Dating Amber: How a Platonic Bond Can Save Your Life
Some movies remind you what it's like to be young, confused, and desperate to fit in. And some show you that even a fake relationship can be the most honest connection you've ever had. Dating Amber is exactly that kind of film.
Friendship as the Most Honest Coming-Out in Dating Amber
Two teens, one fake relationship, and a thousand real emotions
Set in mid-90s rural Ireland – a time when being gay had just barely been decriminalized – the story follows Eddie and Amber, two high schoolers not yet ready to come out, but more than ready to pretend they’re dating. Their relationship isn’t a romance – it’s a survival strategy.
Amber – a punk icon in the making
Amber (Lola Petticrew) wears feminist slogans, runs a side hustle selling sex ed zines, and dreams of opening an anarchist bookstore in London. She’s sharp, jaded, and painfully aware of the limits of small-town life. Her line This place will kill you
isn’t just dramatic – it’s the shared truth of anyone who’s ever felt trapped in the middle of nowhere.
Eddie – the boy suffocating under expectations
Eddie (Fionn O’Shea) is the son of a military commander, trying hard to be “normal,” masculine, straight — everything he isn’t. He’s a walking pressure cooker of denial, terrified to admit who he is. When Amber tells him, “Yes, you are. So am I.” – it’s not a confession, it’s a release.
What makes this film different?
Unlike many queer films that revolve around romantic love, Dating Amber centers on platonic love – the deep, messy, and absolutely vital kind. Amber and Eddie are each other’s safe haven, and that bond hits harder than most on-screen kisses.
Tone: balancing humor and heartbreak in Dating Amber
This movie nails its tone. It’s laugh-out-loud funny one moment (I’ve already fingered you – after one day?!
) and achingly raw the next (Amber about her dad: This place killed him.
). Director David Freyne fits a whole queer coming-of-age odyssey into just 92 minutes without rushing the emotions.
Characters and dialogue: messy, lovable, real
Amber and Eddie feel like actual people, not just symbols. They’re sarcastic, awkward, scared, brave. Their banter isn’t just comic relief – it’s survival.
- Funniest quote: “You’re literally the gayest person I know – and I’m a lesbian!”
- Most meaningful quote: “Everybody deserves to have someone who sees them — even if they’re not ready to see themselves.”
An ending that hurts – but frees
This isn’t a movie that ends with a dramatic prom speech or a rain-soaked kiss. It ends with a goodbye – Amber leaving to live her truth, and Eddie finally starting to look for his. Sometimes, the bravest thing you can do is let go.
Final Thoughts
Dating Amber hits right in the heart. It’s not about falling in love – it’s about surviving a world that doesn’t see you, and finding the one person who does. No grand gestures. Just a friendship that saves you when nothing else can.
If you’ve ever been a queer teen pretending to be “normal,” this one’s for you.
