Can it be true that if you meet someone when you were a child and become really good friends with them, but destiny moves you apart, and later on you get to meet them in a new city when you grow up? This movie will surely make you believe in this theory!
Past Lives is a romantic drama film that was released on June 2, 2023, starring Greta Lee, Teo Yoo, and John Magaro. In the film, there are two main characters, Nora and Hae Sung, who are childhood friends, and later on, Nora’s family has to emigrate to South Korea due to some reasons. But who would have guessed that 12 years later, they would reunite in New York City? Nora is married now but still has feelings for Hae, which leaves you with so many thoughts and mixed emotions about what is going to happen next in the movie.
In the movie, we can see how they connect so easily and deeply after being apart for so long, and this kind of romantic gesture is not generally seen in movies these days. The movie shows two characters with two different paths, and yet, destiny chooses a one-way path for both of them. The themes of nostalgia, romance, and childhood are portrayed remarkably in the film. This movie is available on Apple TV+ to watch.
After watching this movie, you will definitely go through a hangover of the film, so you will need some movies that can cope with the feeling of longing for true love. Here are some romantic and nostalgic recommendations that will make you feel the warmth of Past lives.
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Before Sunset (2004)
This 2004 romantic drama film is a sequel to ‘Before Sunrise’ and directed by Richard Linklater. The movie is set when the two main characters, Jesse, which is played by Ethan Hawke, and Celine, played by Julie Delpy, reunite after nine years of meeting in Paris, after previously meeting in Vienna. Jesse has become a successful author, and he is promoting his novel at a bookstore when he notices Celine in the audience, which leaves him in disbelief.
Jesse has to return to the United States within some hours, so they meet and have conversations until they have some time left to be together. This movie tries to capture every emotion, like love and relationships, which makes you feel nostalgic (if you’ve watched the prequel). Both the characters have waited for so long just to get a glimpse of each other. They got busy with their lives but never forgot about each other. When they meet again, their friendship and love still stand for each other in a corner of their hearts.
The movie shows us the development of the characters with each other, and they are diving into some deep conversations about their life choices and whether they made the right decisions. This movie showcases how destiny plays a role in bringing two souls together who long for each other. This movie will clearly remind you of Past Lives. This movie is available for rent to watch on Amazon Prime Video.
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Atonement (2007)
A gem from 2007, this is a romantic war drama film directed by Joe Wright. The story revolves around three main characters, Briony Tallis, who is played by Saoirse Ronan when she was young, and later by Romola Garai when she grows up. Robbie Turner is played by James McAvoy, and Cecilia Tallis is played by Keira Knightley. Robbie falls in love with Cecilia, and Briony accuses him of a serious crime, separating them. The movie Atonement is based on the novel by Ian McEwan.
Later on, when Briony grows up, she realizes that because of her, both of them got separated, and that guilt makes her work as a nurse, which is during the period of World War II, as the story is set up in England. Later on, we can see Cecilia and Robbie getting back again after a long time as they finally find their lost love.
Briony has been shown as a real character who, throughout her life, has the regret of separating her sister from her love, which was really disturbing her whole life, and she did not want it to be this way. The means she takes in the movie for them are really the beauty of the movie. Saoirse Ronan has given a great performance.
The movie shows us the evolvement of love at different phases with sacrifices and the devastating effects that the war leaves during that period of time. This movie is an emotional ride of finally meeting your lover and getting a second chance to prove your love. In the movie Past Lives, they both meet in a new city and here in this movie, also we see Briony getting both of them back together after a really long time. This movie is available to watch on Hulu.
The Last Letter from Your Lover (2021)
This movie is based on a novel of the same name by Jono Moyes, which is an exceptionally well-written book. The movie was released in 2021 and is a romantic drama directed by Augustine Frizell. The movie moves around two love stories that move parallel to each other.
The first story is set in the 1960s, in which Jennifer Stirling, played by Shailene Woodley, is a married woman but not happy in her married life. She meets with a car accident and forgets all memories of the past. Later we see she gets some love letters from a man called B, so she goes on a search to find the mysterious man. The second story is set in the present where Ellie Haworth, who is a journalist, played by Felicity Jones, discovers those love letters and gets inspired by her story and then tries to bring out the truth behind the letters.
We see both women trying to uncover the truth, which changes their lives completely. In this movie, the themes that are being explored are love and words, which hold great power in the movie, and this movie will give you some old-school romantic vibes. This movie is kind of a hint to ‘Past Lives’ as Nora in the movie is married, and here Jennifer is living a luxurious married life but still is unhappy. This movie is available on Netflix to watch.
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When Harry Met Sally (1989)
The biggest and most loved rom-com of all time, ‘When Harry Met Sally.’ It is a 1989 movie directed by Rob Reiner and written by Nora Ephron. The story revolves around the lives of Harry Burns, which is played by Billy Crystal, and Sally Albright, by Meg Ryan.
Over the span of time, Harry and Sally’s friendship starts growing, but due to their different point of view, they get into fights and clashes about their love and relationship. Harry has a different perspective on relationships, while Sally disagrees with Harry’s views. As time passes by, Harry and Sally start becoming close friends, and later they start supporting each other on different levels. But they have to part ways, and five years later, they bump into each other for the final time and decide to give a second chance to their friendship.
This movie is an old-school version of Past Lives, and the only difference is that Past Lives has some complex relationship issues, whereas, in this movie, there are different points of view of both the characters, which the viewers will love to watch. The movie has some wholesome scenes, and the movie keeps you hooked till the end. This movie reminds you of the thought that friendships can be more than just being friends. This movie is available to watch on rent on iTunes.
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Before We Go (2014)
A 2014 romantic drama that Chris Evans himself directed was made available to the public. With Alice Eve (played by Brooke Dalton in the film), Evans portrays the title character. The two main characters cross paths in New York City one evening after Brooke misses her train and loses her wallet and phone. Nick performs on the streets, so they spend the night together exploring the city and learning a lot about one another.
The characters form a really deep connection, and we see them sharing their personal lives and the dreams that they want to fulfill in the city. The movie will make you fall in love with it. They both had never imagined that they would meet as complete strangers and one night would make such good friends. Later on in the movie, we see them fall in love with each other. The main beauty of the movie is the pretty aesthetics and beautifully written dialogue.
This movie is based on different themes of love where both the characters find peace in each other’s company, and by destiny, their paths have aligned, and they meet at a random place in a beautiful city. After watching Past Lives, this movie will make you more aligned towards the process of meeting someone that you never expected to meet. This movie will surely make your heart full. A perfect watch for a wholesome feeling. It is available for rent to watch on Amazon Prime Video.
The Best of Me (2014)
This movie is based on the famous novel by Nicholas Spark, which is a 2014 romantic drama film directed by Michael Hoffman. The movie showcases us the long-lost love of two high school lovers, Dawson Cole, which is played by James Marsden, and Amanda Collier, played by Michelle Monaghan.
The movie follows two timelines, the present and the past. In the present, Dawson and Amanda meet after being a year apart in their hometown, which is known as Oriental in North Carolina, for the funeral of their common friend Tuck, played by Gerald McCraney. In the past, we see the teenage romance between Dawson and Amanda. They could not be together due to social differences, and they were disapproved of by Amanda’s father. Later, when they start spending time together again, they get to know each other, as they haven’t met for a really long time. They later realize that they still love each other.
The film then showcases us how they confess their love for each other and how the characters grow on each other. With some amazing performances by the actors, this is a whole package of sacrifices, passion, hope, and the possibility of finding love again. This movie is available to watch on rent on Amazon Prime Video.
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Casablanca (1942)
These days we are not able to relish the vibes of the 40s & the 50s. So, here is a perfect pick after watching Past Lives to make you feel more nostalgic. This is a 1942 romantic drama film directed by Michael Curtiz, and the movie is set during the time of World War II.
The movie showcases the character of Rick Blaine, which is played by Humphrey Bogart, who is a nightclub owner in the city of Casablanca. One day, Rick’s old lover Ilsa Lund, played by Ingrid Bergman, comes to the club with her husband. They both earlier had a love affair in Paris, but due to the Nazi invasion, they had to separate. The movie continues as Ilsa finds that she still loves Rick and never forgot about him. So, they start a journey of finding the path which they can lead together.
Casablanca is one of the biggest movies of the 40s and is famous for its amazing dialogues and the great cinematic experience of that time. And is known as the ‘Cult Classic.’ It consists of the timeless era of romance, and we get to see the love at the time of the war era. Also, in this type of modern world, we rarely these days get to see the combination of old school and love. So, this might be the perfect choice if you are still stuck in the retro and the 40s or 50s era. This movie is available to watch on HBO Max.
Sweet Home Alabama (2002)
Another rom-com, which was released in 2002 and is directed by Andy Tennant. The story is about a woman named Melanie Smoother, which is played by Reese Witherspoon, who is a successful fashion designer in New York City. She is about to marry Andrew Hennings, NYC’S most eligible bachelor, which is played by Patrick Dempsey, but before she does that, she has to go back to her hometown which is Alabama, to divorce her high school lover, Jake Perry (Josh Lucas)
So, the movie continues when she meets her friends and Jake in Alabama, and she goes into the memories and the flashback about her days in her hometown. Later, she gets confused about her feelings as she starts having feelings for both Jake as well as Andrew. She has to decide which life will be perfect for her, the one where she has luxurious life waiting in New York, the hot bachelor of the city, or the hometown lover Jake and her family and friends.
The movie connects directly with your heart and your feelings. If you are stuck with two different options in your love life, then this movie will help you come out of that block and will let your heart do all the work. It is a real delight for all the viewers, which will be sweet escapism from life and will keep you joyful till the end. This movie is available to watch on Apple TV+.
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Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
This movie is a science fiction romantic drama that was released in 2004 and is directed by Michel Gondry. The movie shows us the story of Joel Barish, which is played by Jim Carrey, and Clementine Kruczynski, played by Kate Winslet, who do not know each other and are complete strangers who meet on a train, but later they discover that they have been in a relationship.
The twist begins when the concept of memory erasure is introduced, so Clementine undergoes a procedure of the erasure as she has gone through a really hard breakup. And Joel, too, goes under the same procedure. But he does not want to erase his memories of Clementine, so he preserves that in his mind. It is a really beautiful sci-fi romantic movie to watch. And this combination is very rare to find.
In the whole film, their relationship is examined by noticing the ups and downs that they go through in the relationship, and The story is about whether memory can make you fall in love again, as only one person preserves his memory. They both have to go through certain complexities as well. The movie was a new design for the cinema to portray. Both the actors have given a great performance in the movie. When science and love get united, this is what we get. A perfect pick for the sci-fi geeks if they want an essence of romance too. This movie is available to watch on Amazon Prime Video.
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Return to me (2000)
This movie is a romantic comedy-drama that was released in 2000 and directed by Bonny Hunt. The story is about Bob Rueland, who is played by David Duchovny, who is a Chicago architect, and his wife Elizabeth, which is played by Joely Richardson, who meets in a car accident and dies.
There is a woman with whom Bob falls in love named Grace Briggs, which is played by Minnie Driver and is living with a heart transplant. They both meet at a party and do not know much about each other. So, they start spending some time together, and their bond increases, and their love for each other gets deeper. They soon start enjoying each other’s company.
In the movie, we find Bob stuck between having different feelings at the same time, one for Grace and the other feelings for his late wife. He was stuck in a loop of feelings, and he was afraid to give love a second chance that he would regret later. We see Grace hiding her emotional self by not revealing her secrets.
This movie keeps you hooked till the end, and the question that always remains in your mind is whether Bob will give a second chance to his new love or not. This movie is about love and healing at the same time. Similarly, in the movie Past Lives, Nora and Hae wanted to give each other a chance. This movie will definitely give you the highlights of Past Lives. This movie is available to watch on rent on Amazon Prime Video.
13 Going on 30 (2004)
This film is a romantic comedy which is directed by Gary Winick and was released in 2004. The story is about Jenna Rink, played by Jennifer Garner, who is a young girl. She makes a wish on her 13th birthday, and suddenly, the next morning, she wakes up as a 30-year-old woman.
She wanted to be 30 and just have fun in her life, and the wish was granted to her. So, she continues her life being a successful adult woman, but later on, she realizes that she misses her childhood friend Matt Flamhaff, which is played by Mark Ruffalo, as he was a really important part of her life. Jenna has become an editor for a magazine called ‘Poise.’ She then tries to find Matt and then deal with the various aspects of her life. When she finds Matt, she acknowledges that he is the only guy she wants to be with and reconnects all the things she had when she was a teenager like him, and still, she feels the same.
This movie will make you think of different choices that can be made while choosing the love of your life. Some choices might feel wrong, but in the end, destiny will make them right. In the movie Past Lives, we see Nora is married but still has feelings for Hae. So, this movie also portrays to us that Jenna loved Matt, and she would never choose any other person than Matt. This movie is available on Netflix to watch.
Also Read: Mark Ruffalo’s 10 Best Movies According To Rotten Tomatoes
In the Mood for Love (2000)
This is a romantic drama movie that was released in 2000 and was directed by Wong Kar-wai. The location of the movie is set in 1960s Hong Kong. The movie is about two neighbors, Chow Mo-wan, which is played by Tony Leung, and Su Li-Zhen, who is played by Maggie Cheung. They form a connection as they get to know that their spouses are having affairs with each other.
They both feel really lonely and hurt at the same time, so they start getting to know each other and hang around. They start to enjoy each other’s company as they spend time together on a regular basis. But they did not want to let know their spouses, so they kept it really private and did not move further in their relationship with each other. But as we know that love finds its place; they felt a really strong connection between them and did not want each other to let go.
The movie has been acclaimed for its direction by Wong Kar-Wai, and the fashion sense in the movie is really amazing, which needs to be seen. Both the characters in the movie do not want to miss the chance of forming or getting into a relationship, they, too, want a second chance at love, but they get stuck due to their spouses and society.
This movie, till the end, will keep you in a social dilemma, and it’s an emotional masterpiece. In the movie, retro aesthetics can also be seen, which is really beautiful to look at. Both of them did not want to lose the opportunity to stay together. They still believed in the power of finding a soulmate even after being married for a long of time. This movie is available on Amazon Prime Video to watch.
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