Off Campus Review: With the coming-of-age YA drama sweeping our screens as of late, Prime Video brings to our screens yet another novel that is set against the hockey scene of Briar University. Leaning heavily into themes surrounding fake relationships, young adult emotions and college drama, Off Campus is a gooey and entertaining watch that falls into the YA cliche pitfall, even though it tries to separate itself from the rest of the herd.
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Off Campus Prime Video Cast
Ella Bright, Belmont Cameli, Mika Abdalla, Stephen Thomas Kalyn, Jalen Thomas Brooks, Antonio Cipriano
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Off Campus Series Directors
Silver Tree, Samantha Bailey, Erica Dunton, Dawn Wilkinson
The series has 8 episodes, each with a runtime of around 48 minutes, and is based on Elle Kennedy’s book series of the same name.
Off Campus Review
Plot & Overview: BookTok Comes to Life
Hannah Wells and Garrett Graham, as with all Booktok shows, start a fake relationship that slowly turns into something more. Both these characters, one a talented but guarded music student and the other a charming hockey captain, find themselves overcoming their hangups and learning more about themselves, which turns their fake relationship into something genuine and emotional.
The series is a warm and butterfly-inducing watch that understands why the book series was so popular. The romance is swoony, and the chemistry has banter that makes viewers relate to the characters. Their quirks feel familiar and warm, giving life to the series that easily falls into YA cliches. The “will they, won’t they” part is obvious but has some chemistry, making this enjoyable, although nothing new.
Outside of the main storyline, Briar University, too, feels mostly lived in as the expanded universe has characters who are realistic and have interesting issues that they have to overcome. It is a college romance and acts like it, and is neither immature nor too serious. Thus, viewers will find themselves lost in the college halls more often than not, reliving the silly problems that feel so all-consuming when younger!
Ella Bright & Belmont Cameli Shine Bright
Ella Bright and Belmont Cameli are realistic characters who have genuine chemistry. Their slow-burning romance has the tension required to keep viewers engaged as they figure out their feelings for one another. While Bright is emotional and sincere, shining bright with her more innocent portrayal of Hannah, Cameli is the rugged and emotionally guarded Garrett. Together, they bring a surprisingly natural chemistry to the familiar setup that feels fresh despite the obviousness.
Both actors are one of the best parts of the series and carry the emotional core, and their evolving dynamic encompasses sweet changes that are familiar yet comforting. Viewers who want something light and breezy will find their combination rather endearing as it’s interesting to watch them steal glances and slowly open up to one another.
Mika Abdalla, Jalen Thomas Brooks, Josh Heuston and the supporting cast are engaging as well and have enough personality to make us believe in the supporting characters. Their storylines, although obviously secondary, feel interesting enough and add to Hannah and Garrett’s story instead of taking away from them.
More Than Just Another College Romance
Off Campus does a great job of finding a balance between fantasy and realism. While it handles conversations around serious topics like consent, emotional safety and trauma with nuance and care, it never lets go of the fantastical elements of the romance that make it so appealing.
While the characters’ insecurities and fears are grounded and realistic and sometimes even serious, the charming and breezy romance breathes life into the runtime and makes it so watchable. Viewers will get butterflies throughout, especially because of Belmont Cameli’s charm and bad boy vibes. Meanwhile, Hannah’s past trauma is showcased quite realistically as well, and it gives a more healing tone to it rather than dwelling on it unnecessarily and milking the situation as a result.
However, not everything is smooth sailing. In the end, the Prime Video series tends to rely on genre tropes. Although the characters are interesting and the performances are great, one can’t overcome the nagging sensation of having watched the same tropes previously. As with every YA drama, certain conflicts resolve too neatly, taking away from the drama, and the storyline becomes predictable despite the breezy vibes.
Glossy But Familiar Adaptation
As with every Prime Video show, Off Campus looks fantastic. From the campus parties, hockey sequences to the dorm-room aesthetics, everything looks beautiful and appealing. Of course, it’s nothing you haven’t seen in every other college drama over the years on the platform, but the glossy presentation makes it look pleasing, if nothing else. The music, too, is great and fits the YA aesthetic that the series tries to create.
Final Verdict
In the end, Off Campus is great for a romantic, breezy and familiar watch. Although it has some distinguishing factors, in the end, it’s quite obvious and predictable. The series is heartfelt and warm, and despite treading on familiar grounds, it makes for fun entertainment regardless.
What are your thoughts on Off Campus on Prime Video? Let us know in the comments below!
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