The Way He Looks (2014)
Movie · 2014 · Drama, Romance · 1h 36m · NR · PT
Curator score: 7.5/10 (30.3K ratings)
Tagline: Not every love happens at first sight.
Leonardo is a blind teenager dealing with an overprotective mother while trying to live a more independent life. To the disappointment of his best friend, Giovana, he plans to go on an exchange program abroad. When Gabriel, a new student in town, arrives at their classroom, new feelings blossom in Leonardo making him question his plans.
Ratings:
- Curator score: 7.5/10
- IMDb: 7.9/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
- Metacritic: 71
- TMDB: 7.9/10
Director: Daniel Ribeiro
Production: Lacuna Filmes, Paraná Filmes
Cast: Ghilherme Lobo, Fábio Audi, Tess Amorim, Lúcia Romano, Eucir de Souza, Selma Egrei, Isabela Guasco, Victor Filgueiras, Pedro Carvalho, Guga Auricchio, Bárbara Pereira, Matheus Abreu, Naruna Costa, Júlio Machado, Renata Novaes
Curator Review
Verdict: A gentle, warmly observed coming-of-age romance that stands out for its sweetness, emotional clarity, and unusually affirming portrayal of queer first love and disability. It’s especially rewarding if you want a tender, hopeful film rather than a tragedy or a high-drama romance.
Best for: fans of soft, feel-good LGBTQ romances; viewers who like understated coming-of-age stories; audiences looking for positive disability representation; people who prefer character intimacy over plot twists; romance fans who want a hopeful ending
Skip if: you want a darker or more anguished queer drama; you dislike small-scale, low-conflict storytelling; you prefer highly stylized or visually flashy filmmaking; you want a plot driven by big external stakes
Overview: The Way He Looks is one of those rare coming-of-age romances that feels disarmingly simple and still lands with real emotional force. Its charm comes from how naturally it treats friendship, desire, and independence, letting Leonardo’s perspective shape the film without turning him into a lesson or a symbol.
Worth noting: What makes it especially memorable is its tone: soft, sincere, and unforced. The film understands the awkwardness of first love, but it never loses sight of warmth or humor, and that balance gives it a genuine sweetness rather than a sugary one.
Bottom line: It also matters that the movie offers a happy, affirming queer ending without apology. For viewers tired of suffering-as-default in LGBTQ cinema, this is a refreshing, restorative watch with strong appeal for anyone who likes tender romance and humane storytelling.
Top Letterboxd reviews:
- andrea🌹: damn i rlly wish i didnt watch this twice in nine hours but honestly that last scene singlehandedly ended homophobia. straight people? doesnt exist anymore
- Lucy: this was cutest thing i've ever seen???
- andrea🌹: everytime i get a lil sad i just rewatch this and remember that somewhere in the universe leo and gabriel are happily in love and riding bikes into the sunset and i feel okay again
- 🌻 lindsay 🌻: these things belong to the gays now: classical music, riding bikes, lunar eclipses, drinking vodka, and being cute
- fig: it's so nice to watch a gay movie where the tears streaming down your face are from happiness and not sadness
Recommended similar titles:
- God's Own Country (2017 · Romance, Drama · 1h 44m · R · Curator 8.6/10 (190.5K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads)
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- Call Me by Your Name (2017 · Romance, Drama · 2h 12m · R · Curator 8.4/10 (3.4M ratings) · Where to watch: Peacock, Peacock Premium Plus)
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- Weekend (2011 · Drama, Romance · 1h 36m · NR · Curator 10.0/10 (571 ratings) · Where to watch: AMC+, Philo, Sundance Now)
A naturalistic, conversation-driven romance that finds emotional depth in a short span of time.
- Shelter (2007 · Drama, Romance · 1h 29m · R · Curator 4.4/10 (26.3K ratings) · Where to watch: Here TV)
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- Blue Is the Warmest Color (2013 · Romance, Drama · 3h · NC-17 · Curator 4.9/10 (522.7K ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, Hulu, AMC+, Philo, Sundance Now)
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- Pride (2014 · Drama, Comedy · 2h · R · Curator 8.9/10 (199.9K ratings) · Where to watch: fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential)
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- Moonlight (2016 · Drama · 1h 51m · R · Curator 9.6/10 (1.7M ratings) · Where to watch: Max)
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- The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012 · Drama · 1h 43m · PG-13 · Curator 7.9/10 (3.4M ratings) · Where to watch: AMC+, Philo)
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- The Way Way Back (2013 · Comedy, Drama · 1h 43m · PG-13 · Curator 6.1/10 (165.2K ratings))
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- A Fantastic Woman (2017 · Drama · 1h 44m · R · Curator 7.0/10 (79.1K ratings))
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Topics: LGBTQ romance, coming-of-age, teen drama, first love, disability representation, gentle tone, feel-good, Brazilian cinema, friendship, indie romance
https://watchlist.tannermartz.com/apple/movie/the-way-he-looks/237791
The Way He Looks (2014)
Movie · 2014 · Drama, Romance · 1h 36m · NR · PT
Curator score: 7.5/10 (30.3K ratings)
Not every love happens at first sight.
Overview Leonardo is a blind teenager dealing with an overprotective mother while trying to live a more independent life. To the disappointment of his best friend, Giovana, he plans to go on an exchange program abroad. When Gabriel, a new student in town, arrives at their classroom, new feelings blossom in Leonardo making him question his plans.
Ratings
Curator score: 7.5/10
IMDb: 7.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
Metacritic: 71
TMDB: 7.9/10
Production Lacuna Filmes, Paraná Filmes
Cast Ghilherme Lobo, Fábio Audi, Tess Amorim, Lúcia Romano, Eucir de Souza, Selma Egrei, Isabela Guasco, Victor Filgueiras, Pedro Carvalho, Guga Auricchio, Bárbara Pereira, Matheus Abreu, Naruna Costa, Júlio Machado, Renata Novaes
Curator Review
Verdict
A gentle, warmly observed coming-of-age romance that stands out for its sweetness, emotional clarity, and unusually affirming portrayal of queer first love and disability. It’s especially rewarding if you want a tender, hopeful film rather than a tragedy or a high-drama romance.
Best for
fans of soft, feel-good LGBTQ romances
viewers who like understated coming-of-age stories
audiences looking for positive disability representation
people who prefer character intimacy over plot twists
romance fans who want a hopeful ending
Skip if
you want a darker or more anguished queer drama
you dislike small-scale, low-conflict storytelling
you prefer highly stylized or visually flashy filmmaking
you want a plot driven by big external stakes
Overview
The Way He Looks is one of those rare coming-of-age romances that feels disarmingly simple and still lands with real emotional force. Its charm comes from how naturally it treats friendship, desire, and independence, letting Leonardo’s perspective shape the film without turning him into a lesson or a symbol.
Worth noting
What makes it especially memorable is its tone: soft, sincere, and unforced. The film understands the awkwardness of first love, but it never loses sight of warmth or humor, and that balance gives it a genuine sweetness rather than a sugary one.
Bottom line
It also matters that the movie offers a happy, affirming queer ending without apology. For viewers tired of suffering-as-default in LGBTQ cinema, this is a refreshing, restorative watch with strong appeal for anyone who likes tender romance and humane storytelling.
Top Letterboxd reviews
andrea🌹 (5★) · 2424 likes
damn i rlly wish i didnt watch this twice in nine hours but honestly that last scene singlehandedly ended homophobia. straight people? doesnt exist anymore
Lucy (3.5★) · 1453 likes
this was cutest thing i've ever seen???
andrea🌹 (5★) · 1206 likes
everytime i get a lil sad i just rewatch this and remember that somewhere in the universe leo and gabriel are happily in love and riding bikes into the sunset and i feel okay again
🌻 lindsay 🌻 (4.5★) · 1029 likes
these things belong to the gays now: classical music, riding bikes, lunar eclipses, drinking vodka, and being cute
fig (4★) · 1001 likes
it's so nice to watch a gay movie where the tears streaming down your face are from happiness and not sadness
Recommended similar titles
2017 · Romance, Drama · 1h 44m · R · Curator 8.6/10 (190.5K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
A grounded, emotionally direct queer romance that pairs tenderness with physical realism and strong rural atmosphere.
2017 · Romance, Drama · 2h 12m · R · Curator 8.4/10 (3.4M ratings) · Where to watch: Peacock, Peacock Premium Plus
Shares the ache and exhilaration of first love, with a similarly intimate focus on desire, memory, and awakening.
2011 · Drama, Romance · 1h 36m · NR · Curator 10.0/10 (571 ratings) · Where to watch: AMC+, Philo, Sundance Now
A naturalistic, conversation-driven romance that finds emotional depth in a short span of time.
2007 · Drama, Romance · 1h 29m · R · Curator 4.4/10 (26.3K ratings) · Where to watch: Here TV
A warm, accessible queer coming-of-age story centered on self-acceptance, family tension, and first love.
2013 · Romance, Drama · 3h · NC-17 · Curator 4.9/10 (522.7K ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, Hulu, AMC+, Philo, Sundance Now
More intense and expansive, but similarly invested in the emotional turbulence of youthful desire and identity.
2014 · Drama, Comedy · 2h · R · Curator 8.9/10 (199.9K ratings) · Where to watch: fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential
For viewers who like hopeful LGBTQ storytelling with community warmth, humor, and emotional uplift.
2016 · Drama · 1h 51m · R · Curator 9.6/10 (1.7M ratings) · Where to watch: Max
A lyrical coming-of-age film about identity, intimacy, and vulnerability, with a deeply humane perspective.
2018 · Comedy, Drama, Romance · 1h 50m · PG-13 · Curator 4.1/10 (678.8K ratings) · Where to watch: Max
A mainstream, upbeat queer teen romance that shares the same reassuring emotional payoff.
2012 · Drama · 1h 43m · PG-13 · Curator 7.9/10 (3.4M ratings) · Where to watch: AMC+, Philo
Shares the theme of adolescent self-discovery and the comfort of finding connection after feeling different.
2013 · Comedy, Drama · 1h 43m · PG-13 · Curator 6.1/10 (165.2K ratings)
Not a romance, but it matches the film’s gentle coming-of-age tone and focus on gaining independence.
2017 · Drama · 1h 44m · R · Curator 7.0/10 (79.1K ratings)
For viewers interested in dignified, empathetic representation of identity and resilience, though in a more dramatic mode.
1987 · Drama, Romance · 2h 20m · R · Curator 7.8/10 (161.1K ratings) · Where to watch: Philo
A classic queer romance with restraint, longing, and a strong sense of emotional repression and release.
Topics
LGBTQ romance, coming-of-age, teen drama, first love, disability representation, gentle tone, feel-good, Brazilian cinema, friendship, indie romance
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