Based on Stephen Chbosky’s book of the same name, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is almost indecisively, the coming of age drama of the year and is very reminiscent to the likes of 80’s classics like The Breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink.

Meet Charlie (Logan Lerman), your stereotypical high school outcast, he has no friends (bar his English teacher), gets bullied by everyone around him and up to this point, has never kissed a girl. But, along with tradition, this is the story of how his life changed, for the better… I know what you’re thinking, this sounds familiar? Well yes, it is your basic ‘ugly duckling’ scenario, how a nobody can turn into a king type thing but this film (and book) do it so much better than that. In order to start Charlie’s phoenixian rise from the ashes, he meets Patrick and Sam (played by Ezra Miller and Emma Watson respectively) and that’s when his life starts to get better and shenanigans begin to ensue.

The book to film adaptation is something that is normally pretty hard to do with many films ruining their book counterparts but Chbosky himself wrote the screenplay for Wallflower and his vision is kept exactly the same as it was when he first wrote it nearly 14 years ago. This in turn is held up by fairly decent performances by Lerman and Watson who play out the two star crossed lovers of the tale. Ezra Miller on the other hand, steals the show, his performance is utterly fantastic, especially considering that this is only his second ‘big’ film role (after playing the eponymous Kevin in 2011’s We Need to Talk About Kevin). One of the best things about the film is the soundtrack, quiet and brooding at certain points with songs such as ‘Asleep’ by The Smiths and upbeat and progressive with ‘Come on Eileen’ by Dexy’s Midnight Runners it, in itself, tells the main story of the film, of how Charlie begins alone, peaks, plateau’s and then peaks again. (Can you tell that I’m trying to keep this spoiler free?)

Basically, this is definitely worth watching and oh boy will you cry if you do go to see it.

9 misfit toys out of 10.