TV & Film
NOTHING SCREAMS peak girlhood more than a campus crush, especially the kind you have for another girl. Every season of love, we celebrate love in all its different forms, including the small—and often secret—ones that motivate us to get up and go to school.
Around campus, love lingers in every corner, waiting to breathe life into a scene straight from a movie. As romance continues to hang in the air, Vantage Magazine listed down ten sapphic films that are sure to capture your Atenean girl crush, along with all the longing, slow burns, and kilig that come with it.
The org crush
Bottoms (2023) by Emma Seligman
“You know, you didn’t have to start like a whole fight club to date me. You could’ve just like, talked to me.”
Sometimes, there’s this one girl you always look forward to seeing when going to student organization events. You tend to admire her from afar—from the way her hair falls, to the way she glows when she laughs. And somehow, no matter how full your schedule is, you still find a way to make it to the event and hope that she’ll finally look your way.
A club and a few meetings may be all it takes to find a special someone, and the main characters of Bottoms (2023) can affirm that. In the film, best friends PJ (Rachel Sennott) and Josie (Ayo Edebiri) built their own self-defense club to meet girls. Cheerleader Isabel (Havana Rose Liu) later on joins, with the goal of protecting herself from potential attacks from a rival school. After joining club activities and bonding with each other, Isabel and Josie soon find themselves achieving the club’s true goal: finding someone to love.
Through its witty use of satire, this coming-of-age comedy captures both the struggle and fun in discovering one’s sexuality. More than that, it shows how that path of exploration and searching for romance could involve grand gestures, such as going out of your way for that one girl in your org.
The groupmate crush
The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love (1995) by Maria Maggenti
“I think people should act out of love, not obligation.”
Have you ever met that one beautiful and popular girl everyone adores, who also happens to be your groupmate for the entire semester? The golden girl, constantly surrounded by friends, with a future so bright it makes you think twice about your life choices?
That’s exactly the dynamic Maria Maggenti portrays in The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love (1995), which explores the juvenile yet heartfelt story of polar-opposite girls who come from different ends of the social hierarchy.
At a gas station in the middle-of-nowhere, rebellious senior Randy Dean (Laurel Holloman) accidentally encounters the charming academic Evie Roy (Nicole Ari Parker)—all thanks to a seemingly flat tire. What appeared to be a simple introduction ultimately blossomed into a whirlwind adventure of a romance both girls and their overbearing parental figures did not expect.
With its honest and comedic depiction of an all-consuming love story, The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love delicately captures the familiar manifestations of youthful intimacy. Randy and Evie’s tumultuous relationship—albeit the painfully awkward exchanges and gentle hesitations—reveals the journey of exploring one’s identity and sexuality during the early stages of adulthood.
The senior crush
Fantasy of the Girls (2016) by Jung-min Ahn
“When you love someone, you can see everything.”
On campus, there’s always that one unforgettable senior whom everybody gushes over and looks up to. Known for her uber-cool personality and alluring presence, she has always been ridiculously loved by almost everyone. You can’t help but want to be like her…or be with her…
Jung-min Ahn’s Fantasy of the Girls (2016) delves into this exact archetype through the whimsical story of a young junior falling for her wildly popular senior in an all-girls school. After gaining the lead role in their school’s theatre adaptation of the tragic drama “Romeo and Juliet,” Seon-hwa (Roh Jeong-eui) soon questions herself as she develops feelings towards her brooding co-lead, graduating senior Ha-nam (Kwon Na-ra).
Consumed by confusion and attraction, Seon-hwa faces an uphill battle as she grapples with her emotions for a newfound forbidden love as well as a burgeoning love triangle with Han-am and her ex-girlfriend, who happens to be the director of the play.
Framed through the lens of an introspective schoolgirl, Fantasy of the Girls brings forth a lighthearted and earnest portrayal of unrequited first love—the profound amalgamation of longing, fondness, and bewilderment all at once that cannot be expressed in tangible words.
The crush ng bayan
The Half of It (2020) by Alice Wu
“Love is being willing to ruin a good painting for a chance at a great one.”
We all know the girl who captures the heart of every passerby on campus, including your own. She has the prettiest smile, balances academics and extra-curriculars flawlessly, and receives a confession on the ADMU Freedom Wall every week. She seems perfect, so you begin to accept that you don’t have a chance with her.
Alice Wu’s The Half of It (2020) depicts this sorely sweet experience of yearning from afar. You’ve probably experienced the world-stopping moment where you made eye contact with your crush or had the awkward revelation that you and your best friend have feelings for the same girl. In a story inspired by Edmond Rostand’s play Cyrano de Bergerac (1897), closeted lesbian Ellie Chu (Leah Lewis) ghostwrites love letters to Aster Flores (Alexxis Lemire), on behalf of jock Paul Munsky (Daniel Diemer). The problem? Ellie has feelings for Aster, too.
The Half of It transcends your usual love triangle trope by expressing love in its various shapes and forms. The friendship between Ellie and Paul is the core of the story, as the film culminates into a heartfelt message of self-discovery, coming of age, and the powerful complexities of love.
The block-cest crush
Blue (2002) by Hiroshi Ando
“And when one of us goes out or when we go to sleep, instead of ‘goodbye,’ we’ll say ‘see you later’ and ‘goodnight.’ Like a real couple.”
Ever wondered about that one mysterious girl from your block, lost in a world entirely her own? That sudden moment of sonder—realizing that a person so physically close can feel so impossibly far?
This is the very feeling that Hiroshi Ando gracefully navigates in his tender coming-of-age film Blue (2002). Set in an idyllic seaside town in Japan, Blue captures a somber yet authentic representation of unreciprocated love through the lens of Kayako (Mikako Ichikawa), a reserved schoolgirl. After befriending her peculiar yet magnetic classmate, Endo (Manami Konishi), she soon finds herself in a conflicting push-pull relationship. As Kayako slowly falls deeper, her warm love and adoration for Endo gradually transform into a cold, aching heartbreak stirred by the unbridgeable distance that persists between them.
Whether or not you have experienced the exhilarating highs and lows of a slow burn, Blue will surely strike a chord through its portrayal of the genuine, unbridled yearning that lingers in the unspoken words and feelings we carry in silence.
The OrSem crush
Crush (2022) by Sammi Cohen
“Falling for you has been the happiest moment of my life.”
Remember your crush on the first day of school? Maybe they caught your eye simply by sitting in the Covered Courts, or touring the campus along Red Brick Road. Wherever you were, as soon as you locked eyes with them during the Ateneo Orientation Seminar (OrSem), it was love at first sight.
Crush (2022), directed by Sammi Cohen, embodies that giddiness of immediate infatuation through its protagonist Paige Evans (Rowan Blanchard). Paige has harbored feelings for Gabby Campos (Isabella Ferreira), the co-captain for the school’s track and field team, ever since the two were paired for a project in fifth grade. Paige joins the team to investigate a mystery while slowly getting closer to Gabby. However, she eventually realizes that her crush is shallow and instead develops deeper feelings for AJ (Auli’i Cravalho), Gabby’s twin sister.
Crush is a quirky teen romcom that evokes the lightning-quick highs of, well, a crush—as well as the gradual descent when you realize your college life won’t unfold like your OrSem daydreams.
Whether your OrSem crush has turned out to be a good friend, a pretty stranger, or something more, Crush promises you’ll soon find love beyond the surface.
The PE crush
Rookie (2023) by Samantha Lee
“Mine mo na dali, baka maunahan ka pa.”
There will always be that one girl in your physical education (PE). class you can’t help but steal a glance from while you’re doing your best not to drip with sweat. Having a PE crush is synonymous with hope; the kind that makes you believe there’ll always be that chance of pairing up with her during warm-ups and finally getting close enough to know more than her name.
Samantha Lee’s Rookie (2023) revolves around Ace Asuncion (Pat Tingjuy), a volleyball team misfit, and Jana Ramos (Aya Fernandez), the team captain. They go from being polar opposites in the court, with a few shy looks and piercing glares, to growing more comfortable with each other even off-court. Set in an all-girls Catholic school, the two characters fall in love amid the high-stakes sport and bigoted rules.
Rookie stretches out that hopeful, fleeting feeling you could have for your PE crush. Chasing your goals takes a ton of discipline and hard work, but that doesn’t mean they have to get in the way of finding kilig. Rather, they could even be the perfect way towards it.
The crush all your friends hate
D.E.B.S. (2004) by Angela Robinson
“If there is evil in this world, its name is Lucy Diamond…So if you’ll excuse me, I have a date with the devil.”
Can you imagine a crisis worse than all your friends hating your crush? From weathering eye rolls each time you mention their name, to changing the topic whenever your love life becomes a discussion point, you start feeling like a secret agent fending off enemy attacks.
That’s probably how Amy Bradshaw (Sara Foster) felt when she fell for a world-class criminal in D.E.B.S. (2004). Written and directed by Angela Robinson, D.E.B.S. spins your classic spy movie into a playful romantic-comedy. Amy, the top operative of the espionage academy D.E.B.S., crashes supervillain Lucy Diamond’s (Jordana Brewster) blind date in an attempt to thwart her evil plans. Instead, they fall in love, much to the dismay of Amy’s squad, who plot to force the two women apart.
It’s refreshing to see sapphic star-crossed lovers whose obstacle isn’t their sexuality. Instead, Amy must overcome the inevitable conflict of interest as she dates her agency’s most wanted criminal. You can also take Amy and Lucy’s romance as encouragement: while your friends likely have good reason for warning you, maybe your crush isn’t so bad after all!
The artsy crush
Billie & Emma (2018) by Samantha Lee
“I’m your first fan. Your number one fan.”
There are times when a crush begins not from proximity, but from distance. You admire her for her creativity, how she commands a stage, or how she comes up with beautiful doodles in class. When talent is the magnet, an artsy crush rises.
The kind of yearning that begins with an appreciation for creativity also takes shape in Billie & Emma (2018). In the film, the world seemed to move in slow motion whenever Emma (Gabby Padilla) watched Billie (Zar Donato) strum a guitar and sing. Despite their differences in expression and background, the two titular characters find out more about their own sexuality and fall in love, despite the limits of being in a religious community in the province.
This quirky romance between a budding rockstar and a star student displays the innocence and corniness of young love, especially the kind that connects an artist and her favorite audience member. Let Billie & Emma show you that some of the most comforting kinds of love begin with appreciating talent from afar and blossom the very moment you find the courage to step a little closer.
The dorm crush
But I’m A Cheerleader (1999) by Jamie Babbit
“Five, six, seven, eight: don’t run from me ’cause this is fate.”
Sharing a dormitory or condo with your crush is both a blessing and a curse. On the bright side, you see each other every day, making it easier to strike up a conversation and make your move. On the other hand, your crush often catches you at your worst—covered in pimple patches, breaking down over midterms, or picking up your food delivery in pajamas.
But what if the key to real connection is imperfection? In Jamie Babbit’s But I’m A Cheerleader (1999), Megan Bloomfield (Natasha Lyonne), a reluctantly queer cheerleader, is sent to a conversion camp. She meets proud lesbian Graham Eaton (Clea DuVall), who helps Megan embrace her sexuality as they endure the camp’s repressive daily rituals together.
But I’m A Cheerleader narrates Megan and Graham’s love story in an unlikely setting, weaving together a satirical romcom that has as much heart as it has wit. If those two heroines can get their happy ending, then who says your condo lobby is a hopeless place to find love?
An Atenean love story
From developing crushes on the popular classmate to the mysterious senior, we have all stumbled through our fair share of embarrassing yet heartwarming stories of affection, intimacy, and innocent romance.
Whether you have fallen for every common Atenean girl trope or not, we hope these films remind you of your sincere and gentle journey of discovering your authentic identity while also exploring the wild ride of young love!
