Netflix's The Half of It Brings a New Level to the Usual Teen Rom-Com Love Triangle

The last time Netflix featured a film with a modern twist on the classic Cyrano de Bergerac story, it didn't hit audiences quite the way they probably intended. While the streaming service's newest teen romance, The Half of It, may seem pretty similar to the other at first glance, the trailer proves that this teen rom-com is striving to bring some nuance to the standard coming-of-age formula.

Written and directed by Alice Wu, the film follows high schooler Ellie Chu (Leah Lewis), a brilliant yet introverted musician who lives in the small town of Squahamaish with her widowed father. Though Ellie is relentlessly teased by her classmates, she doesn't let that stop her from building a side business writing English papers for her classmates, which helps pay the bills at home. Lovelorn jock Paul Munsky (Daniel Diemer) turns her hustle personal when he hires her to write love letters to Aster Flores (Alexxis Lemire), a popular girl who also happens to be genuinely kind.

Of course, things get complicated when Ellie takes her letter writing a step further and begins helping Paul on dates. An unlikely but seriously adorable friendship unfolds between the two, which makes it a bit of a wrinkle when Ellie also begins to fall in love with Aster. A love triangle with real heart? Color us hooked!

By the looks of the trailer alone, The Half of It will be giving viewers love, friendship, and self-discovery all wrapped up in complex characters who step outside the boxes these tropes usually confine them to. And in case you thought this was your typical teen rom-com, the teaser lets you know, "Not every love story is a romance." Watch the video above and check out some photos from the film ahead before watching The Half of It on Netflix, available now.