Two of Us 1987

Set in a British secondary school, the film centers on Phil, a fun-loving final-year student who is navigating a tangled triangle of friendships and romance. He is dating his girlfriend Sharon, while Vera, Sharon’s best friend and a figure who carries unspoken feelings for Phil’s close friend Matthew, adds a charged undercurrent to the group. The dynamic among these four characters forms the core of the story, as loyalties are tested and clear paths aren’t easy to follow. Vera’s perspective is framed as an early moment for Kathy Burke, underscoring how reputation and desire can collide in a teen social landscape.

Matthew is revealed as gay, having left school the previous year to escape the hostility of the classroom. His home life becomes strained when a collection of soft-core gay pornography surfaces, highlighting how private truths can collide with public judgment. Matthew is also an ardent swimmer, a detail the film uses to confront stereotypes about sexuality head-on and to show a different side of his identity beyond the surface.

Phil finds himself torn between the love he feels for Sharon and the genuine attraction he begins to feel for Matthew. He tries to balance both relationships, a choice that drives the plot into more complicated emotional terrain and leads to tense exchanges, including a moment where Vera describes him as a “little worm” as Sharon reacts in distress. The tension at home and the pull of two very different connections push the trio toward a dramatic decision.

Seeking to escape the friction of their circumstances, Phil and Matthew decide to elope to the coastal town of Seaford on the Sussex coast. Sharon, unable to let go, follows in pursuit, determined to reclaim the relationship that matters to her most.

The film is notable for presenting two endings. In the original 1987 release, Phil returns to Matthew at the beach and the two run together toward the sea, choosing a path that seems to affirm their bond. In the 1988 re-release, the ending shifts, with Phil appearing to leave with Sharon; however, Matthew chooses to move forward on his own terms, signaling that life—and identity—must continue beyond the moment.