In order to end up his last teenage, Alex, a high school student, planes to lose his virginity. He has a bright future and he has a beautiful girlfriend, Claire. Things come to climax when he meets a handsome guy, Elliot,who helps him gaining a wide knowledge of love.
It's hard to fault the bigger message here: that we all deserve the right to be true to who we are, even if it takes a few hard turns - and some collateral emotional damage - to get there.
It can't help but hit a lot of familiar beats. But its script feels personal, and less airbrushed than most in its recollection of the utter uncoolness of being a teenager.
All of these personal touches add whimsy to an otherwise familiar John Hughes-esque formula, full of awkward comic relief sidekicks, experimentations with drugs, romantic misunderstandings and a cool, often retro soundtrack.
Alex Strangelove is most credible and affecting when the kids at its centre speak out, act out and make out with the insecurity and inconsistency of, well, kids.
Combining elements from everybody-must-get-laid film franchises like Porky's and American Pie, with the suburban melodrama of John Hughes romances, Alex Strangelove finds novel and occasionally hilarious ways to spin the familiar into something fresh.
