Amazon Prime promises a “hilarious coming of age comedy” in the blurb for Dating Amber. This is bad marketing at its worst, it’s like reading the blurb for Porridge and getting the Shawshank Redemption. Dating Amber is a powerful bittersweet exploration of casual bigotry, sexual identity and the liberating joy of friendship.

Eddie and Amber are teens in 90s Ireland, Blur vs Oasis is a playground preoccupation and the teens are as coarse as the inbetweeners dialled up to 11. Amidst casual and ill-informed homophobia Eddie and Amber find each other and become pretend boyfriend and girlfriend as a way of silencing school gossip. Of the pair Amber is most sure of herself and her identity, hers is a pragmatic need for a cover story. Eddie on the other hand is struggling with parental and societal expectations. The differences in their attitudes seems symbolically referenced in their coats, Amber in her mustard yellow duffel coat whilst Eddie’s jacket has just a stripe of the same colour. Interesting that the traditional colour for cowardice here symbolises introspective acceptance.

Amber lives alone on a caravan park with her mother following her father’s suicide, she makes money for herself renting a caravan to randy teens for a tenner a go. Eddie enjoys an objectively more ‘acceptable’ suburban upbringing with a soldier father and understanding mother. Hidden beneath the surface is a troubled marriage and Eddie fetishising the military as both an outlet and hiding place for his emerging sexuality. Eddie’s watery blue eyes are haunting, his sadness palpable throughout, Amber’s objectively more tragic background actually seems a platform for her self-acceptance and her mother’s acceptance of her, possibly her father’s suicide is something that gives her mother context of what is . The tragedy of Eddie and Amber’s story seems to be that Eddie’s denial becomes dependence on Amber, who he begins to hold back. Eddie begins to fall in love with being himself mistaking his friendship and genuine reciprocal affection for Amber become a façade within a façade.

There are genuine laughs to be had which may well pepper the trailer, convincing prospective viewers that this is Derry Girls the movie. My own experiences in a 90s comprehensive tell me that the 90s Sex Education Video was so awful it may well have been genuine. However the moments of levity are brief as are critiques of the many authority figures and religious bigotry. Both teens are in ultimately in control of their own destiny, both are ultimately responsible for how they move forward and it is the characters paths to self-actualisation that are the biggest opportunities for lightness, in addition to the excellent soundtrack.

Eddie’s first experience of a gay bar comes across almost like a David Lynch dream sequence as film itself seems to also be a point of reference. A motif of the film is the sequence of passport photos that are taken by Eddie and Amber, showing the real affection in their fake relationship. The feels like a reference to the gag in Superman 3 where the little boy captures photos of Superman in a booth emerging from the façade of Clark Kent (himself a façade of Kal El). The photos represent the stage managed unreality of their relationship, that life turns out better in the movies, or more on topic life is better through Instagram lenses on Selfie number 537. It is the subjective perception of false reality in the photos that gives Eddie an irresistible opportunity to hide once again from himself when in fact the objective reality of friendship and mutual support is the one that would truly benefit him.  

Its worth noting that Ireland’s countryside somehow looks both grim and inspiring and the simple pleasures of life are portrayed with wonderful sincerity. Amidst endless superheroes, generic action and raucous comedies featuring SNL alumni its fitting to see such an honest and refreshing portrayal of young life, love and self-acceptance. Its so refreshing to have a film with something to say, and to say it with honesty and gravitas that a ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ empowering female avengers scene can’t hold a candle to.

This won’t sell any action figures or video games and it won’t trend on twitter for being woke or progressive3 however it is highly recommended. This is simply the best film I’ve seen in a long time and reminded me of why I fell in love with the medium in the first place.