There are several coming-of-age movies and high school romance movies like Love Simon, some of which feature homosexuality as their central theme.
“Love, Simon” is a mix of all these genres. Simon Spier, a 17-year-old boy, is just another student waiting for the end of the academic year.
He has a typical existence, a happy family, and a great circle of friends. His secret is the only thing bothering him. Simon is homosexual and anxious to come out since he doesn’t know how others will respond.
This movie depicts his story as he struggles to keep his secret hidden and meets someone else in a similar circumstance. We tried to compile a selection of excellent movies like Love Simon.
Some movies, including Love Simon, may be available for streaming on Netflix, Amazon Prime, or even Hulu if interested.
1. Call Me by Your Name (2017)
- Director: Luca Guadagnino
- Star cast: Timothée Chalamet, Armie Hammer, Michael Stuhlbarg, Amira Casar, Esther Garrel, Victoire Du Bois, and Vanda Capriolo
- IMDb rating: 7.8/10
The story opens with Elio, a young man who used to share his room with international students who came to his family’s Italian estate every summer.
However, when a visitor from another continent shows around, Elio finds himself in danger since he starts to experience unusual feelings that aren’t normal. It is a sensually rich narrative that is also a lovely love story.
You learn about Elio, his sexual explorations in this movie, and his doubts and innermost feelings. This helps you identify with the character and feel sympathy for him. This is, without a doubt, the ideal sequel for anyone seeking movies like Love Simon.
2. Lady Bird (2017)
- Director: Greta Gerwig
- Star cast: Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts, Lucas Hedges, Timothée Chalamet, Beanie Feldstein, and Lois Smith
- IMDb rating: 7.4/10
The actress Great Gerwig makes her directorial debut with ‘Lady Bird.’ Strong-willed and very opinionated, Christine McPherson is a girl who is both ambitious and dissatisfied with her present situation.
She learns to accept the truth of her turbulent existence as she goes along and forms strong relationships with others to strengthen her desire to stay. The movie is based partly on Gerwig’s experiences and is semi-autobiographical.
She was inspired to produce the movie to convey her outrage and the outrage of millions of other young girls; however, this is significantly overstated. “Lady Bird” is an excellent coming-of-age, well-timed, adorably appealing movie.
3. God’s Own Country (2017)
- Director: Francis Lee
- Star cast: Josh O’Connor, Alec Secareanu, Gemma Jones, Ian Hart, Harry Lister Smith, Melanie Kilburn, and Liam Thomas
- IMDb rating: 7.6/10
In God’s Own Country, Josh O’Connor plays the farmer’s son Johnny Saxby, who is confined to working on the family farm.
Johnny dulls his frustration and misery by bingeing at the bar and engaging in aggressive sex with strange men.
However, his true desire is more subdued by his family’s emotional lack of compassion than by the prevailing homophobia in this society. Things only become worse for him when his cold, strict father has a stroke.
Later, during lambing season, a Romanian seasonal worker named Gheorghe comes, and Johnny is first threatened by his warmth of character and professional skill.
However, when Gheorghe helps Johnny feel, love, and understand the beauty in the environment around him, Johnny’s hostility gives way to passion as they return to the hills to fix a stone wall.
God’s own country is one of the movies like Love Simon that is lovely, emotional, and passionate.
4. The Spectacular Now (2013)
- Director: James Ponsoldt
- Star cast: Miles Teller, Shailene Woodley, Kyle Chandler, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Brie Larson, Masam Holden, and Dayo Okeniyi
- IMDb rating: 7.1/10
Sutter Keely is the kind of person that says what he thinks and is the life of the party because he has everything figured out. He is dumped by his lover one unlucky day, and everything seems to turn upside down for him.
He awakens in the front yard of Amy Finecky, one of his classmates, drunk and exhausted. Although Amy is first portrayed as a nerd with social anxiety, Sutter finds her interesting, and they fall in love.
When Sutter recognizes he needs Amy’s help, he makes peace with the idea that each person is responsible for their own life and that humility is the greatest virtue.
Every aspect of “The Spectacular Now” is outstanding, including the writing, directing, narrative, and acting.
5. But I’m a Cheerleader (1999)
- Director: Jamie Babbit
- Star cast: Natasha Lyonne, Clea DuVall, Michelle Williams, Brandt Wille, Bud Cort, Mink Stole, and RuPaul
- IMDb rating: 6.7/10
The girlfriend of the football captain, Megan, is a typical American girl and a cheerleader. She has every opportunity a popular high school girl could hope for, yet she struggles.
She doesn’t like kissing or engaging in physical contact with her lover. However, she enjoys embracing and being too friendly with her friends.
Additionally, she exclusively keeps images of females in her locker, which fuels assumptions about her sexual orientation.
She is sent to a “sexual reorientation” camp where she learns to walk the straight path expected of a girl her age after her parents and friends assume she must be homosexual. This is undoubtedly one of the best movies like Love Simon.
6. Dating Amber (2020)
- Director: David Freyne
- Star cast: Fionn O’Shea, Lola Petticrew, Sharon Horgan, Barry Ward, Simone Kirby, Evan O’Connor, and Ian O’Reilly
- IMDb rating: 7.0/10
A closeted homosexual kid and his lesbian classmate pretend to be dating in this charming comedy romance from Ireland to escape being teased at their school.
Dating Amber stands out because of its novel idea in an increasingly cliched genre. This adds to the 1995 rural Ireland atmosphere, which is done to exquisite perfection in everything from the clothes to the music.
In the end, dating Amber is more of a coming-of-age story than a comedy romance. It’s a story about friendship and accepting oneself.
7. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
- Director: Stephen Chbosky
- Star cast: Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Ezra Miller, Paul Rudd, Dylan McDermott, Kate Walsh, and Patrick de Ledebur
- IMDb rating: 8.0/10
The Perks of Being a Wallflower, which won multiple honors and accolades, was one of the most well-liked movies of 2012, both financially and critically.
Charlie, a lonely and depressed teenager, takes comfort in books, especially those given to him by or suggested by his English teacher.
Charlie is guided toward a more “happy” existence by socially extroverted siblings Sam and Patrick.
Sam is more compassionate toward Charlie, and even though she is already in a relationship, Charlie feels drawn to Sam.
Sam finds Charlie to be the ideal partner for her as their relationship progresses, even if Charlie continues to have depressive memories as they move into a new stage of their lives.
This movie makes all the scattered pieces fit together, creates a new subgenre of movies that celebrate being free-spirited, and shows relationships without limitations. This is one of the amazing movies like Love Simon.
8. I love you, Philip Morris (2009)
- Director: Glenn FicarraJohn Requa
- Star cast: Jim Carrey, Ewan McGregor, Leslie Mann, Rodrigo Santoro, Antoni Corone, Brennan Brown, and Michael Mandell
- IMDb rating: 6.6/10
I Love you, Philip Morris is a dark comedy with many unexpected turns. It includes both love romances and prison break stories.
In terms of the plot, this movie is about a policeman who became a con man and came out as gay. After being arrested, he falls in love with a fellow prisoner. Although the prisoner he falls in love with is lovely, Jim Carrey is undoubtedly more charming.
This movie is ultimately a love story where both protagonists experience love at first sight before falling in love with the concept of love, all while deceit is seamlessly woven throughout.
People are often confused as to the precise subject matter of this movie. You can decide if it’s a comedy, a love story, or a societal satire.
9. The Curiosity of Chance (2006)
- Director: Russell P. Marleau
- Star cast: Tad Hilgenbrink, Brett Chukerman, Aldevina Da Silva, Pieter Van Nieuwenhuyze, Chris Mulkey, Maxim Maes, and Colleen Cameron
- IMDb rating: 6.6/10
Chance Marquis, 16, is a homosexual teenager living in the 1980s. Even though he strives to live by the principle of being true to himself, the bullies at school constantly make fun of him.
Chance battles with the bullies as he learns the actual meaning of life and meets a group of people who are gay in their ways.
10. Edge of Seventeen (1998)
- Director: David Moreton
- Star cast: Chris Stafford, Tina Holmes, Andersen Gabrych, Stephanie McVay, Lea DeLaria, John Eby, and Antonio Carriero
- IMDb rating: 6.8/10
This is one of the movies like Love Simon that is charming, perceptive, and emotional and adds a novel twist due to the outstanding performance of its lead character.
Following a sad incident a few years ago, Nadine’s life and the lives of her family were drastically altered, and since then, nothing has been the same.
The situation becomes even more difficult for the young lady when Nick, the person she likes, ignores her while Krista, her closest friend, chooses to establish a relationship with her brother. The young woman already struggles with depression and anxiety daily.
As a result, Nadine sets off on a protracted voyage of self-discovery that will eventually bring her to her teacher.
11. Latter Days (2003)
- Director: C. Jay Cox
- Star cast: Wes Ramsey, Steve Sandvoss, Mary Kay Place, Amber Benson, Rebekah Johnson, Khary Payton, and Jacqueline Bisset
- IMDb rating: 7.0/10
Latter Days, released in 2003, was so explicit for the audience that audience members expressed disgust and anxiety about it being too vivid. Beyond the discussion of the movie, however, is where the movie’s main story resides.
In Latter Days, a story of love, life, and a hint of desire is shown. The portrayal of honesty in Latter Days includes every cliche imaginable. The movie’s main plot is how two very different people meet and fall in love.
What makes it so unique is their fight with numerous other dimensions while doing so. Being homosexual is seen as a grave sin in Aaron’s missionary family, where he plays Steve Sandvoss. Wes Ramsey portrays Christian, a homosexual with an outspoken lifestyle.
You will get a glimpse into their life with just the right amount of drama brought on by the clash of cultures. The various forms of sexuality are shown in the movie and how society views them.
The movie does a good job of showing how ultimately unsuccessful religion’s attempts to keep a family together are.
Another intriguing aspect of Latter Days is how a book was inspired by it rather than the other way around. You should surely include Latter Days on your list of best movies like Love Simon.
12. Geography Club (2013)
- Director: Gary Entin
- Star cast: Cameron Deane Stewart, Justin Deeley, Meaghan Martin, Wesley Eure, Andrew Lewis Caldwell, Ally Maki, and Teo Olivares
- IMDb rating: 6.5/10
An engaging American school setting starts the movie. Even though you may be familiar with how most of these movies end, this one deviates from the norm. It ends the previous sexual habits and brings in the new.
A group of students at the school decides to start a “Geography Club” club after discovering that they each have different sexual identities. They may talk openly about their orientations in this club.
The actors gave outstanding performances, and the script and character development were both really funny. Geography Club is one of the movies like Love Simon, which has a few surprises, especially at the end.
13. Dear Ex (2018)
- Director: Chih-Yen Hsu and Mag Hsu
- Star cast: Roy Chiu, Ying-Hsuan Hsieh, Spark Chen, Joseph Huang, Fang Wan, Ai-Lun Kao, and Cheng-Chun Liang
- IMDb rating: 7.3/10
A family drama called Dear Ex examines LGBT issues in modern Taiwan. In addition to being a movie on how people deal with grief, it paints a vivid, endearing, and similar portrait of Jay and Song Zhengyuan’s relationship and all their challenges.
The director of Dear Ex uses humorous and clever dialogue to help the viewer get through the movie’s heavy themes.
Meanwhile, the history of Jay and Song Zhengyuan’s relationship develops in a really lovely, almost poetic way.
It is remarkable how the characters so casually demonstrate that love knows no boundaries based on gender. It is also wonderful to watch how, towards the end of the movie, everyone finds their unique kind of forgiveness, whether it comes from others or themselves.
14. Weekend (2011)
- Director: Andrew Haigh
- Star cast: Tom Collins, Chris New, Jonathan Race, Laura Freeman, Loreto Murray, Jonathan Wright, and Sarah Churm
- IMDb rating: 7.6/10
Adam Haigh is the director of this outstanding British romance drama. The movie’s premise centers on a passionate and personal friendship between two guys. This connection turns into a lifetime experience adventure.
Tom Collins, who plays Russell, was an orphan as a child. When he meets Chris New, who plays Glen, things begin to go in a new direction. Glen is a young artist who is extroverted and quirky.
They get closer and seem to be quite fond of one another. The major blow, however, is unveiled when Glen informs Russell that he will leave in the next 48 hours.
The rest of the movie focuses on their choice of how to spend their remaining time together. Despite having a limited budget, the movie became a great hit.
It conveys and elicits a sense of closeness mixed with loneliness. The outstanding performance was one of the key factors contributing to the movie’s success.
Even days after seeing it, you’ll still remember this wonderful movie since it’s so endearing. This is one of the amazing movies like Love Simon.
15. Clueless (1995)
- Director: Amy Heckerling
- Star cast: Alicia Silverstone, Stacey Dash, Brittany Murphy, Paul Rudd, Donald Faison, Elisa Donovan, and Breckin Meyer
- IMDb rating: 6.9/10
Clueless is a classic for a good reason; it’s a hilarious and insightful satire of the high school years. Very few movies can recreate a great literary work in such a contemporary, humorous, and stylish manner.
In truth, it is not well recognized that this movie is a contemporary adaptation of Emma by Jane Austen. Cher, portrayed by Alicia Silverstone in the 1995 movie, is the protagonist.
She strives to maintain her popularity, friendships, and maybe her grades as she progresses through high school. She is charming despite being shallow, ignorant, and rich.
The movie succeeds on many levels. The dialogues have as much subtext as is visible in the frames. Although the narrative of Clueless is thin, it more than makes up for it with its sharp insights and one-liners. Characters that are vividly created and well-performed may stand on their own.
16. G.B.F (2013)
- Director: Darren Stein
- Star cast: Michael J. Willett, Paul Iacono, Sasha Pieterse, Andrea Bowen, Xosha Roquemore, Molly Tarlov, and Evanna Lynch
- IMDb rating: 5.9/10
They are both homosexual, Tanner Daniels and Brent Van Camp. Brent decides to come out before the prom to exploit the occasion to gain popularity.
Conversely, Tanner’s sexual orientation is revealed to the Gay-Straight Alliance members through an app. Tanner’s identity is thus made known.
17. The Half of It (2020)
- Director: Alice Wu
- Star cast: Leah Lewis, Daniel Diemer, Alexxis Lemire, Wolfgang Novogratz, Collin Chou, Becky Ann Baker, and Enrique Murciano
- IMDb rating: 6.9/10
Ellie, a straight-A student who solicits money from her classmate Paul to write love letters for him, is the subject of this lovely romance.
Ellie does this to assist with the family expenses, but there is one major issue: Ellie has a crush on the same girl Paul is in love with.
It is the brilliant and quality-driven director Alice Wu’s effort. Her most recent movie, Saving Face, a groundbreaking lesbian romance with an Asian American setting, came out more than 15 years ago. This is one of the amazing movies like Love Simon.
