25 modern book-to-screen adaptations that didn’t let us down

Love, Simon

Love, Simon is another film adapted from a well-loved young adult novel called Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli.

While the titles differ between book and movie, the plot is essentially the same: Simon Spier accidentally leaves his email open during class one day, resulting in another student discovering that he’s gay — and using that knowledge to blackmail him.

But even though the issues covered in Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda are somewhat heavy, Albertalli balances them with a humorous inner dialogue from Simon, along with a charming cast of supporting characters who serve as his friends and family members. The film adaptation could easily have gone too far in either direction, but it walks the same line that Albertalli does, ensuring that things are never too serious or too light.

Of course, the fact that Nick Robinson plays Simon also helps achieve that balance. Given that the novel is told through Simon’s stream of consciousness and a series of emails, it could have been difficult to portray his character on screen. Robinson captures Simon perfectly though, managing to take everything that readers loved about the book and bring it to the film. His talent as an actor also succeeds in evoking emotions when those hard moments do finally hit, too.