Crush Review: A Picture-Perfect Queer Romance

Crush tells the tale of Paige and AJ falling in love, as well as all the hijinks leading up to it and the King Pun reveal. Overall, it’s a super sweet love story that is well worth your time. There have been some wonderful queer romances lately, and Crush is no exception.

Paige is doing her best to nail her Cal Arts application while dodging the accusations that she is King Pun, the insanely popular artist at her high school known for their punny artwork that pops up all over the school property. She’s also desperately in love with Gabriela, who barely knows Paige exists.

When facing suspension over being King Pun (who she 100% isn’t), Paige is forced to join the track team and unmask the real King Pun. Along the way, she falls in love with AJ, Gabriela’s sister.

One of the strongest tools in Crush’s arsenal is the supporting cast. Seriously, they are all superb. You manage to fall in love with Gabriela, Dillon, and Stacey. There’s not a weak link in the bunch.

Sometimes the supporting cast can be more of an annoyance than an asset, but that’s not the case here. They each manage to move along Paige’s story while carving out an actual identity for themselves, not simply an archetypal best friend or childhood crush.

When Dillon proclaims that it is AJ’s phone at the party, he solidified his position as my favorite of Paige’s friends. He was looking out for her then. Dillon may not have won the title of student body president, but he’s an excellent cupid.

Usually, when you hit play on a rom-com, you know where it is going. The twists as well as the endgame couple are obvious. It’s not a downside to the genre; it’s comforting at times. There’s rarely a surprise twist thrown your way that will wreck your viewing experience.

With Crush, it’s fairly obvious that Paige and AJ will end up together and that AJ is King Pun. The film manages to surprise us by not going the predictable route and having the King Pun reveal be what drives a wedge between AJ and Paige.

Yes, it adds a bit of complication for Paige, but it’s not the main thing that AJ and Paige are dealing with, which is fantastic on multiple levels. For one, it keeps us on our toes by not going the expected route.

The other thing is that it allows Crush to highlight the complexities of AJ and Gabriela’s relationship.

Gabriela running to check in on AJ after the bombshells drop is one of my favorite moments in the film. The bond between sisters can be beautiful, but it’s also rife with complications and tension. Crush doesn’t spend a lot of time on their relationship, but it still is able to develop it.

The tension between them has been there ever since the flashback to Paige meeting Gabriela, and there have been enough tidbits throughout the film that you know what AJ’s feelings will be when she learns that Paige kissed Gabriela first.

Gabriela’s check-in with AJ also allows Crush to showcase a different side of Gabriela. We’ve seen her with her sister before, but the focus had primarily been on her connection to Paige and Paige’s crush. We hadn’t seen her outside of that and learn more about what kind of person she is.

That moment between Gabriela and AJ after the track meet helps develop them both into more fully realized characters, ones that exist and have merit outside of their connection to Paige. It’s a small moment, but it is one of my favorites, and it helps you fall in love with Gabriela and AJ a bit more.

Crush delivers a near-perfect queer romance. It’s definitely one worth a rewatch for when you’re in the mood for a dose of cuteness and humor. Not to mention, the representation in this film is top-notch.

Stray Thoughts

• The voice-over is completely unnecessary and awkward.
• The visual use of colors blooming behind Paige’s crushes is a wonderful, whimsical touch.
• The ending with Paige’s speech/reveal to AJ is a bit awkward, making it feel less romantic.
• AJ and Paige’s good cop/bad cop routine at the party is adorable and probably when I fell in love with them as a couple.
• I can’t decide how I feel about the flirting between Paige’s mom and Coach Murray.

What did you think of Crush? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Crush is now streaming on Hulu.

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