Parents' Guide to

Heartstopper

By Joyce Slaton, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Sweet, lovable LGBTQ+ romance has teen-friendly content.

TV Netflix Drama 2022
Heartstopper-tv-poster

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

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age 10+

Based on 37 parent reviews

mommacharchar
mommacharchar Parent of 8 and 10-year-old
April 26, 2022
age 11+
It was amazing! Such good role models and good representation.
tdm
tdm Parent of 10 and 12-year-old
May 9, 2022
age 10+

Incredibly touching adaptation of a graphic novel series

Watched this series with my 10 and 12 year olds. We loved the story, the characters, and the LGBTQIA+ and other intersectional representation. I probably cried during every episode. 😄🤧 The kids in the series have vulnerable, honest conversations with their peers (and adults); that was so much nicer than so many of the toxic relationship/friendship portrayals I saw in media when I was a kid. Our 12 year old loves the graphic novel series as well! One trigger warning: There is an f slur uttered by an unkind student. There are also a couple of nonconsensual kisses. These choices have varying consequences and conversations that precipitate from them.
See all 37 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Coming off a year of being bullied by classmates who discovered he was gay, Charlie (Joe Locke) experiences a HEARTSTOPPER of a new crush when he claps eyes on Nick (Kit Connor) at school. Nick is straight, Charlie's best friends -- Tao (William Gao), Isaac (Tobie Donovan), and Elle (Yasmin Finney) -- try to tell him. But Charlie's heart tells him something different, and the two navigate a friendship that eventually turns into love. The series is based on the webcomic and graphic novel series by Alice Oseman.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (37 ):
Kids say (266 ):

This teen romance is as sweet and lovable as a puppy, drenched in wholesome emotions and stocked with good-hearted characters trying, and usually doing, their best. Nick and Charlie share a palpable chemistry and look and feel like real teens; their slowly realistically building friendship-turned-romance is simply lovely, and the hand-drawn graphics that appear on-screen during the most intense moments feel true to the heart: bubbling hearts and flying leaves twirling around the pixilated boys, golden light and sparks that emanate when their hands get close together. It's simply beautiful, whether or not you've been lucky enough to experience those same emotions at the same tender age.

Beautiful, too, are the relationships between the show's characters, teen pals who tease each other gently and support each other stout-heartedly and are transparent about their feelings. When Charlie outlines what his dream man might look like to his quirky sister, Tori (Jenny Walser), his list of qualities is delightfully healthy: "Someone I can have a laugh with. Someone who's nice and kind. And likes being with me." Group hugs are frequent, and support is unconditional between friends. These are characters who are easy to love in a romance that's so gentle and relatable you could watch it with your grandma or your own true love, and everyone would sigh exactly the same.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how Heartstopper depicts teens. Are the characters and their decisions realistic? What about the consequences of those decisions? Do these characters seem like people you might know? Why, or why not?

  • How does Heartstopper depict bullying? What should teens do if that happens to them? What should they do if they see it happening to someone else? How does Charlie handle it? Positively or not?

  • The actors playing teenage main characters in Heartstopper range from 18 to 27 years old. Does that surprise you? Why do you think adults often portray teens in movies and TV shows?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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