Tanner (Michael J. Willett) and Brent (Paul Iocono) are best friends. They're both also closeted homosexuals and Tanner is perfectly content to stay that way and just float through the rest of his high school career without drawing attention to himself. Brent, on the other hand, does want the attention. He's just not quite ready for it, but convinces Tanner to download an app that tracks other gays in the area, which accidentally un-closets Tanner when the Gay-Straight Alliance, led by Soledad (Joanna 'Jojo' Levesque), uses the app to recruit an actual gay member into their club.
Once Tanner is out, the three queen bees of the school, 'Shley, Caprice, and Fawcett (Andrea Bowen, Xasha Roquemore, Sasha Pieterse) immediately swarm around him in competition to make him their G.B.F (gay best friend), which is somehow a prime accessory for the popular girls, according to a magazine they read. After Tanner's secret gets all over the school, he and Brent have a falling out and this pushes Tanner to hang out with the the queens. They make him popular, dress him the way they like, offer unimportant advice, and use him to suit their social needs. As prom gets closer, Tanner has to come to certain realizations if he wants to get back control of his life.
While G.B.F. isn't as strong a film as Mean Girls or Easy A, it does follow similar patterns and plot points that get across fairly well. It's also decently funny, the script a little on the outrageous side, but obviously doesn't mind being so. Megan Mullally and Natasha Lyonne add that extra spark to the movie, especially in the scenes where Mullally's character is trying to be supportive of her son and rents Brokeback Mountain, and other gay-themed films, so they can watch them together.
The film sometimes becomes a little too over-the-top in a way where it feels like it's trying too hard to either get its point across or in trying to be funny. But for the most part, the film is light-hearted, doesn't take itself too seriously, and relishes in the joys of being a teen comedy that can generally hold its momentum.
The young cast are like support pillars for each other. Individually, they wouldn't be able to carry the movie, but together, they have exuberance. They keep each other in check so that no one character feels like they're too much at any given time, even if the situation in the film can sometimes feel like it's spiraling out of control. G.B.F. joins the teen comedy genre and does it in more style than a lot of its recent category colleagues. Its message about learning to be yourself and not just a tool to be used by other people is a good one, if a bit cliche. Tanner learns that once he's out, it doesn't seem as much of a big deal as people make it out to be and serves as a role model to fellow gays in the school. The film has several comedic moments, doesn't stray into the dramatic, and keeps its message clear. If you like any teen comedies that fall into similar categories as Mean Girls or Easy A, then you'll find this film enjoyable.
