The new Hulu movie Crush is a touching and artfully-crafted coming-of-age movie, but what makes it especially charming is its sensitive and sweet portrayal of teenage gay love. Indeed, like many other similar movies, it gives young of the LGBT+ community the opportunity to see themselves on-screen and to have a story that ends happily, largely eschewing the high-stakes drama of some other teenage stories.
Fortunately, for those who enjoy the movie’s joyful approach to romance, there are a number of other movies, both recent and in the past, which have accomplished something similar.
Beautiful Thing (1996)
Beautiful Thing is the touching story of the extraordinary connection that emerges between two boys growing up in the UK during the 1990s. One, Jamie, is the more sensitive of the two, while the other, Ste, has to contend with the ugly realities of his home life and his abusive father. Slowly but surely, however, the two bond and grow closer, their love providing an escape from the uglier realities of their lives.
With its emphasis on the joy of first romances, it’s sure to appeal to those who love Crush.
Love, Simon (2018)
Crush is but the most recent example of the Love, Simon is widely regarded as one of the best.
Focusing on the title character as he contends with both a secret crush and the usual pressures of high school, it is also a sweet movie that shows how difficult it can be, even in the 2010s, for young people to come out of the closet. Fortunately for Simon, he is surrounded by the love of both his family and his friends.
Edge Of Seventeen (1998)
There have been Edge of Seventeen is memorable and touching. Like Crush, it focuses on a high school student as he contends with his burgeoning sexuality.
In this case, the character in question is Eric Hunter who, after a summer spent working at an amusement park, finds a new family and community at the local gay bar, even as he experiences both heartbreak and has to deal with his mother’s inability to come to with his sexuality.
The Thing About Harry (2020)
The central focus of Crush, of course, is the unexpected ways that love can go, for while one may start out loving someone, it doesn’t take much for feelings to change. This is exactly the premise of The Thing About Harry, in which a gay man Sam finds himself falling in love with his former high school bully, Harry. There is an undeniable chemistry between the two leads.
What is most remarkable, however, is how well the movie manages to capture the cadence and pleasure of the romantic comedy while also ensuring that it doesn’t lose its LGBTQ+ specificity.
Boy Meets Girl (2014)
In addition to being a golden age for LGBTQ+ representation generally, the 2010s and 2020s have seen a number of great movies focusing on the transgender experience. Of these, Boy Meets Girl is a particularly touching example, focusing as it does on a young trans woman named Ricky as she navigates the tricky territory of love.
Though an independent movie, it features some very strong performances, and it doesn’t talk down to its audience or treat its characters with pity. Instead, as with Crush, they are just allowed to be young people in love.
Happiest Season (2020)
Crush is, among other things, about the messiness of feelings, and how even the best-laid plans can go awry. These elements are also at work in the gay holiday movie, Happiest Season, which focuses on a lesbian couple as they contend with the difficulties of going home for Christmas, particularly since one of them is still in the closet.
Though its narrative can at times be difficult to watch–given the pernicious power of the closet–it nevertheless emphasizes the importance of being true to oneself.
Call Me By Your Name (2017)
Widely seen as one of the best movies of 2017, Call Me By Your Name is the sweet, touching, and ultimately rather sad story about the love that emerges between Elio, a teenager living in Italy with his family, and Oliver, the graduate student who comes to study with them.
Both Timothée Chalamet and Armie Hammer deliver strong performances. The movie is, like Crush, a rumination about the perils and pleasures of love, particularly when coming to with burgeoning sexuality.
Shelter (2007)
Many great LGBTQ+ movies emerged out of the 2000s, and one which continues to resonate is Shelter. It focuses on Zach, a surfer and artist living in California who isn’t quite sure what to do with his life.
When he reconnects with Shaun, his best friend’s elder brother, the two men soon find a mutual attraction, and Zach soon begins to realize he wants to pursue his ion for art. Like Crush, it is a sweetly and simply told romance, showcasing the power of movies to tug at the heartstrings.
The Way He Looks (2014)
One of the things that helps to make Crush such an endearing movie is how skillfully it demonstrates the power of young love, of how interrogating one’s feelings can be an at times difficult but also rewarding experience. The movie focuses on two boys in Brazil, one of whom is blind.
Though they have their fair share of difficulties, they still manage to forge a powerful bond and, at its heart, The Way He Looks is a poignant love story, and the bond that emerges between Leonardo and Gabriel is warm and touching.
Were The World Mine (2008)
Adolescence can be a difficult time, especially for LGBTQ+ youth, as Crush and other movies make clear. Were the World Mine–A Midsummer Night’s Dream–focuses on a teenager who inadvertently discovers a plant whose nectar has the power to turn his whole town gay, including his crush.
With its musical numbers, its strong performances, and its slightly silly central premise, the movie is a joyful one, and it is, ultimately, about the importance of being true to oneself.
