Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
Alex Truelove is on a quest to lose his virginity, an event eagerly awaited by his patient girlfriend and cheered on with welcome advice by his rowdy friends. But Alex, a super gregarious dude, is oddly unmotivated. A magical house party throws Alex into the presence of Elliot, a hunky college guy, who pegs Alex as gay and flirts hard. Alex is taken aback but after a series of setbacks on the girlfriend front he takes the plunge and learns some interesting new facts about himself.
Alex Strangelove is a competent and earnest coming-of-age comedy-drama that covers familiar teen movie territory — the quest to lose virginity, high school social dynamics, and sexual self-discovery. The plot follows a well-worn arc and doesn't stray far from genre conventions, offering a predictable but heartfelt journey. Acting is serviceable, with the leads delivering likable performances without much standout work. Cinematography is unremarkable, typical of Netflix coming-of-age productions with flat, functional visuals. Novelty is limited; while the gay awakening angle adds some dimension to the standard teen comedy formula, it treads ground covered by similar films and doesn't bring a distinctive voice or style. The ending is warm and satisfying for its genre, providing adequate emotional closure without being particularly memorable.