‘Bonus Track’ is a Sweet Gay Teen Romance
The kids are alright in the delightful, pop-infused British gay teen romance "Bonus Track."
The school outcast and the popular new kid in town make beautiful music together in the sweet, straightforward gay coming-of-age dramedy Bonus Track.
Mop-haired teen misfit George (Joe Anders), entering his final year at St. Sebastian’s Catholic School in small-town West Yorkshire, England, isn’t all that different from his peers. He’s just utterly himself — that is, introverted, a wee bit eccentric, and totally obsessed with pop and rock music.
Generally a loner, George collects and catalogs cassette tapes of his favorite artists’ interviews and performances, which is only slightly weird for a 17-year-old in 2006. Yet, he’s bullied relentlessly by the boys and girls at St. Sebastian’s. In turn, he dreams of one day showing them all when he’s playing sold-out arenas as a pop superstar.
Anders taps into George’s qualities of quiet determination and total guilelessness, that shyness often mistaken for weakness which attracts the cruel attention of jerks. George’s uniqueness also piques the interest of the new kid in class, Max Marvin (Samuel Small), who just moved from London, and happens to be the son of a pair of uber-famous rock stars.
He’s also good-looking and friendly, so everybody at school wants to know him. But, to the collective consternation of the girls in their class, Max is most keen to hang out with his new buddy George.
Though Anders persuasively portrays George’s starstruck adoration, in a real-life twist, the actor, son of Kate Winslet and director Sam Mendes, probably can just as easily relate to the growing pains of celebrity scion Max. There are meta-levels to this sunny, wholesome teen romance, directed by Julia Jackman from a solid script by Mike Gilbert.
The film’s story was co-conceived by Gilbert and Challengers star Josh O’Connor, who appears in a brief, funny cameo as a character the boys encounter while out on a double date with girls. The trajectory of George and Max’s parallel realizations about their friendship, and for each of them, their individual sexuality, is handled with sensitivity and directness.
The pair’s physical attraction is clearly conveyed, though the presentation remains strictly PG, chaste by the standards of the Euphoria generation. This is no cautionary tale about fast-living teens, but merely a heartwarming story of friendship, and of an overlooked kid who’s passionate about making music.
To that end, the plot builds inexorably towards the end-of-the-school-year talent show, where George intends to do something BIG. He’s working on a song, an Ed Sheeran-esque synth-pop bop, that he’s certain will slay the crowd, even his haters. With a little help from Max, he reckons, there will be no stopping him.
Despite a handful of teen-movie setbacks, including a painfully public outing, the plot marches predictably to the big finish. We do eventually hear George’s song, “A Very Fun Bad Idea,” in all its glory, and, thanks to British pop sensation Olly Alexander who penned the tune, it lives up to the hype with undeniable charm.
Likewise, the two leads add a lot of nuance and appeal to a very simple love story. They get a great assist from Alison Sudol and Jack Davenport portraying George’s usually understanding parents, super-positive mum Julia and sour puss dad Jeffrey.
They initially worry that Max might be a bad influence on their quiet boy. But Max’s influence ultimately liberates George, their collaboration empowering him. Through the music they make together, he lets go of fear and finds himself.
Bonus Track (★★★☆☆) is available to rent or purchase through digital HD on Apple TV, Prime Video, and various cable platforms.
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