Hulu might not seem like the premiere destination for hilarious, coming-of-age, teen movies but that's what it's become with recent releases like Sex Appeal, and now Crush. The coming-of-age movie centers on Paige (Rowan Blanchard), a high school junior who is forced to the track team to get closer to her crush, only to wind up being trained by her crush's twin sister.
Like all teen coming-of-age comedies, the movie is full of vibrant, entertaining, and eccentric characters. It's also excellent in of LGBTQ+ representation since it doesn't homogenize its LGBTQ+ characters. Even the less favorable adult characters have their moments making all the characters in Hulu's Crush fun to watch.
Coach Murray
When it comes to antagonists, Coach Murray (Aasif Mandvi) is as close as Crush gets. He's the high school track coach who has made it his mission to put an end to the art vandalism that has been going on for the last year.
Fans might be quick to hate Coach Murray since he's the reason Paige gets stuck on the track team, but they should be thanking him since that's how she connects with her crush(s). He might not be the best character or best sports coach but he does let his track kids basically do whatever they want which is a win in any teenager's book.
Tim
Tim (Rico Paris) might not be heavily involved in the plot of Crush but he is there enough for fans to get an idea about who he is. From the very beginning, Tim is a thorn in Paige's side because he adamantly believes she's the one behind mysterious art that the school deems to be vandalism.
While Tim is a fun character who's a great team player when it comes to track, he's also the reason why Paige nearly gets suspended in the first place.
Principal Collins
Principal Collins (Michelle Buteau) starts off as your typical no-nonsense high school principal character but she's actually way more fun than her first impression implies. Though she does put her foot down when it comes to Paige, she lightens up rather quickly. She truly believes in giving her students second chances which makes her an inspirational principal.
However, Principal Collins really shines as a character because she's not defined by her job. Instead, audiences see her embrace her hobbies like her interest in the renaissance fair.
Stacey
Stacey (Teala Dunn) has one goal throughout Crush and that's to defeat her boyfriend and win the coveted Student Body President position. However, unlike most presidential campaigns, Stacey runs on a solid platform and never drags her boyfriend's name through the mud.
Not only is she proven to be a great leader, but she's also a tremendous friend to Paige. She's extremely concerned with her fellow students and wants them to feel comfortable which is why she doesn't force anyone to kiss each other when they play "seven minutes" during their track field trip meet.
Angie Evans
When it comes to parent characters in teen movies they're often either too much or completely MIA. Thankfully, Paige's mom Angie (Megan Mullally) falls somewhere in between.
Fans love that she's a modern woman who knew she wanted to be a mom so bad she used a sperm donor instead of waiting for some guy to come into her life. She's also incredibly ive of her daughter's sexuality and is ready to fight for her, especially when Paige is set to be suspended. Sure, she might be a bit too sex-positive, but she means well.
Gabriela
Gabriela (Isabella Ferreira) could have easily been another manic pixie dream girl but thankfully she's not. She's a complicated young teen who everyone thinks has a perfect life when she does not.
In fact, Gabriela makes several mistakes over the course of the movie like trying to kiss Paige and not being honest about her past relationships. She's also a bit self-absorbed and rarely thinks about what others might be feeling, including her twin sister. Still, Gabriela redeems herself in the end by helping her sister get the girl.
Dillion
Dillion (Tyler Alvarez) might be one of the best examples of a high school male best friend character ever. Despite having a pretty intense relationship with Stacey, Dillion never makes Paige feel like a third wheel and is always there for her.
He knows when to hype Paige up and when to call her out on her nonsense behavior. He's also partially responsible for getting Paige to realize that Gabriela wasn't the girl for her which makes him even more perfect in the eyes of Paige-AJ shippers.
Paige
Paige might be Crush's main character but that doesn't mean she's the most likable in the movie, though she is pretty close. One of Paige's biggest faults is that she's often so consumed with one goal, she doesn't give herself time to process her own emotions -- this is exactly why she ends up in a weird love triangle with both Campos sisters.
However, Paige is also an incredible friend. She s both Dillion and Stacey in their presidential campaigns and doesn't get too annoyed at their excessve PDA. She's also determined and has a good moral com which is shown when she doesn't turn in the true KingPun artist/vandal.
AJ
AJ (Auli'i Cravalho) might be picture-perfect either, but no teenager is. She is, however, one of the most authentic characters in Crush despite having her own fair share of secrets.
Fans love AJ because she doesn't let anyone get to her and walks to the beat of her own drum. She's not interested in anyone trying to label her as a certain type of bisexual which is amazing. She's also a great trainer and really cares about the people she loves. It's heartwarming to see her open up to Paige in a way that seemed totally new to her.
