Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
The bitter fight for supremacy between the three most popular girls at North Gateway High takes an unexpected turn when their classmate, Tanner, is outed and becomes the school’s first openly gay student. The trio races to bag the big trend in fashion accessories, the Gay Best Friend, while Tanner must decide whether his skyrocketing popularity is more important than the friendships he is leaving behind.
G.B.F. is a modestly charming teen comedy that uses its gay-best-friend premise to gently lampoon both social hierarchies and LGBT stereotypes in high school. The plot is reasonably clever in its satirical conceit, subverting the cliché it references, though execution is uneven and the story hits predictable beats. Acting is serviceable but largely forgettable, with most performances feeling broadly drawn. Cinematography is flat and TV-movie standard — functional but uninspired. Novelty gets a bump for its specific satirical angle on LGBT visibility and teen social politics, which gave it a distinctive voice even if the broader structure is familiar. The ending is by-the-numbers reconciliation fare, resolving things tidily without much surprise or emotional payoff.