themes
Gay identity, closeted secrecy, and public coming out form the entire emotional core and marketing hook; the story exists to normalize queer teen romance in a mainstream format.
Western institutional / cultural critique
Almost none; family and school environment shown as supportive and normal, with no attacks on traditional gender roles, patriarchy, Christianity, or conservative institutions.
Woke character or canon changes
Not relevant.
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Some conservative commentary called it agenda-driven or inauthentic, but complaints stayed limited and far less intense than later titles; most public pushback came from the left questioning whether it was “queer enough.”
Creator track record context
Berlanti’s long record of LGBTQ+ emphasis in big projects sets the tone; Albertalli’s career centers queer YA stories; Aptaker and Berger lean toward inclusive teen narratives without broader activist patterns.
Production
