This magical and enticing film, released in 2012, follows Charlie (Logan Lerman): an observant and emotionally intelligent freshman in high school set in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It explores many themes relevant to teenage life, including sexuality, drugs, alcohol, friendships and love.
To start the film, we understand that Charlie is extremely nervous about his new life in High School. He becomes friends with two seniors, Sam and Patrick, who happen to be stepsiblings with a close, protective bond. Throughout the film, they serve as Charlie’s guides to high school life and to being a normal teenager as it seems that he has missed out on a lot due to traumatic events earlier on in his life. I think part of the reason I loved this film was because of the friendships formed and how much it really epitomises the importance of good, loyal friends especially at this part of our lives.
Another important theme in the film is the exploration of love and sexuality, which plays a significant role in many teenagers’ lives. Love can be experienced in many different forms, and romantic love is not always the most important. The film suggests that simply feeling valued and connected to others – with laughs along the way – can help people enjoy life and grow as individuals. With themes of identity and self-discovery, this film resonates strongly with a teenage audience.
To end the film, we see Charlie finally thriving and finishing his high school journey with a deep understanding of himself and a strong sense of self-belief and confidence which I believe is nothing short of what he deserves.
I have to be honest, I found this article somewhat difficult to write as I think The Perks of Being a Wallflower is so outstanding and is definitely making cinematic history due to its originality, that my only advice would be to watch it and discover want you think of it as it can be interpreted in so many different ways but I can promise you, I don’t think you will be disappointed.
If these themes are grabbing you, you can watch this film on Netflix and Amazon Prime
