Prime Video’s Off Campus knows exactly what its target audience wants: hot people with emotional baggage making out between hockey practices. And this self-awareness works massively in the show’s favour.

Ever since Heated Rivalry turned the ice-hockey rink into a streamy romance earlier this year, it was only a matter of time before another series cashed in on the obsession.

And Off Campus ticks off all the boxes for the comparison game — attractive hockey players, locker-room tension, men with childhood trauma. But while Heated Rivalry thrived on queer romance and high-stakes secrecy as the core plot, Off Campus goes for a softer and breezier story.

Based on Elle Kennedy’s 2015 novel The Deal, the show drops viewers into Briar University, a campus where hockey players apparently hold the social status of Marvel superheroes. At the centre of attention is Hannah Wells (Ella Bright), a music student who would rather avoid hockey boys entirely. Enter Garrett Graham (Belmont Cameli), Briar’s golden-boy hockey captain and campus heartthrob, and things go for a spin.

Garrett is failing philosophy. Hannah is acing it. So naturally, he convinces her to tutor him. In exchange, he agrees to fake-date her so she can make musician Justin Kohl (Josh Heuston) jealous. If you’ve consumed literally any romance drama, you already know where this is going. Fake dating becomes real dating. Pretend kisses become very serious kisses. People catch feelings. Chaos ensues.

And yet, despite how familiar the setup is, Off Campus remains ridiculously watchable.

A huge reason for that is the chemistry between Bright and Cameli. Ella Bright avoids Hannah from becoming the stereotypical good girl with past trauma. She feels grounded.

Cameli, meanwhile, takes a little longer to settle in. Early on, he’s playing Garrett with maximum “cocky sports dude” energy, as though he knows he’s supposed to be every BookTok reader’s fantasy boyfriend. But once Garrett starts dropping the act and showing actual vulnerability, Cameli becomes genuinely charming.

The show’s handling of trauma is also more thoughtful than you’d expect from something featuring this many shirtless locker-room scenes. Hannah is dealing with the aftermath of sexual assault, and the series thankfully avoids treating it as lazy backstory subplot. Instead, it becomes central to how she navigates intimacy and trust.

One of the show’s most memorable scenes involves Hannah asking Garrett to help her feel more comfortable sexually before another date. On paper, it sounds absurd. However, on screen, it is a surprisingly tender moment. The scene focuses on consent, patience and emotional safety without becoming heavy-handed.

Garrett, meanwhile, carries the burden of being the son of former hockey star Phil Graham (Steve Howey), a man whose parenting style seems to have involved yelling first and emotional regulation never. Garrett’s fear of turning into his father gives the character depth.

However, Off Campus is soaked in glossiness. Imagine a Karan Johar production. Every party looks professionally lit. Nobody seems to attend actual classes unless it advances the romance plot. Hockey itself mostly exists as an excuse to throw attractive people into sweaty situations and occasionally into the showers. If you’re looking for a realistic portrayal of college life, this ain’t it.

The supporting cast keeps things moving nicely too. Mika Abdalla is great fun as Hannah’s blunt best friend Allie, while Stephen Kalyn’s Dean practically screams “future spin-off lead” every time he appears onscreen.

The Briar hockey team also deserves points for not leaning too hard into the toxic masculinity usually associated with sports dramas. These guys are more emotionally chaotic puppies than alpha-male bozos.