10 Best Movies Like ‘500 Days of Summer’

It’s hard for a romcom to toe the line between providing something fresh while also giving the audience the story beats they’ve grown to know and love. But when the indie film 500 Days of Summer was released in 2009, it executed a new twist on the genre while still making viewers feel that same feeling they get from classics like When Harry Met Sally — even with the fact the film’s two protagonists don’t end up together.

500 Days of Summer fast became a sleeper hit and was on tons of “best-of” lists for that year, and its critical and commercial success reminded audiences why its stars (Zooey Deschenel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt) were such hot properties. If you vibed with the film back in the day and want to watch something similar, or have only just seen it and are desperate for more content like it, then check out our list of the 10 best movies like 500 Days of Summer.

Crazy Stupid Love

A charming little flick with a stellar cast, Crazy Stupid Love is full of laughs and heart, and much like 500 Days of Summer shows romantic relationships at every stage, from their most gloriously intoxicating to the heartwrenchingly painful. Cal (Steve Carrrell) is shocked when his wife Emily (Julianne Moore) hands him divorce papers. He wallows in a bar, and begins loudly complaining about his life, only for Jacob (Ryan Gosling), a playboy, to overhear him and begin coaching him how to pick up women. Jacob reveals he’s just been rejected by a woman named Hannah (Emma Stone), and the two men soon form an unlikely friendship. Jacob eventually manages to enter a relationship with Hannah (in no small thanks to a tip from Dirty Dancing) only for the new couple to realize Hannah is Cal and Emily’s eldest child, leaving Cal upset at his daughter’s choice of partner. From there, everyone’s relationships are tested, leading to an earned and somewhat ambiguous ending, as we’re left wondering if Cal and Emily reconcile.

Only You

Part of the reason 500 Days of Summer felt so real was the believability of the initial attraction between the two leads, and this British romcom has that in spades. Only You charts the relationship of cynical about love Elena (Laia Costa) and hopeless romantic Jake (Josh O’Connor), two strangers who meet by chance and soon become totally infatuated with each other. The pair’s chemistry is undeniable, and as the thread that needles through their relationship tightens and frays thanks to their insecurities and issues, you’re always rooting for them. Unlike 500 Days of Summer this one is a better ending for the romantics, but it really gets to the heart of how much love can bear, and what can eventually sever a tie.