REVIEW: ‘She’s The He’ Is An Absolutely Vital Addition To The Coming-Of-Age Genre

She’s The He easily slides into the lexicon of coming-of-age tales that used to be more prevalent leading up to the twenty-teens. Written and directed by Siobhan McCarthy, this queer-led comedy pokes fun at and subverts the tropes of the genre, all while refusing to shy away from the ridiculousness of anti-trans talking points (hello, bathroom talk). And while it occasionally stumbles into the pitfalls that naturally occupy the genre, She’s The He fills a much-needed gap in coming-of-age storytelling centered around queer voices.

In She’s The He, Ethan (Misha Osherovich) and Alex (Nico Carney) are on the verge of graduating and, much to Alex’s chagrin, rumors swirl around the two dating each other. This doesn’t work for Alex, who harbors a major crush on Sasha (Malia Pyles) and knows that being seen as gay ruins his chances of ever dating her. In an ill-conceived plot that could only be conceived by a teenage boy, Alex suggests that he and Ethan pose as trans women to help dispel the rumors surrounding their sexuality. The logic doesn’t necessarily logic here, but in Alex’s mind, he believes it’ll all work out. 

Ethan goes along with it, but the more they dive deeper into this scheme, the more Ethan questions things. It’s not an easy realization or transition for them, but when Ethan realizes she is actually a woman, things start to make sense. Not everyone is ready or willing to agree, however. And to further compound things, a fracture erupts between Alex and Ethan, making the end of senior year all the more turbulent as the two are left to figure out where they stand, not just individually but in their friendship as well. 

She’s The He is anchored by Ethan’s subdued nature versus Alex’s chaotic energizer-bunny energy.

Alex and Ethan are two friends who are clearly at different points in life, with equally different personalities. Nico Carney infuses his Alex with overwhelmingly high energy, so it’s not surprising to see how easily Ethan gets steamrolled into Alex’s crazy scheme. Alex embodies the singular focus reminiscent of many coming-of-age film protagonists, but dialed to the nth power in She’s The He. For better or worse, it’s a test of patience, making you wish for Ethan’s quiet calm in the face of Alex’s one-track mind.

It’s also not difficult to see the writing on the wall once Ethan starts interacting with people out from under Alex’s shadow. Ethan’s calmer, more introverted energy rings true in the face of uncertainty. It isn’t until Ethan starts to come into her own that Misha Osherovich, in tandem with Siobhan McCarthy’s direction, give us a peek into Ethan’s headspace. And once separated from Alex, we get to see her shift and blossom even more, even if her journey itself becomes turbulent before the film’s end.

One set of characters that She’s The He could have fleshed out a bit more is the jock bro bunch. Led by Jason (Emmett Preciado), these jocks get their small moments to shine, but do blur together into an amorphous blob of hetero-teen-boy-idiocy by the film’s end. Sure, that might have been the point when approaching that sequence, and for all intents and purposes, it still works. But fleshing out the characters here could have added more weight to the danger they pose and depth to the turbulent relationships among these high school students.

Centering queer voices in a coming-of-age experience is necessary, and She’s The He does that in spades.

Like any good coming-of-age story, She’s The He doesn’t pull its punches. Not when it comes to its humor or the harsh truths that come with coming out. Leaning into the ridiculousness of conservative anti-trans obsessions surrounding bathrooms, McCarthy takes the obsession and turns it into a comedically fueled moment, while never shying away from highlighting the danger of these teen boys breaking into the bathroom to gain access to women. Humor can’t camouflage the hard edges of life (as much as we try), and this shows.

There are also key moments where we see how easily the privilege of a safe space is rescinded by women. The irony of who holds the most power to make these decisions in the queer space is not lost. And this power extends to a key figure in Ethan’s life, whose own pain over Ethan’s identity circumvents Ethan’s own. These moments stand out not just for the drama and performances they deliver but for the grounded reality they present. These are things that happen, and their impact is undeniable.

And that’s the thing about how She’s The He stamps its mark in an already saturated genre. The queer voices behind and on camera lend weight and add a sort of meta-context to the events that take place onscreen, which helps balance out the occasional plot stumbles. Coupled with light, poppy animations, the film pays homage to earlier films and punctuates each scene with whimsy until things get serious (and they do). For anyone who has ever struggled with their identity, queer or otherwise, She’s The He hits home, and for this critic specifically, this is the kind of coming-of-age film I wish I had growing up and am glad it’s here now.

She’s The He is now playing in theaters.