Daily Dose: “And in this moment I swear, we are infinite.”

Welcome to Queerty’s latest entry in our series, Queerantined: Daily Dose. Every weekday as long as the COVID-19 pandemic has us under quarantine, we’ll release a suggested bit of gloriously queer entertainment designed to keep you from getting stir crazy in the house. Each weekend, we will also suggest a binge-able title to keep you extra engaged.

The Dear Friend: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

The Perks of Being a Wallflower remains one of the most overlooked classics of the past decade, and one of the best movies about high school ever made. Director Stephen Chabosky adapts his own novel–a rarity–about a pensive teenager named Charlie (Logan Lerman) recovering from a suicide attempt. Observant and with a gift for writing, he enters high school and immediately befriends a pair of fellow outcasts: Sam (Emma Watson), a girl with a checkered sexual past, and Patrick (Ezra Miller) a flamboyant gay student. The three form an instant bond as they embark on a year of self-exploration and adventure.

Unlike other high school movies, The Perks of Being a Wallflower doesn’t veer toward camp, nostalgia or saccharine endings. Instead, it treats its characters like real teenagers and examines their problems with sensitivity. That includes Patrick, whose story will parallel that of many queer viewers instead of recyling a soapy coming out plot or a fantasy romance that seems better suited to a porno. All three leads give outstanding performances, as do supporting players Dylan McDermott, Joan Cusack, Mae Whitman, Kate Walsh and Paul Rudd. Teen movies rarely feel this real and entertaining. In fact, few movies of any genre do.

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