The Breakup (2006)

For when you’re still in the breakup phase.

Breakups are excruciating. The longer you’re together, the longer the breakup lasts. Anyone who’s taken a year to finally end it understands. In this classic, Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn call it quits slowly and with lots of fights. If you need that last little kick to finally say “enough,” this ought to do it. Watch The Break-Up on Prime Video.

How to be Single (2016)

For when you need a little help from your friends.

Sometimes it takes our friends to finally say “enough is enough” and pull us out of our tear-stained stupors. For Dakota Johnson’s character, it feels far too soon to be spending a night out in New York City, but it’s just what she needed. They teach her how to be single (and you, too). Let your annoying friends win and you’ll be one giant step closer to being over this breakup. Watch How to Be Single on Hulu.

The Wedding Singer (1998)

For when you hope for better things in your future.

No wallowing for you. You want to believe that you could find someone so much better in the near future. That’s what happens after Adam Sandler’s character gets unceremoniously dumped by his vapid girlfriend on the day of their would-be wedding. He meets sweet Drew Barrymore, and all bets are off. Watch The Wedding Singer on Max.

My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997)

For when you can’t handle a happy ending.

If you can’t have a happy ending, then why should anyone else, right? When Julia Roberts finds out that her old best friend is getting married, she gets a spike of jealousy and decides to attend the wedding with the sole purpose of breaking them up. This is the rare occasion when Miss Roberts plays the bad guy. Watch My Best Friend’s Wedding on Starz.

Second Act (2018)

For when you need a big change.

Breakups often come with the worry that you’ll never find anyone again–that you’ll be stuck in this bad place forever. If you have doom and gloom for your future, watch Jennifer Lopez start fresh by leaving her grocery store job and becoming a success in the business world. It’s never too late to have the life you’ve always wanted. Watch Second Act on Hulu.

Someone Great (2019)

For when you and your ex will always love each other.

Some breakups are heartbreaking not because you feel betrayed, but because the person really was the love of your life. Even though Gina Rodriguez and her boyfriend still love and respect each other, their relationship can’t go on. As her friends help her deal with the fallout, consider them your friends, too. Watch Someone Great on Netflix. 

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

For when you just want to forget.

It can hurt so much to look back on the relationship after it’s over. It manifests as this deep, physical pain. Wouldn’t it be better if you didn’t have to feel it at all? What if you could actually wipe all memories of them from your mind? That’s what this classic answers when Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet break up. Watch Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind on Starz.

The Witches of Eastwick (1987)

For when all you can think about is revenge.

There’s nothing quite as powerful as a woman scorned. Unless it’s three women. Who are witches. In this dark and spooky classic, Cher, Susan Sarandon, and Michelle Pfeiffer all fall for the same guy–a Satanic Jack Nicholson. But when he betrays all of them, they’re left with some serious skills for vengeance. Watch The Witches of Eastwick on Max.

The crux of the plot happens in a dream. You get to choose between three beaus: Paul the current attorney boyfriend, Jack the Earth-conscious high school sweetheart, and Rex the rock star who could further her career. You have some choices to make, but some are much better than others. (And yes, there is a right answer.) Today I’m ranking the main choices from worst to best. Which one did you choose?

4. Rex, the rock star

Okay, we get the initial appeal of this British babe. The tattoos, the hair, the charisma, the accent–he’s got it all. Plus, if Cami chooses Rex, she also has the benefit of furthering her career. But is that enough? As she chooses the Brit, his sex appeal quickly steps over the line into cringe territory. (Stop caressing your chest! OMG!) Plus, she barely knows him. This is the guy you have a fling with before you settle down, not the one you turn your life upside down to end up with. This isn’t a long-term guy, and I think he’d be the first to admit it.

3. Jack, the high school sweetheart

My first instinct was to put Jack above Paul. If she’s this confused about who she should be with, she clearly doesn’t like Paul as much as he deserves, but is Jack, her ex from high school, that much better of a choice? Sure, the man is gorgeous. Like, wow. But so much has changed in the ten years since they’ve been apart. People change. She’s risking a lot on something that isn’t as much of a sure thing as it seems. Plus, Cami pretends to care about the things he loves just to fit in with him. If you choose him, you end up at a protest that she only feels lukewarm about. Never choose a man that you have to change for.

2. Paul, the current boyfriend

I feel so bad for Paul. How could you not? He’s ready to propose to his girlfriend of three years and suddenly she’s like, “Nope, there are two other guys I’m thinking about.” Sure, his job is questionable and his sex appeal isn’t as universal as the other two, but he also understands Cami. He likes her just as she is. He’s thoughtful and attentive and really believes that they have what it takes to last the long haul. Of the three guys, he seems like the best choice.

1. Cami chooses herself

There’s one choice that you might not realize you can even make, and that’s having Cami choose herself. For instance, if you go the Jack route, you’ll inevitably get to decide between him or her. Here’s why choosing Cami is the right choice: None of the other choices are good. Rex is a complete unknown, Jack is an idealized form of her past, and if she still can’t be sure about Paul after three years of dating, he deserves to be let go. Clearly Cami needs some time to herself to figure out what she wants. And judging by the casino scene if you choose her, it seems like the secret “Perfect” ending. May we all choose ourselves like Cami should.

Check out Choose Love on Netflix.

Newer Hits

Crush (2022)

After being falsely accused of being her high school’s graffiti artist, Paige agrees to join the track team. The problem? She has to be helped by her crush’s sister, AJ, when all she wants is the attention of Gabby. This is a sweet queer teen rom-com that has nothing to do with the horrors of coming out, which is a much-needed breath of fresh air.

Fire Island (2022)

When a group of friends realize that the home they always stayed at on Fire Island isn’t going to be there next year, they want to preserve their final summer the best way they know how: With all the best queer parties. But when Noah starts to fall for surly Will, he might have to change his plans. This is a modern gay adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, and if that doesn’t get you to watch it, I don’t know what will.

Space Oddity (2022)

Alex dreams of going to outer space, so when his application to be a part of a Mars expedition is accepted, he’s thrilled to tell his family about his one-way journey. He has to grapple with their lack of support and his burgeoning feelings for Daisy, who he goes to for life insurance. Soon he must decide if what he’s been looking for is really on Mars, or has been on Earth all along.

Classic Rom-Coms and Old Favorites

Practical Magic (1998)

Every witchy girl’s favorite movie for fall, Practical Magic shows what it means for women to stick together against the oppressive presence of men. But of course, if you wish for a man who one blue eye and one green, who can ride a horse backwards, and whose favorite shape is a star, you deserve the love he can bring. If you’ve gotten this far without seeing this classic, it’s time to fix that (and just in time for spooky season!)

Sweet Home Alabama (2002)

Melanie just got the proposal of her life, but there’s just one problem. She has to go back to her Alabama hometown to serve divorce papers to the husband she hasn’t seen in years without her New York fiancé finding out. Though this pick has the classic rom-com structure, the immense romantic chemistry between Reese Witherspoon and Josh Lucas gives it all the staying power you’d hope for.

27 Dresses (2008)

Jane is content to always be a bridesmaid, never a bride. After all, she loves helping friend after friend create the best possible wedding. But when she meets a reporter who takes a special interest in the fact that she’s been a bridesmaid 27 times, she starts to question her lifepath. You’ll never listen to “Bennie and the Jets” the same way again.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)

Jason Segal, who plays the lead, Peter Bretter, based his script on a real-life event. Just like his character, he’d had the worst breakup of his life while he was stark naked. And that’s just the kind of humor that follows Peter all the way to Hawaii to try to get over his ex–who, oops, happens to be staying at the same resort.

Center Stage (2000)

When Jody gets into the American Ballet Academy, her excitement is short-lived. It’s a lot harder than she was expecting, and the teachers seem to have it out for her. And what makes things more complicated? Having to choose between her fellow classmate and the bad boy of the American Ballet Company. This has some of the most memorable dance scenes of the last few decades.

The Princess Diaries (2001)

Mia Thermopolis is just a regular, nerdy girl with only one close friend and a killer apartment in a former firehouse. Everything’s going according to plan until she finds out that she’s actually in line for the throne of a country she’s never even heard of, Genovia. Plus, Julie Andrews! Whether you read the books or not, this is a must-watch.

Hidden Gems

Sliding Doors (1998)

Having alternate timelines before it was cool, Sliding Doors shows how different Helen’s life goes as the plot splits at the train. How do things change if she just misses the train? And what happens if she gets on? This movie is a nice mix of fun and romantic with a bit of drama and heartbreak for good measure. Sometimes you just have to ask, “What if?”

What’s Your Number (2011)

Ally reads an article with some suspect statistics saying women who’ve slept with 20 or more partners are significantly less likely to get married. Unfortunately, she’s just hit that number, so she decides to go through her list of past flings to see if she still has a spark with any of them, and she needs the help of her neighbor to find them. This movie is criminally underrated.

Leap Year (2010)

Anna goes out of her way to travel all the way to Ireland on the leap year for an interesting tradition: It’s the one day when it’s okay for women to propose to men. But she gets stranded in a remote village and must enlist the help of a surly local to get to Dublin. While the movie isn’t perfect, there’s one thing that carries it into the best-of category: The chemistry between Amy Adams and Matthew Goode.

Sleeping With Other People (2015)

What happens when two people who are terrible at relationships find each other? In the case of Jake and Lainey, they decide to keep sex out of the equation and just be friends. But wouldn’t you know it? That’s exactly what they needed. This is one of those rom-coms that you’ve either never heard of, or won’t shut up about. Time to join the latter!

Newer Hits

Love in Taipei (2023)

New in August, this Paramount+ Original is based on the wildly popular YA novel, Loveboat, Taipei by Abigail Hing Wen. When Ever Wong’s parents insist she spend the summer in Taipei learning about her Taiwanese heritage, she has to decide whether she’ll be a good student or break the rules to see the real Taipei. (And choose between two equally awesome-seeming guys in the process.)

At Midnight (2023)

When popular action star Sophie Wilder finds her boyfriend–and co-star–cheating on her, she’s encouraged to pretend they haven’t broken up for the sake of her career. That’s made all the more difficult when she meets a man working the hotel where they’re staying…and he seems just the right kind of man for her. This is another new Paramount+ Original and has all the classic rom-com vibes that have been lacking lately.

Love, Rosie (2015)

Rosie and Alex have been friends since they were kids. They couldn’t possibly be in love with each other, right? That’d be far too inconvenient. In this underrated rom-com gem, we see two people destined to be together, but never quite finding the right time to make it happen. It’s an absolute must-watch, especially if you love Sam Claflin and Lily Collins.

Long Shot (2019) (available Sept. 1)

This one might have gone under the radar when it came out, which is a shame. When Seth Rogen’s Fred becomes the speech writer for his former babysitter-turned-presidential-candidate Charlotte (Charlize Theron), he has to contend with the crush he’s always had on her. This movie is amazing for the out-of-this-world chemistry between Rogen and Theron alone (not to mention, it’s hilarious).

The Lost City (2022)

Sandra Bullock’s Lorette Sage is a romance novelist. She just writes books, but when a wealthy creep (Daniel Radcliffe) abducts her to help him find a lost city of treasure from one of her novels, it’s up to her cover model (Channing Tatum) to save her. Is it eerily similar to the 1984 romantic adventure, Romancing the Stone? Sure! But that doesn’t make this any less amazing.

Classic Rom-Coms and Old Favorites

Clueless (1995)

Cher is just a normal teen girl if you count being born into wealth and pretty privilege as “normal.” At least she has a heart of gold and will do anything, no matter how ill-advised, to help people she thinks are in-need. It’s the thoroughly ’90s Shakespeare-based teen rom-com that proved we’ll all fall for our step-brothers if they happen to be Paul Rudd. Despite how dated it is, it still holds up today.

Stardust (2007) (available Sept 1)

When Tristan sees a falling star land over the mysterious wall next to his village, he sets out in search of it as a way to propose to his lady love. When he finds not a hunk of rock but a beautiful woman where the star had fallen, he decides to present her as the prize instead. This is the fantasy romance, based on the novel by Neil Gaiman, that everyone can get behind, even people who hate fantasy but love romance, or vice versa. (It also has one of the best glow-ups ever.)

She’s the Man (2006)

Viola (Amanda Bynes) just wants to play Soccer, but when her team gets cut in favor of the boy’s team–even though the girls are way better–she decides to pose as her brother and join the rival school’s boy’s soccer team. Another modern rom-com based on a Shakespeare play, you’ve been sorely missing out if you’ve yet to catch this classic.

Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001)

Bridget Jones (Renée Zellweger) is just trying to get by in the corporate world while having fun friends and hopefully falling in love. She has a thing for her boss (Hugh Grant), but can’t seem to get rid of the annoying Mark Darcy (Colin Firth). This movie is great for Colin Firth’s performance alone, not to mention the classic rom-com vibes.

The Last Holiday (2006)

What happens when Georgia (Queen Latifah) finds out she’s dying? She decides to spend her last time in this world going on adventures, all starting with a trip abroad. This is a perfect movie to watch when you’re feeling like your life needs some serious change. While the romance aspect is only a small part of this wonderful movie, it makes Georgia’s journey all the better.

Hidden Gems

Ghost Town (2008)

You wouldn’t expect a movie about Ricky Gervais’ Pincus being able to see ghosts after briefly dying during a routine colonoscopy on a list like this, but here we are. Pincus, a surly dentist who hates absolutely everyone, has to help ghosts pass on to the next realm, including the philandering husband of a beautiful woman who lives in his building. This movie is surprisingly sweet and heartfelt.

Grease 2 (1982)

I’d rather not weigh in on the Grease vs. Grease 2 debate–which can get incredibly heated–but when I saw the latter among Paramount+’s rom-coms, I had to add it to the hidden gems. This is one of those “it’s so bad, it’s good” movies thanks to the silly-yet-memorable songs, wild plot turns, and great performances by Michelle Pfeiffer and Maxwell Caulfield.

Beastly (2011) (available Sept 1)

Another “so bad, it’s good” rom-com, this Vanessa Hudgens and Alex Pettyfer film is a modern retelling of the Beauty and the Beast story. After Kyle’s snobbery angers a witch in the form of Mary-Kate Olsen, he’s cursed to look like a weird gnarly sci-fi character. And the only one who can see past his hideous looks is Lindy, the cool, misunderstood girl in school.

Here are the lessons in life and love I learned from watching Love in Taipei. Beware: Spoilers ahead! If you haven’t watch it yet, check it out on Paramount+, then come back to see if you learned the same lessons.

1. You rarely regret going out of your comfort zone.

Ever’s used to having her life all planned out. When her roommate, Sophie, invites her to come out with her–which would also break the program’s curfew rules–she’s hesitant to break away from the plan. She eventually gives in though and has a wonderful, once-in-a-lifetime experience in Taipei. Life is about having experiences, and you’ll never experience anything if you stay inside your safe little comfort zone.

2. Most mistakes can be fixed, even if they seem huge.

Ever’s cool Aunt Shu’s letting her use her art studio to film her dance audition. She just has one request: Close the windows for the oncoming typhoon. Easy. Except Ever’s late for a party and forgets, causing flooding and destruction in the studio. Rather than letting the shame of hurting her aunt keep her down, she enlists the help of her fellow students to clean it up and leave the place better than they found it. While it’s understandable to feel terrible when you make a mistake, your true character comes forth when you fix what you did wrong. It’s about how you bounce back.

3. Don’t let rejection stop you from living your dreams.

Ever places all of her hope on getting into a dance company in New York…and she doesn’t get in. Sure, she could give up, but what good would that do? She doesn’t wallow in self-pity, she doesn’t quit dance. Instead, she learns a new Taiwanese-style fan dance and teaches everyone around her. Everyone experiences rejection at some point on their path to their dreams, sometimes often. If everyone gave up, no one would be happy. If you really want something, don’t let rejection stop you.

4. The right person will love you as you are.

What makes a love triangle so much easier? When one person shows that they don’t like you the way you are. That’s what happens when Rick lies to his family about Ever’s parents and her plans for grad school. It’s sweet, artistic Xavier who shows her what it’s like to be loved exactly as you are. Don’t settle for the person who wants to change you. Wait for the person who thinks you’re amazing as-is.

5. You probably won’t end up with the person you started with.

Near the beginning of Love in Taipei, Sophie clues Ever in on a bit of Loveboat wisdom: You never end the summer with the same person that you started with. While this is her way of shading Ever’s relationship with her cousin, Rick, it’s inadvertently good advice. Young love can feel so important, so life-changing. When you’re in it, you think “This is it. I’ve found the one.” Truthfully, you’ll likely date many people before you find your soulmate, and that nugget of wisdom will help when you’re nursing a broken heart.

If you haven’t already, or you just want a second watch, watch Love in Taipei on Paramount+.

Sleepless in Seattle (1993)

Young Jonah calls a radio show for advice on how to set up his sad, widowed father. It’s such a classic rom-com that it’s a travesty if you haven’t seen it. Sure, the parasocial relationship maybe didn’t age well, but you really can’t deny the chemistry between Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks. That’s why our parents and grandparents were so obsessed with them.

A Knight’s Tale (2001)

10 Things I Hate About You (1999) isn’t the only Heath Ledger rom-com that should be in your rotation. In this non-serious take on old-timey England, Ledger pretends to be a knight so he can win the hand of a pretty girl. Goals. It’s funny, it’s romantic, and it has a great modern soundtrack reminiscent of Moulin Rouge (2001).

The Ring (2002)

We should all be lucky that there’s no such thing as VHS tapes anymore, huh? That’s because anyone who watched the tape in this 2002 spook-fest would die in seven days. If you’re not sure if this is for you, just watch the opening five minutes. That increased heart rate and newfound fear of closets? That’s your sign to keep watching.

The Italian Job (2003)

There’s always a little room for a heist. This ensemble heist movie doubles as a paid-for advertisement for the Mini Cooper (for which I fell hook, line, and sinker). Because why steal something if you can’t do it in a fleet of getaway Mini Coopers? This is actually a remake of the 1969 film, but I’d recommend this version for Jason Statham alone.

Mean Girls (2004)

It’s almost 20 years old and Mean Girls still hasn’t gotten stale. It spawned a generation who won’t stop saying “You go, Glen Coco!” and “Get in loser, we’re going shopping,” and “On Wednesdays, we wear pink.” Tina Fey wrote this movie and subsequently killed it. You’ve probably already seen this a million times, but what’s one more for the road?

Paranormal Activity (2007)

The whole shaky-cam/found-footage horror subgenre became a bit of a joke, especially after so many sequels to the 2007 original Paranormal Activity, but if you go back and watch this one, you’ll realize how great it really was. Who knew watching grainy video of a couple’s bedroom would be so spooky and gripping?

If Beale Street Could Talk (2018)

This breathtaking film follows a woman as she tries to clear the name of the man she loves, who’s also the father of her unborn child. And wouldn’t you want a love so intense that you would do anything for them? Or they, you? Regina King won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for this role, and you’ll totally understand why.

Based on a novel by the same name, Helen signs up for a beginner’s hiking excursion after finalizing her divorce. She’s 40, newly single, and has absolutely no idea what she wants out of life. She just wants to hike through the wilderness for a few weeks while she figures herself out, but that’s made all the more difficult when her younger brother’s lifelong best friend Jake winds up signing up for the same hike.

Honestly, this is one of the best new rom-coms in years. After devouring Happiness for Beginners, and then devouring it again, there are lessons in life and love that have just stuck with me. Read on, but be aware: Mild spoilers ahead! Go watch the movie on Netflix and then come right back here.

1. Do something big if you’re unhappy with your life.

You can’t expect anything to change if you don’t take any measure to change them. Helen goes out of her way to go on a hiking trip that takes weeks, without any hiking experience. Would a big step like this be scary? Of course! But that’s how you know it’ll be life changing. It doesn’t have to be hiking, though. It could be moving to Paris or selling everything and buying a tiny house. Break out of that rut, just like Helen.

2. Surround yourself with people who make the journey better.

While the romance plot of Happiness for Beginners is so top-notch (and we’ll get to that), the movie’s made even better by the ensemble cast that accompanies Helen and Jake on the hiking trip. There’s the erstwhile leader, the overly talkative Millennial, the airhead with a heart of gold who’s more than she seems. Your life isn’t just about you, but about the cast of characters who enter your life. Embrace the people who enrich your life.

3. Focus on what makes you happy.

Helen, when she first learns from fellow hiker Windy the joy of listing three good things each day, finds it difficult to think of even one. Oh how poisoned your life can become if you never recognize what makes it good. So say the positive things about your day. Even if it’s something as small as a really good cup of coffee, focusing on what makes you happy is always welcome.

4. When you feel a “hot spot,” deal with it.

In the movie, “hot spot” refers to the heat of an oncoming blister as your hiking boot rubs up against your feet and ankles. If you don’t deal with it right away, it’ll turn into a blister that only makes things ten times worse. It’s true in life, too. Ignoring a problem doesn’t make it go away. And until you fix it, it’ll only get worse. You owe it to yourself to deal with the hot spots of life.

5. You might already know your soulmate, but just haven’t opened your heart.

We get so distracted by our lives. While Helen was busy marrying a weird guy that no one liked, she was ignoring the much better people around her. In life, we often have blinders on. We’re set on the type of person we’re “supposed” to be with, but maybe there’s someone even better we hadn’t considered? That’s certainly the case with Helen, which brings me to my most important lesson of the whole movie…

6. Find someone who looks at you like Jake looks at Helen.

This is a bit of a spoiler, although if you’ve watched the trailer you probably saw this coming. Jake loves Helen. How do we know? Even before he says anything, you can see it in the way he looks at her. The amount of love seeping off of him is something to swoon over. Don’t accept anything less than that kind of love and devotion. We all deserve a Jake.

In the scene, similarly as it happens in the book, Alex is spending time at the royal palace. For context, this is during his trip to pretend to be Prince Henry’s friend, before they start texting. They’re still in the “enemies” stage of the enemies-to-lovers story arc. You know the drill, smiling for the cameras while barely concealing their disdain for each other. Elbowing each other every time they think no one is looking.

Alex is in the guest quarter’s kitchen face-timing with Nora and complaining about how much he loathes Henry (sure, right), when the prince himself enters and hears the tail-end of the conversation. He’s just popping in to grab some Cornettos from the freezer, a popular brand of ice cream cones. Thus starts a verbal sparring match between the fake friends, culminating in Alex snapping a pic of their hands for the ‘gram.

There’s a little, important moment hidden in this scene, though. Blink and you’ll miss it. Here’s the deleted scene to see if you see it for yourself:

Did you catch it? As Alex argues with Henry about having to pretend to be friends, and how they can handle it fine, even if they hate each other, Henry gives Alex a look when the FSOTUS isn’t looking.

For just a moment, Henry’s mask falls away and he can’t help but show how he truly feels about Alex. There’s no hate there. None at all. Quite the opposite, in fact. A moment later and it’s gone.

This is significant because, if it had been left in the film, it would be the first moment that the audience gets a clue into how Henry really feels. Our first proof that Henry has loved him all along. And perhaps that’s why they didn’t keep it in? It’s awfully early into the movie to reveal Henry’s true intentions. They’re supposed to hate each other right now.

Or it could be how slow-moving and otherwise cheesy the rest of the scene feels. Either way, it didn’t make it into the final cut and now we just need to go to YouTube for this extra bit of Alex/Henry connection.

If you’ve gotten this far into the article and still haven’t watched Red, White & Royal Blue, you can see it on Prime Video.

As the name suggests, Harlan Coben’s Shelter is based on the YA coming-of-age suspense/thriller series of novels. It starts with teen Mickey Bolitar as he just moved to Los Angeles with his family. After a great day on the beach with his mother and father, a car accident injures his mom and kills his dad. 

Mickey’s now back in his dad’s hometown, a small and mildly spooky suburb in New Jersey. Staying with his aunt, he’s just trying to fit in at a new school while navigating grief and loss. Everything seems okay. He makes a few friends–also outcasts like him–and even meets a girl named Ashley. She’s new to the school, too.

But when Ashley goes missing the next day, and some weird activity is happening in the neighborhood’s spooky and ominous house, Mickey and his friends need to figure out what’s going on in this town. Even with just the first episode, you’re introduced to an array of mysterious threads. What’s with the adults in town? What happened decades ago, and how does it now connect to Mickey and the rest of the teenagers just trying to make it through another year of high school? What happened to Ashley?

Here’s a quick look at the cast (You might recognize some familiar faces).

The Teen Cast of Harlan Coben’s Shelter

It’s this unlikely trio of misfits that first sets off to solve the mystery of their friends’ disappearances as well as the increasing list of oddities that unfold as they keep digging. In the center is Mickey Bolitar, the new kid who moves to this small New Jersey town after a personal tragedy. He’s played by Jaden Michael from Colin in Black & White (2021).

Joining Mickey on his journey is Spoon, to the right, the friendly-yet-quirky welcoming committee who’s Mickey’s first introduction to the school. He’s played by Adrian Greensmith, who you might know from Metal Lords (2022). And the pair finally get joined by Ema, the school outcast who clearly has some secrets of her own. She’s played by Abby Corrigan from Castle Rock (2019) and Homeland (2012). 

If you’re in the mood to solve some mysteries alongside these teens, watch Harlan Coben’s Shelter now on Prime Video.

Need a reminder of this classic? At the beginning of Sleepless in Seattle, we see Tom Hanks’ Sam moving from Chicago to Seattle as a way for him and his 8-year-old son Jonah to have a fresh start after his wife died. He just wants to get away so there are no more reminders of the wife and mother that they miss so dearly.

Enter the talk radio segment. Jonah calls a talk radio helpline to see if anyone can help his dad find a girlfriend. He sees how sad his dad is, and how he’s getting no sleep, so he asks for help from a mostly predatory talk show host. True to form, the host gets Sam on the phone and bleeds him dry of all his heartache and emotion. As expected, the phone lines light up with scores of women who want to take Sam just because he showed a little emotion over the airwaves.

That’s where things get a little sticky. Meg Ryan’s Annie is listening to this whole thing all the way from Baltimore, Maryland. Like the rest of the women glued to their radios, she’s immediately fawning over our good pal Sam. She’s already engaged to perennially allergic-to-everything Walter, but does that stop her from concocting elaborate plans to win Sam’s heart? That’s a big NOPE.

What follows is a masterclass in stalking. Annie uses her connections at the newspaper to find Sam’s address in Seattle. She hires a private detective to follow him and take pictures. She then flies all the way to Washington to stare him down while almost getting smeared across the pavement because she just had to do her stalking while standing in the middle of a busy road.

While stalking is nothing we haven’t all discussed before, there’s something else hidden here that’s super relevant in 2022: The parasocial relationship.

Parasocial relationships occur when someone feels a connection to a celebrity or other public figure. That public figure shows a curated look into their lives and their fans feel as if they are “friends” because of it. In Sleepless in Seattle, Annie is one of many women who hear one 15-minute radio segment and fall in love with a man she doesn’t know.

They feel like they know him because he seemed to bare his soul for a moment, but they don’t really know him. That’s the danger with parasocial relationships: Fans can feel like they have a real relationship with someone when it’s really only one-way. Just like Sam had no idea who Annie was, Paul Rudd has no idea who you are. (Sorry.)

In 2022, the dangers of parasocial relationships are even more prevalent. With smartphones in our pockets and apps like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, we see even more of our favorite actors, musicians, and influencers. Fans will find out where their favorite YouTubers live and just show up at their houses. Actors will be stalked and sometimes murdered.

All this to say: parasocial relationships are no joke. Meg Ryan’s Annie falling in love with Tom Hanks’ Sam shows how easy it can happen. And the fact that her plan to lure him and his son to the Empire State Building works and they end up hand-in-hand? It could be the proof a weirdo needs to justify their obsession. Still, do we penalize Sleepless in Seattle for it? Do we admonish the stalking and the inappropriate fan relationship, relegating this rom-com classic to the dumpster of forgotten films? Or do we love it for what it really is: A fantasy that shows how important it is to find someone who makes your heart race when you finally brush hands?

Let’s leave the conclusion to Meg Ryan and Rosie O’Donnell’s characters toward the end of the movie:

Annie: Is this crazy?

Becky: No, that’s the weirdest thing about it.