Netflix's Hello, Goodbye, and Everything In Between was released in early July with its feel-good story about a couple figuring out if they will break up before moving away for college. In current real-world circumstances, many may relate to questioning feelings of love, and there aren't many movies depicting couples in long-distance relationships.
The outcome of any long-distance relationship can vary from happy endings to heartbreak, and many romantic movies have demonstrated how every relationship will be different with its challenges. From tragic romances like Atonement to the sweeter narrative in Going The Distance, each has something to relate to, whether it be painful, cheesy, or hopeful.
Going The Distance (2010)
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Starring Drew Barrymore and Justin Long, Going the Distance is likely one of the first movies that come to mind when the discussion arises about long-distance relationships. The Nanette Burstein-directed movie about a couple who text long-distance between New York and San Francisco stole the hearts of cheesy romcom fans.
The dialogue may come off as cheesy and certainly doesn't age well in modern times. Still, the relationship itself is sweet, and it's great at highlighting the obstructions that come with the territory, namely the cynicism of family and friends, the jealousy, or the interests in career or location. It presents how long-distance can be messy, but the love between Erin and Garrett is genuine, and they overcome those hardships through some sacrifice.
10,000 KM (2014)
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Following Alex (Natalia Tena) and Sergi (David Verdaguer), this Spanish 2014 film catalogs the challenges and creativity of a couple expressing love at a temporary distance after Alex receives a rare work opportunity.
There is loneliness and beauty in the simple framing of the couple, each keeping their laptop voice-calls close like a person, especially with some effective shot-reverse-shots of them staying in a call at the bed. In everything Alex and Sergi do, they find comfort in having the voice of their loved one there, and their natural communication makes them a believable couple. There's some sweet comedy involved - such as the brilliant cooking scene - but even the hardships will bring tears to the viewers.
Like Crazy (2011)
Stream On HBO Max
Drake Doremus directed this tender, heart-wrenching drama about partners Anna (Felicity Jones) and Jacob (Anton Yelchin), torn apart by visa complications. When it isn't about the charmingly awkward chemistry, the sweet montages of somber piano or sensual silence convey an understanding between Anna and Jacob where words aren't needed -- they are incredibly charming together.
It's not a feel-good flick; the drama later on can be upsettingly genuine or cynical, realistically portraying the love that gets lost and the arguments that ensue. It's a movie about relationships being complicated as much as they are special, as well as the people who can get hurt while searching for ways to make it work.
Ldr (2018)
Not Streaming At This Time
The shortest, most minimalistic pick of the lot is Ldr, a mini-film directed and starring James Kleinmann about two men going through their relationship with online calls. It won't win awards for best acting or story, but there are a few examples of the solace long-distance relationships can bring during personal adversities while depicting LGBTQ+ romance.
Ldr is mostly a story about Jame's character. It's an intimate relationship between two men, with its phone-filmed footage and sound issues making it real and relatable, but the crux is more about how affectionate and caring two people can still be while apart. It's a queer romance with a happy ending, which there is always a need for.
The Japanese Wife (2010)
Stream On Vudu & Plex
This bittersweet Indian-Japanese romance was directed by Aparna Sen. Starring Rahul Bose as Snehamoy Chatterjee and Chigusa Takaku as Miyage, the film follows a couple who are married through letters without seeing each other face-to-face.
Distance is usually a hurdle for a relationship, but The Japanese Wife treats it as a benefit. Miyage's shy nature creates an appeal to her relationship set-up, and the film shines a positive light on it, highlighting the differences in their cultures as part of the affection. What's romantic is not only the letters themselves, but how long their marriage lasts and how it's celebrated, especially watching Snehamoy flying the kite his wife gives him on their fifteenth wedding anniversary. But it's no light comedy due to its heartbreaking final twist.
You've Got Mail (1998)
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Director Nora Ephron was carrying the romance genre on her back in the '90s and early 2000s, and somehow both her long-distance movies — You've Got Mail and Sleepless in Seattle — star Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan.
It's certainly aged, but it's part of the charm, and at least a crowd pleaser among the many sadder long-distance romance flicks. Even if it is dated, it is one of the best movies with an online relationship. Ryan radiates a charm to combat and compliments Hanks's sarcasm and wit when they're together, and there's an honest love between them when messaging apart. For anyone who's started a relationship online, it also illustrates the difficulty and trepidation of finally meeting together.
The Lunchbox (2013)
Stream On Starz
A beloved 2013 Hindi-language romance drama focused on a love that develops through a mix-up in dabbawala — an Indian food delivery system. The late Irrfan Khan does so much with so little as the widowed Saajan, growing as a person again in his process of sending letters to Ila (Nimrat Kaur).
It's a warm and subtle movie about how lost people — regardless of age, marriage, or any problem in life — can still find happiness, and how that happiness is found in the sharing of stories and connections. Long-distance relationships emphasize how two very separate lives are coming together, and this couple show how their interactions bring each of their lives strength.
Atonement (2007)
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No romance list is complete without Joe Wright and Christopher Hampton's 2007 film adaption of Ian McEwan's Atonement, a film about a growing girl's misunderstanding leading to the destruction of a love tale. Due to the storytelling devices of the film, some scenes exhibited by Cecilia (Keira Knightley) and Robbie (James McAvoy) are technically not real, but the love they share in their letters and time together still is.
In the café scene especially, Cecilia's gentle touch on Robbie's cheek as they both enjoy the only time they have together is heartbreakingly real. Regardless of whether someone decides to still feel inspired by the love in the scenes added by Briony, the chemistry between the two characters and their tragic relationship is to be remembered.
Voices Of A Distant Star (2002)
Not Streaming At This Time
For people wanting a small break from the typical romance films, Makoto Shinkai's Voices Of A Distant Star (or Hoshi No Koe) presents a long-distance short film with a sci-fi backdrop. The twenty-five-minute movie is not as happy or well-known as Your Name, but unlike that movie, it does far better in the earnest emotion of showing protagonists Mikako and Noboru desperate to communicate with each other — regardless of time, space, or war.
The mecha-anime segments are small, and the main draw is the spoken desire to be together, watching the texts between them with Noboru in pain waiting for the next text of a lover, who could already be dead. It's a cruel tale to watch, but its love is inspirational.