Film

In a Relationship

Name: In a Relationship
Genre: Drama, Comedy, Romance
Released: 2018
Cast: Emma Roberts, Michael Angarano, Dree Hemingway, Patrick Gibson, Melora Walters

A nimble romantic comedy about the messy, non-linear way relationships end—or don't. Two couples orbit each other through breakups, hesitation, and the strange intimacy of prolonged goodbye. It's lightweight but observant, funny without being mean, interested in how people actually behave when commitment starts to crack.

TMDb rating

2.9

If you liked this

Sleeping with Other People2015

Two people with messy romantic histories navigate friends-with-benefits territory and real feelings. Smart, funny, and genuinely sexy without ever feeling sleazy. Lukas Haas and Alison Brie have real chemistry.

But The tone can feel scattered—it wants to be both raunchy comedy and sincere romance, and doesn't always land both at once.

Like Crazy2011

Follows a long-distance relationship through its entire arc, refusing to fake resolution or neat endings. Tender, frustrating, and achingly real. Shot with beautiful naturalism that makes every moment feel lived-in.

But Deliberately paced and melancholy. There's no real plot, just time passing and two people changing. That requires patience.

The Worst Person in the World2021

Norwegian film about a woman adrift across multiple relationships and phases of adulthood. Wry, tender, visually inventive, and endlessly quotable. Genuinely funny about the comedy of self-sabotage.

But Subtitles, and it's deliberately digressive—it meanders where you might want it to drive. The protagonist makes choices you may find frustrating.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from In a Relationship

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Chungking Express1994

Both explore the strange non-endings of relationships—people orbiting without resolution, the specific sadness of people who love each other but can't be together.

Wong Kar-wai's dazzling Hong Kong film about two lovesick cops and two women they barely know. Fractured narrative, neon-soaked visuals, and a melancholic romanticism that feels like watching a broken heart refracted through a prism.

But The story is deliberately fragmented and dreamlike; plot is secondary to mood. Subtitles, and the visual style can feel almost hostile to plot clarity.

Happiest Season2020

Holiday rom-com about two women with a surprise proposal and a closeted girlfriend. Warm and funny, with great ensemble chemistry. Feels both timely and like comfort food.

But The central conflict hinges on a character's family pressure in ways that can feel repetitive. Occasionally too safe with what could be edgier material.

Frances Ha2013

Portrait of a struggling dancer in New York, broke and flailing but resilient. Greta Gerwig brings a specific, observant comedy to indecision and ambition. Black and white cinematography gives it a timeless indie charm.

But Very character-focused and deliberately slow. No traditional plot machinery here—if you need narrative momentum, this will frustrate you.

Mistress America2015

Noah Baumbach's breezy, talkative film about a young woman and her soon-to-be stepsister. Witty dialogue, oddball characters, and a genuine warmth beneath the comedy. Greta Gerwig again, even better.

But Dialogue-heavy and New York–specific in its references. If chatter feels like clutter rather than music, you'll check out fast.

Obvious Child2014

Jenny Slate as a failed stand-up comedian dealing with an unexpected pregnancy. Genuinely funny without punching down, unflinching about female sexuality and autonomy. Tender romantic subplot despite the heavy subject.

But The plot hinges on abortion, which some viewers find either preachy or underdeveloped depending on their perspective. Indie aesthetic won't be everyone's speed.

Love Streams1984

John Cassavetes exploring the aftermath of a marriage through two estranged siblings. Messy, emotional, occasionally difficult, but alive in a way most films never achieve. Gena Rowlands and Cassavetes himself are raw and searching.

But Nearly forty years old and deliberately shapeless. Scenes go on; conversations repeat and circle. This is not entertainment. It's an endurance test that demands you meet it halfway.

The Dinner2017

Two couples at dinner, secrets revealed, marriage examined from the inside. Richard Gere and Riz Ahmed anchor a sharp, uncomfortable exploration of what we hide from partners. Tense and precise.

But Plot-heavy and occasionally manipulative. Some will feel it takes easy shots at its characters rather than understanding them.

Before Sunrise1995

Opposite register but same DNA: both are fascinated by the specific architecture of connection and disconnection, the way relationships move in conversation rather than action.

Richard Linklater's real-time conversation between two strangers on a train—just talking through a night in Vienna. It's entirely dialogue, entirely philosophical, and entirely absorbing. Proof that intimacy doesn't require plot.

But Nothing happens except people speak. If that sounds like punishment rather than joy, don't bother. Some will find it precious or static.

Made in Chelsea2011

Surreal counterpoint: In a Relationship is about the actual mess of connection, while Chelsea shows the performed version of the same drama—the performative couple and the authentic couple mirrored.

Scripted reality series following posh London singles. If you squint, it's a documentary about people performing versions of themselves in relationships—fake yet revealing about vanity and genuine longing underneath the artifice.

But It's reality television, which means no script, cheap production values, actual vapidity alongside the comedy. Extremely easy to feel you're wasting time, and you might be right.