The Nature of Us, an upcoming indie limited series created by writer-director Josh Cox, is already drawing comparisons to Heartstopper and Call Me by Your Name for its lush, lyrical take on queer youth and emotional awakening.
The story follows Elly (played by Benjamin Piers), a sensitive artist recovering from mental health treatment and temporarily staying with his childhood friend Rowen (played by Alison Newton), during the languid, transitional summer after high school graduation.
While drifting through that liminal period where everything feels both too late and too early, Elly reconnects with his soft-spoken former classmate Yona (played by Sean Manucha), who recently came out and now works at his father’s auto shop while quietly dreaming of something more.
Sensing the spark between the two boys, Rowen gently orchestrates opportunities for them to spend time together.
What begins as casual hangouts slowly evolves into something deeper as Elly and Yona lower their defenses and begin to explore not just each other, but their own individual desires and dreams.
The show captures their days spent biking, swimming, and wandering coastal New England landscapes, filming on location in and around Cape Cod, where Cox grew up.
Over time, the connection between the two teens deepens into a fragile intimacy, set against the crisp salt air and shifting light of the season.
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Rather than rush the romance, Cox chooses to linger in moments of quiet significance—glances, hesitations, the brush of hands—all of which are given space to breathe across six short episodes, each around 10 minutes in length.
Originally envisioned as a film, Cox restructured the project into a short-form series to heighten the emotional resonance of each scene and allow the story to unfold in chapters.
Speaking to the Cape Cod Times, Cox described the series as “a three-week event” premiering August 1 on YouTube, with new episodes rolling out across the month.
He emphasized that while the story centers on queer characters, the themes are intentionally universal.
“It’s really this story about two people who happen to be queer but are going through these very universal things,” he explained.
Fans of Cox’s previous short films like Dino at the Beach and Summer of Mesa will recognize his signature style—intimate, romantic, and steeped in atmosphere.
But The Nature of Us also breaks new ground by giving these characters time to breathe, evolve, and grow within a format that celebrates smallness as significance.
With its coastal setting, autumnal tone, and emotionally attuned storytelling, The Nature of Us promises to be a quiet, meaningful addition to the growing canon of queer coming-of-age stories—and one that may linger with viewers long after summer fades.
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