Young Hearts Review
Young love can be messy, electric, and unforgettable – Young Hearts is none of those things, but it is a heartfelt love letter to queer cinema.
Set in the Belgian countryside, the film follows Elias (Lou Goossens), a reserved teenager, whose world quietly shifts when Alexander (Marius De Saeger) moves in across the street. The two form a quick bond, spending long days biking through the countryside as their friendship deepens into something more. Alexander is open and self-assured about his sexuality, candidly recounting past relationships, in contrast to Elias, who struggles to reconcile his growing feelings with the expectations of his peer group and his performative relationship with his friend Valerie (Saar Rogiers).
Caught between his growing connection with Alexander and the identity he’s created within his friend group, Elias struggles to navigate the pressures of fitting in. This, coupled with his strained relationship with his father and the ridicule he faces because of his father’s flashy pop music career, throws Elias’s world into a tailspin. What follows is a quiet, coming-of-age story about identity, self-expression, and navigating the uncertainty of first love.
However, while Young Hearts earnestly engages with these themes, it rarely escapes the shadow of Call Me by Your Name. The film’s tone, pacing, and visual motifs feel overly familiar—so much so that it often seems distracted from telling an original story. Where CMBYN expertly explored the internal torment of yearning, Young Hearts struggles to cultivate the same intimacy, frequently settling for surface-level moments rather than exploring the complexities of its characters’ inner lives. The film often shows potential, momentarily exploring the boys’ burgeoning romance in greater depth, but ultimately favours fluffy aesthetics and montage sequences that ask the audience to infer emotion simply from smiling faces and fleeting glances. The performances are sincere but occasionally stilted, and the narrative’s predictability dulls the impact of what could have been a poignant exploration of queer youth.
The film also undermines its potential by sidestepping the real complexities of Elias and Alexander’s relationship. Particularly with its portrayal of the older generation, who are almost unrealistically supportive. While it’s a positive to see acceptance and love in a queer story, the relationships within the film feel underwritten, which diminishes the tension that should come with a story about young queer love. The conflicts that arise in the third act—Elias’s confrontations with his friends and family—are wrapped up too quickly and neatly, stripping away any sense of genuine struggle or emotional depth. This overly simplistic resolution feels unearned and dull, leaving the film stuck in a safe space where difficult questions are avoided rather than explored.
For a film about the intensity of a queer teenage romance, this one plays things surprisingly safe. It follows the budding relationship between two teens navigating the usual maze of first love, peer pressure, and awkward family dynamics. There’s a genuine sweetness to the film’s quieter moments, and its low-key approach to drama might appeal to those looking for something more grounded than your typical high school melodrama.
However, while its intentions are sincere, the film rarely digs deep enough to leave a lasting impression. Dialogue feels stiff at times, and the characters, while relatable, don’t grow in meaningful ways. The stakes stay low, and the pacing drags just enough to make the film feel longer than it is. Visually, it leans on natural light and soft tones, adding to the understated vibe. Though its rural setting and subtle aesthetics add a quiet charm, the film’s reluctance to push boundaries or take risks leaves it feeling safe and ultimately, forgettable.
Young Hearts isn’t a bad film — it just lacks the urgency, vulnerability, or spark that makes stories about young love resonate. It captures the surface, but not quite the soul.
★★★
In cinemas August 8th / Lou Goossens, Marius De Saeger, Geert Van Rampelberg, Emilie De Roo, Dirk Van Dijck / Dir: Anthony Schatteman / Peccadillo Pictures / 12A
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