“Who We Love” explores the messiness in embracing one’s queerness in high school

There will always be people in society who will feel the need to bring down others in the LGBTQ community. High school can especially be a challenging time as bullies are more likely to engage in hideous acts. When others are able to fit in and be their true self, people who struggle with accepting parts of themselves often view those secure and comfortable as a threat.

Bullying is sad; it is a harsh reality of life. The new film Who We Love explores a young woman’s coming to terms with her sexuality and a lot of the pain that follows in her senior year as a result of her coming out. This film initially was released in 2021 but now is available on digital video and on demand.

Lily is starting to realize she is most likely a lesbian. Her best friend, Simon, is gay, and has been out for some time. As Lily begins to explore her sexuality, she starts to deal with horrific bullying. Simon then begins taking her into the city where she gets introduced to his older lesbian friend, Oonagh. As Lily is dealing with the challenges of being her true self at school, she finds comfort with her two friends.

The film is a truly heartbreaking, honest, and touching ride. It examines the importance of not allowing other people’s painful actions to detract you from being the person you are meant to be. The bullying Lily endures is at times disturbing. But seeing her gain the strength to accept who she is despite the trauma is truly beautiful.

Her new friend, Oonagh, is a beautiful addition to the story. She provided so much wisdom to Lily and did not sugarcoat the importance of loving who you are attracted to. Being a bit older, she lets Lily know during their first meeting the tragic pain she has seen happen to people who do not choose to live as themselves. This interaction adds a lot of emotional depth and an uplifting quality to the film.

The film is painful to watch at times. Each of our three queer leads, Lily, Simon, and Oonagh, all go on a transformation.

While Lily deals with her struggles, Simon has a dad that does not fully understand what it means to be gay and thinks others are making him be this way. Oonagh recently had a breakup with her girlfriend regarding the topic of having children. Seeing each of these queer characters go through their own unique struggle shows that at every stage of your life there will be obstacles.

The theme of the film is that it is possible to live an amazing life. Who We Love is a powerful story. If you are a fan of Love, Simon or any other queer movies set in high school, then definitely add this one to your watch list. It is available on Prime video.

5/5 stars