Film

Chemical Hearts

Name: Chemical Hearts
Genre: Drama, Romance
Released: 2020
Cast: Austin Abrams, Lili Reinhart, Sarah Jones, Bruce Altman, Adhir Kalyan

A tender high school romance between an optimistic boy and a guarded girl carrying unnamed grief. Chemical Hearts moves at the pace of real falling-in-love: tentative, funny, occasionally awkward, never rushed. It's for anyone who remembers the ache of first love, or the fear that vulnerability might break you. Quiet and sincere without being precious.

TMDb rating

3.7

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you like teen romances that take their characters' inner lives seriously, with a sharp ear for how longing and self-invention get tangled up, and a lead earnest enough to be embarrassing in the best way.

Skip it if you want a brisk, plot-driven story, since this one moves at a loping, reflective pace and spends long stretches inside its characters' heads rather than on incident.

What it asks of you: Settle in for a slow, talky ninety-three minutes where the emotional weight builds quietly and the mood shifts between wistful and sober without much warning.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

The Fault in Our Stars2014

Beautifully made young romance about two teens meeting under tragic circumstances. Hits the same emotional notes—love as both healing and reckoning—with genuine tenderness and humor.

But Leans harder into tearfulness and metaphor than Chemical Hearts does. Some find its earnestness cloying.

Heartstopper2022

A series about discovering love while discovering yourself, with the same gift for small moments—conversations, glances, the courage required to be known. Patient and achingly sincere.

But Netflix's bright aesthetic is very different from Chemical Hearts' muted palette. Also explicitly about a same-sex couple, which changes the specifics though not the emotional core.

The Half of It2020

Three teenagers untangling desire and connection. Sharp dialogue, real vulnerability, and a refusal to make heartbreak feel like failure. Released the same year and equally generous with its characters.

But More plot-driven than Chemical Hearts. If you want to sit with feeling rather than watch complications unfold, it might feel busier.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Chemical Hearts

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

The Florida Project2017

Both films trust their actors' faces and silences more than plot. Both believe that showing up for another person, in whatever form, is its own kind of love.

Not a romance, but spiritually aligned: a film about ordinary people in difficult circumstances, shot with compassion and unflinching attention to how people actually live and connect. Same refusal to sentimentalize.

But Centered on a child and poverty rather than romance. Harder to watch. Some viewers find the documentary realism exhausting.

Love, Simon2018

A romance about self-discovery wrapped in humor and genuine tenderness. Simon's journey—finding love while finding honesty—mirrors Henry's emotional arc, and it's warm without being saccharine.

But Lighter in tone than Chemical Hearts. More of a crowd-pleaser, which some read as less deep.

All the Bright Places2020

Two wounded teens finding each other. Handles depression and loss with care, and the performances capture that wordless understanding that can happen between people.

But Heavier subject matter than Chemical Hearts. The ending divides viewers on whether it earns its emotional weight.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower2012

A high schooler finding his people and first love. Charlie's tentative vulnerability mirrors Henry's; both films believe small moments matter and that kindness is radical.

But Feels dated now in some ways. The nostalgia can overshadow the emotional immediacy.

After2019

A girl with walls meets a boy determined to breach them. If you liked the push-and-pull between Henry and Grace, this explores that dynamic with genuine chemistry.

But Based on fanfiction; some of the dialogue and plotting feel derivative. Less interested in subtlety than Chemical Hearts.

Everything Sucks!2018

A short-lived series about high school misfits and first love. Uneven but sincere, with chemistry between leads and a real affection for awkward, honest teenagers.

But Cancelled after one season. Unevenness in tone and writing. If you need closure and polish, this will frustrate you.

First Reformed2018

Both films are about wounded people learning to be present for each other. Both find their entire drama in conversation and proximity, not incident.

A chamber drama about one man's crisis of faith and connection. Slow, austere, and heartbreaking. Paul Schrader proves that intimacy and restraint can be as gripping as action.

But No romance. Serious and uncompromising. If you want uplift or conventional narrative satisfaction, this offers neither.

Minari2021

Like Chemical Hearts, it refuses to make heartbreak or vulnerability feel like weakness. Both films honor the quiet courage it takes to stay open to another person.

A family trying to belong in a place that doesn't quite want them. Tender and unsentimental about how love survives difficulty and dislocation. Another 2020 gem about connection across difference.

But A family drama, not a romance. In Korean and English. If subtitles feel like work or if you need a central love story, this might not grab you.