Natalie D.C.
From cult-classic But I’m a Cheerleader (1999) to Oscar-winner Moonlight (2016), queer coming-of-age films are far from a new subgenre. That said, with nonbinary and gender nonconforming identities being the least represented in film—in 2022, only 2% of LGBTQ+ characters with significant screentime identified as nonbinary—stories like I Wish You All the Best (2024) are needed now more than ever, especially in a day and age when over 1,000 anti-trans bills are under consideration throughout the U.S.
Based on the 2019 bestselling debut young-adult novel by nonbinary author Mason Deaver, I Wish You All the Best follows Ben de Backer (Corey Fogelmanis), a nonbinary teenager who is kicked out of their North Carolina home after coming out to their ultra-conservative parents. After moving in with their estranged sister Hannah (Alexandra Daddario) and brother-in-law Thomas (Cole Sprouse), Ben learns to grapple with their mental health, gender identity, and burgeoning romantic feelings for their classmate Nathan (Miles Gutierrez-Riley).
American actress, model, and trans icon Tommy Dorfman’s directorial debut, I Wish You All the Best is a heartwarming celebration of queer hope that premiered at the 2024 SXSW Film Festival and is set for a U.S. theatrical release by Lionsgate.
The film begins on a heavy note, from Ben’s fractured perspective before and after coming out to their religious parents. Viewers don’t see the full inciting incident until later in the film, a bold, yet smart decision that realistically depicts a teenager suppressing and then reliving a traumatic series of events.
After getting over the sheer star power wafting from Alexandra Daddario’s and Cole Sprouse’s shared home, the audience is temporarily in for a typical coming-of-age story as Ben finds themself as the weird, new kid at school, getting introduced to charming, bisexual Nathan and his group of queer friends as well as high-energy art teacher Ms. Lions, lovingly played by American writer, director, and actress Lena Dunham.
In spite of its cliché moments, what sets I Wish You All the Best apart from teen dramas of the past is its brilliant young protagonist. Breakout star Corey Fogelmanis—who got his start on Disney Channel’s Girl Meets World and recently co-starred as the queer love interest in American singer-songwriter Conan Gray’s short film trilogy—comes into his own as Ben de Backer, a socially-awkward adolescent who wants not only to fit in, but to feel seen as their true self.
The film is unafraid to show Ben at their highest as well as their lowest—from trying on makeup and falling in love for the first time to screaming and sinking into a depressive spiral for days on end, viewers are spared no moment of Ben’s story. Mental health and gender dysphoria are, refreshingly, treated with the care they deserve thanks not only to the incredible performances by Daddario, Sprouse, and Dunham as siblings, guardians, and mentors, but also to screenwriter Dorfman who, after reading Deaver’s novel, related to and championed its themes of growing up queer in the South.
Partly due to these themes, there are many instances throughout I Wish You All the Best that could give the average viewer emotional whiplash as Ben goes from partying with their friends to spiraling from an ill-timed voicemail. However, those who’ve experienced the turbulence of adolescence—especially ones wrought with anxiety and trauma—will see themselves in these back-and-forth sequences of serenity and strife, expertly marked by Not Okay (2022)’s cinematographer Robby Baumgartner who infuses and removes color from scenes depending on Ben’s state of mind.
While Ben shines, their love interest Nathan remains an enigma, making the romance between the two characters the weakest part of the film. Fogelmanis and Smile 2 (2024)’s Gutierrez-Riley have excellent chemistry, but there is never a scene where Nathan opens up to Ben about his own struggles—despite the many opportunities the story presents—a misstep that prevents the audience from fully connecting with Nathan and, in turn, Ben’s love for him.
In the end, I Wish You All the Best is an impressive directorial debut from Dorfman, putting together a talented cast of stars and newcomers alike to tell a story of queer joy, hope, and resilience that fans of the book and young queer people everywhere will most certainly not want to miss.
