The 12 Greatest Films To Watch If You Like 500 Days Of Summer season

The acclaimed 2009 comedy “500 Days of Summer season,” memorably starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel, is broadly thought of a love story, regardless of the film explicitly denying this affiliation. As its lead actors keep, the movie is extra of a coming-of-age story than a standard romance, with its protagonist confronting the reality in regards to the nature of affection. For individuals who benefit from the film’s quirky humorousness, eclectic soundtrack, and refreshingly grounded and associated performances, there are a number of thematically related movies. Whereas a few of these comparable motion pictures are outright romantic comedies, what actually hyperlinks them to “500 Days of Summer season” are their younger grownup coming-of-age sensibilities.

This is not to say that these motion pictures are instantly impressed by “500 Days of Summer season” both; a number of on this listing have been launched years earlier than. What these motion pictures have in widespread is a wry, typically self-aware and dialogue-driven humorousness, with the story anchored by two likable leads. And, in fairly just a few of those movies, the soundtrack not solely organically matches into the narrative however elevates the whole viewing expertise. Listed here are the 12 greatest motion pictures to observe if you happen to like “500 Days of Summer season.”

After enjoying a hopeless romantic within the ’80s basic “Say Something,” John Cusack’s starring position in 2000’s “Excessive Constancy,” is the actor at his most relatably down-to-earth. Primarily based on the Nick Hornby novel of the identical title, Cusack performs Rob Gordon, a person working at a small report retailer in Chicago. Following a breakup along with his newest severe girlfriend, Rob begins mentally revisiting all his previous main relationships as his life reaches one other private crossroad. As Rob ponders his life’s romantic failures, he addresses the viewers instantly whereas the workers on the report retailer function a Greek refrain to his story.

Co-written by Cusack himself, “Excessive Constancy” is the final word showcase for his dry humor and outlook on life, love, and, after all, music. Cusack leans into his laidback everyman appeal whereas Jack Black delivers a scene-stealing efficiency as his pal and co-worker Barry. If “500 Days of Summer season” is about reevaluating life and relationships in a single’s late 20s, “Excessive Constancy” is about doing so in a single’s 30s. Led by Cusack and Black at their most likable, and powered by a killer soundtrack, “Excessive Constancy” is an understated masterpiece.

Breakups will be so painful that one would possibly catch themselves wishing any lingering reminiscences from a ruptured romance have been erased utterly. That want informs the 2004 romantic drama “Everlasting Sunshine of the Spotless Thoughts,” set in a world the place individuals pays to have undesirable reminiscences eliminated. After Joel (Jim Carrey) learns that his ex-girlfriend Clementine (Kate Winslet) has had her reminiscences of him erased, he decides to bear the identical process. As Joel undergoes the reminiscence erasure, he relives his historical past with Clementine and reconsiders whether or not he desires to neglect her endlessly.

Deliberately disorienting and surreal within the uneven exploration of its protagonist’s reminiscences, “Everlasting Sunshine of the Spotless Thoughts” has Carrey’s greatest dramatic efficiency so far. Matching him is Winslet as a grounding presence to the uncooked vulnerability Carrey brings to his lovelorn position. Reveling in its bittersweetness, “Everlasting Sunshine of the Spotless Thoughts” has a dream-like high quality that helps ease the story’s inherent disappointment. Beginning beneath the auspices of heartbroken cynicism, the movie rediscovers the worth of sentimentality quite than casting sophisticated feelings into medical oblivion.

The center installment of filmmaker Richard Linklater’s Earlier than trilogy, 2004’s “Earlier than Sundown” is the sequel to “Earlier than Dawn.” 9 years after their romantic evening in Vienna, star-crossed couple Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Céline (Julie Delpy) reunite for a day in Paris. Although the 2 have moved on individually, with Jesse having since grow to be a profitable creator and household man, they nonetheless keep in mind their magical time collectively. As the 2 catch up strolling by way of the French capital, they understand by the ending of “Earlier than Sundown” that their emotions for one another might not be completely previously.

“Earlier than Sundown” options superbly staged scenes that take full benefit of getting Paris as a backdrop. Offered as one lengthy dialog, the film retains the proceedings centered tightly on Jesse and Céline, with Hawke and Delpy’s easygoing and pure chemistry stronger than ever. The longer takes and digital camera following the actors by way of Paris makes the viewer really feel like they’re a part of the dialog, if solely as a continuing observer. A love story for 30- and 40-somethings disillusioned with how their life has gone, “Earlier than Sundown” is the head of Linklater’s trilogy.

Younger love and effervescently poppy melodies mix collectively seamlessly within the 2008 romantic comedy “Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist.” Adapting the 2006 younger grownup novel of the identical title by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan, the story takes place largely inside a single evening in Manhattan. After enduring a breakup, teenager Nick (Michael Cera) goes to New York to play along with his band and discover a secret present performed by a preferred indie band. He meets Nora (Kat Dennings), who joins him on his quest as they bond over music and discover themselves falling in love.

“Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist” captures that reckless abandon of being younger and dreamily idealistic within the metropolis, feeling as if something is feasible. Like their characters, Cera and Dennings play off of one another properly, benefiting from the dialogue-driven materials. In lesser fingers, the movie might’ve felt like cloying younger grownup materials, however it breathes new life into acquainted tropes. Backed by a killer soundtrack, “Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist” is a feel-good coming-of-age film that makes Manhattan appear like a lit-up playground.

Two years after starring in “500 Days of Summer season,” Joseph Gordon-Levitt teamed with pal and artistic collaborator Seth Rogen to headline the 2011 comedy “50/50.” Gordon-Levitt performs Adam, a 20-something journalist in Seattle who’s recognized with a uncommon spinal most cancers. Given a 50% likelihood of survival, he endures a grueling chemotherapy routine, attended to by his greatest pal Kyle (Rogen). As Adam confronts his personal looming mortality, his relationship along with his therapist Katherine (Anna Kendrick) begins to develop extra private than skilled.

“50/50” faces its subject material with the due seriousness required whereas managing to offer a stunning variety of laughs for a narrative revolving round most cancers. All the ensemble solid delivers their performances completely, together with Anjelica Huston as Adam’s mom, however Gordon-Levitt is the foremost standout. Most cancers forces Adam and Kyle to develop up, with their friendship forming the film’s emotional core. Balancing tragedy and comedy, “50/50” is an earnest and humorous have a look at the transformative energy of mortality and extreme sickness.

The lifetime of a touring humorist generally is a monotonous grind of low-cost motels and dingy comedy golf equipment, the likes of that are explored by 2012 indie comedy “Sleepwalk with Me.” A semi-autobiographical story co-written and directed by Mike Birbiglia, Birbiglia stars as Matt Pandamiglio, an aspiring comic who suffers from a persistent sleeping dysfunction making him sleepwalk in a deep sleep. As Matt’s profession begins to take off, it results in him and his longtime girlfriend Abby (Lauren Ambrose) reevaluating their relationship. This stress worsens Matt’s sleepwalking situation, as his life reaches an vital crossroads and he finds his comedic voice.

Birbiglia’s understated comedic sensibilities and everyman qualities actually assist floor “Sleepwalk with Me” in comparison with flashier motion pictures inspecting the lives of stand-up comics. There’s a relatability to Matt’s story, notably for individuals approaching their 30s dealing with larger life choices and questions of dedication. “Sleepwalk with Me” additionally boasts a stacked ensemble solid, together with supporting roles for Marc Maron, Kristen Schaal, and Carol Kane, all offering memorable performances. A superbly stripped-down and intimate portrait of life on the street as a humorist, “Sleepwalk with Me” balances coming-of-age melancholy with earnest laughs.

The lengthy, sophisticated street to the top of what as soon as was a promising romance is the centerpiece of 2012’s “Celeste and Jesse Eternally.” After highschool sweethearts Celeste (Rashida Jones) and Jesse (Andy Samberg) marry younger, they finally drift aside and resolve to divorce. This fissure is derailed as Jesse and Celeste every ponder reconciling at totally different phases of the divorce and discover love elsewhere. Because the dissolution of their marriage grows extra convoluted, the probabilities of them splitting amicably grows much less doubtless.

Working for 92 minutes, there is not an inch of celluloid filler on “Celeste and Jesse Eternally” because it unravels its central couple. The film by no means actually asks the viewer to take sides on the break up, with Jones and Samberg remaining likable all through. With that in thoughts, the actors additionally show quantities of emotional depth and nuance they hadn’t actually demonstrated on-screen earlier than or, arguably, since. Discovering the appeal in an unpleasant situation, “Celeste and Jesse Eternally” is likely one of the most nice divorce motion pictures round.

Earlier than she was helming billion-dollar blockbusters like “Barbie,” filmmaker Greta Gerwig co-wrote the 2012 dramedy “Frances Ha” with director and associate Noah Baumbach. When protagonist Frances Halladay (Gerwig) is pressured to relocate from her Brooklyn condominium, she bounces between associates and lodging as she tries to adapt. This forces Frances to reevaluate her personal life decisions, amplified when she returns to her hometown of Sacramento. Confronted with this deep existential disaster, Frances compares her personal experiences together with her shut associates as they face their very own challenges.

Like its flighty protagonist, “Frances Ha” flits round its narrative, alternating between tone and vignette as Frances finds her approach. The film’s cinéma vérité influences are clear, notably with its black-and-white cinematography evoking New Wave French and Italian motion pictures from the ’60s. What retains “Frances Ha” from descending into self-indulgence is Gerwig herself, each together with her writing and standout efficiency. With Gerwig entrance and middle, “Frances Ha” rises above its contemporaries because the existential dramedy for any coastal 20-something lady who feels adrift.

Writer Stephen Chbosky adapts his personal 1999 best-selling novel “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” with a 2012 film of the identical title. Set in 1991 in a suburb of Pittsburgh, the movie follows Charlie (Logan Lerman), a teen affected by extreme medical melancholy, as he begins highschool. Charlie finds kindred spirits in senior siblings Patrick (Ezra Miller) and Sam (Emma Watson), becoming a member of their misfit ensemble of associates. As this pal group faces numerous hardships all through the varsity yr, the supply of Charlie’s deep-seated ache begins to return to mild.

Whereas the core trio of Lerman, Watson, and Miller are completely magnetic of their performances, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” additionally options an unbelievable ensemble solid. One of many standouts is Paul Rudd, in certainly one of his most interesting performances so far, as Charlie’s English trainer, providing a subtly nuanced position whereas sustaining his typical easygoing charisma. Refreshingly honest, the movie actually captures the texture of being an neglected outsider, no matter setting. Fantastically executed, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” is an all-around tour-de-force for its solid and crew, and it is a necessary film about highschool you have to see.

Superior expertise gives a remedy for loneliness, if just for a restricted time, in the 2013 science fiction romance film “Her.” Written, directed, and co-produced by Spike Jonze, the movie is ready in a near-future Los Angeles, following a well-meaning however profoundly lonely man named Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix). To deal with his solitude and melancholy, he purchases a digital assistant synthetic intelligence that takes on the title Samantha (Scarlett Johansson). As Samantha turns into extra self-aware, she and Theodore fall in love whereas dealing with the apparent problems of their distinctive coupling.

A meditation on loneliness within the digital age, “Her” is not a lot an exploration on the character of synthetic intelligence as it’s about how we be taught to like. As technologically linked as Theodore is, it separates not simply from discovering one other human romantic associate but additionally from his personal humanity. It is by way of Samantha that Theodore is ready to develop and emerge from his self-imposed solitary shell. Melancholy and but hopeful, “Her” feels intensely private, with Phoenix delivering certainly one of his greatest performances of all time.

The lifespan of a romantic relationship is displayed in full within the 2014 indie dramedy “Comet,” written and directed by “Mr. Robotic” creator Sam Esmail. After assembly her at a meteor bathe, self-centered protagonist Dell (Justin Lengthy) strikes up a romance with the compassionate Kimberly (Emmy Rossum). The narrative is then instructed out of chronological order, displaying Dell and Kimberly’s relationship rising extra severe earlier than falling aside on a couple of event. This dynamic unfolds over the course of six years, with Dell coming to phrases along with his personal deep-seated narcissism within the face of the extra empathetic Kimberly.

Like “500 Days of Summer season,” the heavy use of flashbacks and flash-forwards all through “Comet” retains the viewer guessing about its core couple’s destiny till the top. Dell is a a lot much less sympathetic protagonist than most of the different motion pictures on this listing, by design. Matching Lengthy’s delinquent power as Dell is the at all times luminescent Rossum as Kimberly, with the pair taking the fabric to a different degree. Extra of an outright drama than a romantic comedy, “Comet” is about somebody studying to look past themselves at a steep private price.

Indie filmmaker Noah Baumbach has constructed up a formidable filmography of postmodern romantic dramas and comedies, together with extra mature major characters reevaluating their place in life and love. Baumbach’s 2019 drama “Marriage Story” follows married couple Nicole (Scarlett Johansson) and Charlie (Adam Driver) as their marriage steadily breaks down. What begins as an intent to divorce with little drama shortly devolves right into a grueling course of the place Nicole and Charlie’s ugliest qualities floor. This expands to custody battles over their son and suspicions that Charlie secretly cheated on Nicole previous to their separation.

“Marriage Story” seems like Baumbach’s most private movie so far, with parallels to his personal divorce prior to creating the film. In Adam Driver, Baumbach finds one thing of a muse and proxy protagonist, with Charlie veering between searingly weak and emotional. Whereas “Marriage Story” is certainly one of Baumbach’s extra severe examinations of affection, or quite its decay, there are nonetheless loads of darkly comical moments all through the film. “Marriage Story” earned its solid and crew a number of the greatest award season accolades so far, and rightfully so.