Film

What If

Other titles called What If: the 2021 series (Disney+).

A romantic comedy about two people who meet, form an instant connection, and navigate the impossible space between friendship and something more. It's warm and funny without being saccharine, grounded in real conversations and genuine chemistry. For anyone who's ever wondered if the person you need most might be the person you can't have.

TMDb rating3.4

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you like romantic comedies that take their time over awkward, slightly neurotic conversations, where the jokes come out of characters talking rather than out of set-ups.

Skip it if you want a romance that gets to the kiss quickly, since this one spends most of its running time circling a question it is in no hurry to answer.

What it asks of you: Ninety-eight minutes of talky, unhurried scenes where the laughs arrive in the gaps between sincere moments, so settle in and listen closely.

If you liked this

Before Sunrise1995

Two strangers meet on a train and spend one night walking through Vienna, talking about life, love, and meaning. It's dialogue-driven, intimate, and captures that electric feeling of connection with someone who truly gets you.

But It's deliberately paced and nearly dialogue-only; if you need plot momentum or action, you'll feel restless. Very of its era.

Before Sunrise poster

Forgetting Sarah Marshall2008

A genuinely funny romantic comedy that doesn't shy away from real hurt and awkwardness. It's clever without being mean, and the supporting cast—particularly Russell Brand—elevates every scene they're in.

But The humor skews broad and occasionally crude. Some of the jokes land better if you're a certain age or taste-aligned.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall poster

About Time2013

Uses time travel as a premise for exploring relationships—romantic, familial, and the friendships that sustain us. Funny, emotionally earned, and surprisingly moving without manipulation.

But The plot mechanics don't hold up to scrutiny. If you need science to make sense, this will frustrate you.

About Time poster

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from What If

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Your Name.2016

Both explore the tension between knowing someone intimately and being unable to act on it—the gap between connection and circumstance. But where *What If* is grounded and conversational, this adds cosmic intervention and visual poetry.

A Japanese anime about two people mysteriously swapping bodies, discovering each other across distance and circumstance. Visually breathtaking, achingly romantic, and structurally inventive in ways live-action films rarely attempt. The emotional payoff is devastating.

But It's animated, which filters viewers before they watch. Subtitles required, and some of the emotional beats are oblique rather than explained. Heavy on mood over clarity.

Your Name. poster
More like this (8)

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind2004

A achingly beautiful meditation on love, loss, and what it means to choose someone despite knowing how it might end. Visually stunning and emotionally complex, with real stakes underlying the romance.

But It's melancholic and dreamlike rather than comforting. The narrative structure is deliberately disorienting, which some find brilliant and others find exhausting.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind poster

Nights in Rodanthe2008

Two people with complicated pasts meet during a hurricane and discover unexpected connection. It's earnest and tender, anchored by strong performances and genuine chemistry between the leads.

But It's unabashedly sentimental and romantic in the most traditional sense. If you find that saccharine, this won't convert you.

Nights in Rodanthe poster

The Big Sick2017

A smart, funny romantic comedy built on a foundation of real emotional stakes and cultural specificity. Kumail Nanjiani and Zoe Kazan have crackling chemistry, and the script trusts the audience to care about actual people.

But It sprawls a bit in the second half. Some find the pivot away from the central romance toward family dynamics dilutes the love story.

The Big Sick poster

Obvious Child2014

A surprisingly funny and tender film about a woman navigating love, career, and life's messiness on her own terms. Sharp writing and Gillian Jacobs' warm performance make it feel like catching up with a smart friend.

But It's a bit rambling, and the humor is sometimes abrasive. Not interested in a standard romantic arc, so if you need traditional catharsis, look elsewhere.

Obvious Child poster

You've Got Mail1998

The quintessential film about connection versus circumstance, built on snappy dialogue and the pleasure of two people discovering they like each other. Nora Ephron at her most assured.

But It's deeply of its moment (AOL, bookstores, pre-9/11 New York). The rom-com machinery shows, and some of the class dynamics haven't aged gracefully.

You've Got Mail poster

Someone Great2019

A road trip film about female friendship that's genuinely funny and surprisingly moving. Gina Rodriguez is charismatic, the script has real warmth, and it doesn't rely on tired tropes.

But The plot pivots in ways some find manipulative. The tone shifts between comedy and heartbreak can feel jarring rather than earned.

Someone Great poster

Mistress America2015

Both films are ultimately about the people in the room mattering more than the romantic plot. But where *What If* is tender and earnest, this is chaotic and theatrical—same emotional truth, completely different texture.

A scattershot, joyful film about two women forging an unlikely friendship. It's formally inventive, genuinely funny, and captures the specific thrill of meeting someone who feels like your person—platonically and perhaps otherwise.

But It's deliberately shapeless and improvisational. The plot doesn't build momentum; it meanders. If you need structure and resolution, this will feel unfinished.

Mistress America poster

Punch-Drunk Love2002

Both are about two people discovering they work together despite (or because of) their damage. But where *What If* is rational and dialogue-driven, this is intuitive and almost abstract—exploring the same emotional question through completely different language.

Paul Thomas Anderson's singular romantic film: a man fragile and volatile meets a woman and discovers connection through her. It's visually wild, tonally strange, and manages to be both deeply uncomfortable and genuinely touching.

But It's aggressively weird and destabilizing. Adam Sandler at his most exposed and difficult. If you want a conventionally pleasant love story, this is the opposite.

Punch-Drunk Love poster

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