Review by J1 Reporter Kaitlyn Bendon

“The Perks of Being a Wallflower” is a deeply emotional movie that honors inclusivity and tolerance by focusing on the struggles of growing up, mental health, and finding your place in the world. The movie is based on the 1999 book by Stephen Chbosky, who also directed the movie and wrote the screenplay for it. 

“The Perks of Being a Wallflower” is a coming-of-age movie centered on Charlie, a shy new freshman in high school. The movie is told through a series of letters that Charlie writes to an anonymous friend. The letters allow the audience to have access to his thoughts and feelings. Charlie is a naive outsider who doesn’t have any friends. Soon enough, he befriends a duo of seniors, Sam and Patrick. Sam and Patrick help him through his first year of high school, as he copes with trauma from his past.

Logan Lerman gives a wonderful performance as Charlie. He brings out the character’s vulnerability in a way that makes the audience feel for him. Emma Watson plays Sam. Watson captures the depth of Sam’s character, as she deals with her own past and self-worth. Ezra Miller shines as Patrick, as he brings humour and a rebellious energy to the stage. The performance from this cast is a major standout feature of “The Perks of Being a Wallflower.”

The movie takes on a more serious tone than most other high school films, but it also includes humor and lightheartedness. It provides its audience with a meaningful story. Chbosky explores the complexities of people through Charlie’s voice, while the film accurately depicts friendships, trauma, and mental health.

 This movie is a must watch as it is relatable and well-written. Sometimes it is difficult to watch movies that are based on books because they don’t live up to the brilliance of the page. However this is not the case for “The Perks of Being a Wallflower.” Chbosky wrote the screenplay and made sure that it lived up to the book. The movie even included quotes from the book. If you have read the book, don’t fear that the movie won’t live up to it. The movie 100% lives up to the book. Overall, the film has a very talented cast, meaningful story and amazing screenplay. 

The movie is a romance/comedy movie rated PG-13 based on a theme of inclusivity and tolerance. It is about an hour and 45 minutes long. You can watch it on: Prime Video,  Fawesome, Freevee, Plex movies and TV, Movie Sphere, Amazon, YouTube, Philo, Sling TV, Apple TV.