When crushes strike, it’s usually as sudden and unexpected as a bolt of lightning. Maybe it’s a fleeting, fluttering feeling, like you’re staring at your crush in the cafeteria and they’re blushing too hard to speak, or maybe it’s a more gradual, almost unconscious obsession that takes hold over time, the kind where every interaction with them makes you smile and your heart skips a beat. Either way, a crush is inexplicable and a little bit dangerous.
Crush is the new movie from writer/director Sammi Cohen, starring Rowan Blanchard as Paige, an aspiring artist who floats through high school with a smile on her face, an admissions essay to write, and a platonic soulmate in Dillon (Tyler Alvarez). But her world is shaken when she’s added to the track team and tasked with running laps alongside Gabby (Isabella Ferreira), her alluring crush. Paige’s mother, Angie (played by a tummy-tickling Natasha Lyonne), seems to have no problem crossing the usual parental boundaries, from edibles to glow-in-the-dark dental dams, and her burgeoning romance with Gabby exacerbates the angsty, awkward nature of teenage life.
There are few things more adolescent than having a crush, and though it might feel indelicate to admit, it’s also completely normal. According to some scientific studies, it’s possible that crushes may actually be beneficial to us in the long run. While a crush may not lead to marriage or even a romantic relationship, researchers believe that it can have positive effects such as self-esteem and empathy.
The term “crush” is derived from the Latin word for crushing, and it’s used figuratively to describe something that’s intense or overwhelming, either physically or emotionally. The most common meaning is an attraction that is unilateral—that is, unreciprocated—and largely unsaid, much like play flighting among juvenile animals.
But it’s when a crush is reciprocated that things really begin to get interesting. It’s then that those jitters and nerves transform into relieved sighs and that tummy-tickling sense of happiness takes over. Whether it’s a kiss, a phone call, or even just a text message, once that person is your crush, everything changes and suddenly the world is a brighter place. And, if all goes well, you’ll have a date to look forward to in the near future.