Shubhabrata Dutta
Many of us have been through the feeling of unrequited love, haven’t we? To love someone with all our heart, without that person knowing or reciprocating, is painful. Interestingly, this pain has often been interpreted as sweet pain, perhaps an excuse to the self to continue loving without expecting anything in return. It’s a cross one has to bear forever, since an answer may not be suitable, though at times it may be; however, not many take the risk. Loving in silence is better than declaring it and finding out it won’t be returned. If you, too, have been in that space or want to know how it feels, here we bring you the best unrequited love movies available on Netflix.
11. The Last Goodbye (2025)
‘The Last Goodbye’ is a Filipino high school romance that addresses photography nerd Xavier’s (Matt Lozano) unrequited love for Heart (Daniela Stanner), who is grieving the loss of her mother. Xavier is a sweet guy, but Heart, who finds him the same, turns a blind eye to his romantic antics. The fact that the story is told from the POV of Heart, who is speaking from the future, makes things interesting as we wait with bated breath to see how things work out while anticipating a happy ending. Will it be so? ‘The Last Goodbye,’ in stark contrast to most high school dramas, keeps things innocent without aligning with the “steamy” and “sexy” tropes. It is directed by Noah Tonga and can be watched here.
10. Mujhse Dosti Karoge! (2002)
Directed by Kunal Kohli, ‘Mujhse Dosti Karoge!’ is an Indian Hindi-language (Bollywood) drama that shows a love triangle, with unrequited love as one of its ingredients. We meet Pooja (Rani Mukerji), who helps Tina (Kareena Kapoor) write letters to Raj (Hrithik Roshan), who lives abroad. The three are childhood friends, and Raj, who is drawn to Tina, forms a strong bond with her through the letters, unaware that it is Pooja, who loves him, writing them and expressing her feelings. When Raj returns years later, he and Tina exchange affection, much to Pooja’s sadness. Will she have to accept things as they are and let her love be unrequited forever? ‘Mujhse Dosti Karoge!’ is a Hindi-language romance film featuring quintessential Bollywood elements, including songs, dance, beautiful locations, and a good-looking cast. It can be streamed here.
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9. Pyaar Impossible (2010)
Starring Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Uday Chopra, ‘Pyaar Impossible’ is a Bollywood rom-com about a nerdy fellow named Abhay who is in love with Alisha, an admired student at his university. After failing to make an impression on her, he meets her again years later when they are both professionals. Consequent events lead Alisha, who is divorced and doesn’t remember Abhay, to hire him as her daughter’s nanny. Abhay slowly becomes an integral part of Alisha and her daughter’s lives. The question is, how will Abhay reveal his feelings to Alisha? And what will her reaction be? Directed by Jugal Hansraj, ‘Pyaar Impossible’ is about unrequited love making a comeback years later without losing its poignant touch, which is almost always the case. The movie can be streamed here.
8. Dreamy Eyes (2019)
The Vietnamese drama ‘Dreamy Eyes’ tells the story of unrequited love that stretches across two generations. Ngan (Tran Nghia) and Ha Lan (Trúc Anh) meet as children in their school, and Ngan falls for her. They grow into adults, Ha Lan falls for another guy, gets pregnant, and gives birth to a child. Ngan stays by her side without revealing his feelings for her until it’s too late. A rare drama that deals with the sorrows of unrequited love, ‘Dreamy Eyes’ was the Vietnamese entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards, though it wasn’t selected. The sad romance is worth watching and can be streamed here.
7. Love like the Falling Rain (2020)
‘Love like the Falling Rain’ is about best friends Kevin and Nara, who are inseparable. However, Vin secretly loves Nara, who wants him to fall in love, advising him to woo Tiara, a girl from his environmental club. Vin’s pining only grows with time, and his moments with Tiara are spent half-heartedly. The movie takes a raw, teenage approach to showing how Vin struggles with his feelings and emotions, and ends with an answer to his prayers, whatever it may be. Directed by Lasja Fauzia, the Indonesian teen romance stars Jefri Nichol, Aurora Ribero, and Nadya Arina. You can watch it here.
6. 20th Century Girl (2022)
’20th Century Girl’ is a South Korean coming-of-age romance directed by Bang Woo-ri. Set in 1999, the movie introduces us to high school student Na Bo-ra (Kim Yoo-jung), whose best friend, Yeon-du (Roh Yoon-seo), is about to leave for America for heart surgery. Bo-ra promises Yeon-du to keep her updated about her crush, Baek Hyun-jin (Park Jung-woo). However, confusion ensues when Bo-ra falls for Baek Hyun-jin’s best friend, Poong Woon-ho (Byeon Woo-seok), only to find out that she made a mistake. Woon-ho is actually Bo-ra, the guy Yeon-du fell for but mistook for Woon-ho, thanks to a shared jacket with Woon-ho’s name tag. Bo-ra doesn’t want to ruin Yeon-du’s love story but finds it difficult to make her heart understand the same. With teenage drama, first love, and unrequited love as the elements, ‘20th Century Girl’ ensures a fun binge with its storytelling and performances. It can be streamed here.
5. Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2016)
Directed by Karan Johar, the Bollywood drama ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’ centers on a guy named Ayan (Ranbir Kapoor), who fell for Alizeh (Anushka Sharma) during a trip. When he realizes Alizeh doesn’t love him, and even invites him to her wedding, he does arrive at the event and leaves, even from Alizeh’s life. He then starts dating Saba (Aishwarya Rai), a woman older than him. This relationship slowly begins to resemble his rebound from Alizeh. Then, inspired by Saba’s poetry, he reconnects with Alizeh, trying to make her feel jealous about his current relationship. His toxicity roots in unrequited love, something that culminates in a painful ending underscored by Alizeh’s shocking revelation. Yet another Bollywood musical that garnered immense popularity, ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’ is driven by strong performances and a contemporary take on love. It can be streamed here.
4. The Half of It (2020)
Directed by Alice Wu, ‘The Half of It’ centers on Ellie Chu (Leah Lewis), an outcast teenage student who becomes friends with Paul Munsky (Daniel Diemer), a shy fellow. Paul needs help expressing his feelings to a girl named Aster Flores (Alexxis Lemire). Ellie, who ghostwrites for others in return for money, agrees to help, writing letters to Aster and successfully helping Paul connect with her. The catch? Ellie secretly likes Aster too, and the words in the letters are coming out of her heart rather than Paul’s. As words are exchanged, Ellie’s feelings for Aster grow. What will this result in? As fate would have it, the truth is revealed at the end. To find out what happens then, you can stream the heartwarming yet poignant teen drama right here.
3. When We First Met (2018)
‘When We First Met’ takes a sci-fi approach to the unrequited love genre. It follows a guy named Noah (Adam DeVine), who is heartbroken since the love of his life, Avery (Alexandra Daddario), is getting engaged to Ethan. A chance entry inside a photo booth gives him the ability to alter the past, and he decides to do it and make Avery fall for him. However, in every attempt he makes some error, resulting in a new present he doesn’t like. Whether and how he makes Avery fall for him, if at all, forms the premise of the rom-com. It is directed by Ari Sandel. You can binge it here.
2. Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (2008)
‘Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi,’ directed by Aditya Chopra, stars Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka Sharma in her film debut. The Bollywood drama follows Surinder (Khan), whom Tani (Sharma) is asked to marry by her dying father after her fiancé dies in a tragic accident on the day of their wedding. A heartbroken Tani keeps her word but informs Surinder that she will never be able to love him. Surinder, who fell for her at first sight, hopes to make her fall for him by changing his persona. Aided by his best friend Bobby (Vinay Pathak), a hair salon owner, he becomes Raj Kapoor. Will this be enough? ‘Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi’ was a huge hit when it came out, receiving praise for its storytelling and songs. It can be streamed here.
1. Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003)
‘Kal Ho Naa Ho’ is a cult classic Bollywood romance at the center of which are three characters: Aman Mathur (Shah Rukh Khan), Naina Katherine Kapur (Preity Zinta), and Rohit Patel (Saif Ali Khan). Aman believes in living in the moment, for tomorrow may never come. He moves to a new neighborhood and soon meets his next-door neighbor, Naina. He starts helping her family deal with the many problems they are facing, including their struggling restaurant business. Aman falls for Naina, but upon finding out that Rohit loves her too, decides to help him win Naina’s heart. The reason for this is a heartbreaking secret Aman has been hiding from everyone and wants to bring the two people together, citing Naina’s feelings for Rohit too. ‘Kal Ho Naa Ho’ is a cult classic movie reputed for its story, songs, and the stellar cast, with Shah Rukh Khan’s performance considered timeless. The movie is directed by Nikkhil Advani. You can watch it here.
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