Forever Review
Director: Anthony Hemingway, Thembi Banks, Mara Brock Akil, and Regina King,
Date Created: 2025-05-08 16:30
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Forever Review: Directed by Anthony Hemingway, Thembi Banks, Mara Brock Akil, and Regina King, this eight-episode Netflix series is an adaptation of Judy Blume’s 1975 novel and reimagined for today’s world. The series is set in Los Angeles in 2018. Lovie Simone plays the role of Keisha Clark, and Michael Cooper Jr. plays the role of Justin Edwards. The series also stars Xosha Roquemore, Marvin L. Winans III, Wood Harris, Karen Pittman, Niles Fitch, Adriyan Rae, Ali Gallo and others.
Forever Review
On plot alone, Netflix’s Forever feels like another teen romance at first glance, but there are just so many more layers to it. It’s a coming-of-age story of two black teenagers who fall in love while facing family pressures in contemporary America. It’s growing up, falling deeply in love for the very first time, and facing real-world problems that extend beyond high school drama.
When I first saw Forever on Netflix, I literally thought this was another one of those nice but same old, formulaic teen romances. But immediately, with that first episode, I knew that this show was special. It goes deep into the teen’s feelings, not only the cute and dreamy ones, but also the awkward and confusing ones.
The story centres on Keisha and Justin, two high school seniors from two different worlds. At first, their relationship seems magical. They’re compatible, and their love story seems genuine. But issues arise. Keisha has to navigate what others think of her and say about her. Justin is a bit lost when it comes to dealing with her fiery personality. Their relationship is up and down, and if I’m being honest, sometimes it was a bit frustrating to see them break up and get back together. But then I thought, isn’t this what teen love really looks like? It’s messy, it’s emotional, and it’s not always logical.
What actually stayed with me was how real the characters were. The writing was that good, I can actually see both sides of everyone, regardless of how much I wasn’t sympathetic towards what those characters did. Keisha is secure in spite of her insecurities, and Justin is tough in spite of his fears. The banter between them was something that reached me as real human beings speaking, and not as TV show characters with catch-all information to share.
One of the things that I enjoyed so much about the Forever series was the manner in which it addressed big issues without being didactic. Sure, it’s a teen romantic drama show, but there are jarring examinations of race, identity, peer pressure and, yes, even parenting. It was also fascinating to observe how Justin’s family and Keisha’s family differed. One scrapes by, the other less so, but both families have fears that the kids are never able to shake, most specifically regarding the condition of the world today.
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There’s a scene in which parents are worried about their kids being safe, not only from poor choices, but from the world in general. It also made me think about how difficult it must be to raise teenagers in a world that so easily judges them. The show doesn’t shy away from this, and it is what makes it so strong.
Keisha’s mother and Justin’s parents are not perfect. They even made me upset with some of their decisions. But once again, I knew that they were doing what they were doing out of love and fear. It made me realise that even when grown-ups seem to want to control everything, it’s always because they care too much.
Lovie Simone and Michael Cooper Jr. were excellent in their roles. They were so natural that they did not appear to be acting. There was tension, laughter, sorrow, sheer bliss, and it was lovely the way they spoke to everyone. Whether joking around, arguing, or even crying, every glance between them was so natural.
The direction too deserves credit. The producers of the show did not intend to glamorise adolescence. There is no fairy-tale romance, no perfect lighting here. The plot is straightforward and does not hide, so it is easy to relate to. Music, visuals, and even the location stayed true to the realistic tone. I could sense the closeness of family dinners, the humiliation of high school corridors, and the emotion of late-night fights.
Summing Up
I really liked Netflix’s Forever series, because it had the feel of reality. It didn’t sugarcoat anything, and that was part of what made it so special. It was like the incoherence of being young and trying to figure out who you are, but also being in love with someone else. The show honours the emotions of teenagers, something that too many dramas don’t.
Yes, absolutely, there were plenty of areas where the plot did get repetitive, especially in the make-ups and break-ups of the couple. Instead of getting bored, I was enjoying how realistic teenage life was. It’s not a romance, exactly; it’s a coming-of-age novel. Although the book that it was an adaptation of was written decades and decades ago, this one is current and of the time, and very timely, as well.
The 2025 Forever series is now streaming on Netflix.
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