Movies Like Always Be My Maybe for Rekindling Old Sparks
Friends-to-lovers comedies where growing apart makes coming back together funnier.
Friends-to-lovers comedies where growing apart makes coming back together funnier.
Best first watch
The Big Sick (2017)
95% fit120 min · IMDb 7.5 · RT 98%
Kumail Nanjiani plays a fictionalized version of himself falling for Emily while hiding her from his traditional Pakistani family, the same push-pull between personal desire and the life everyone expects you to live that drives Sasha and Marcus apart. Showalter grounds the comedy in real vulnerability, letting the hospital scenes and family confrontations land with weight that Always Be My Maybe only hints at.
Watch if
You want a true story where comedy and real heartbreak share the screen.
Skip if
You prefer your rom-coms without any serious medical drama.
For you if
- You want rom-coms where the leads share real history before the sparks fly.
- You enjoy watching two people from different worlds figure out how to meet in the middle.
- You like comedy that grows naturally from personality clashes and family dynamics.
Not for you if
- You want high-concept premises like time loops or body swaps driving the romance.
- You prefer slow, brooding love stories with minimal humor.
- You need constant physical comedy or slapstick to stay engaged.
How Always Be My Maybe (2019) alternatives compare
Pick The Big Sick if you want the deepest emotional payoff alongside your laughs. Crazy Rich Asians delivers the most lavish romance and family spectacle. To All the Boys I've Loved Before is your lightest, sweetest option when you want pure warm feelings. Love Hard works best for broad holiday comedy with low emotional stakes. Ali's Wedding splits the difference, pairing dry humor with genuine family pressure that hits harder than expected.
How much will I laugh?
Funny with serious parts
Romance level
Slow-build real love
Family drama factor
Major family tension
Emotional weight
Will make you cry
How much will I laugh?
Consistently funny
Romance level
Grand romantic gestures
Family drama factor
Family runs the show
Emotional weight
Heartfelt moments
How much will I laugh?
Sweet and light
Romance level
Butterflies and letters
Family drama factor
Supportive home life
Emotional weight
Light and warm
How much will I laugh?
Broad holiday laughs
Romance level
Sneaks up on you
Family drama factor
Meet-the-parents comedy
Emotional weight
Mostly playful
How much will I laugh?
Dry, awkward humor
Romance level
Forbidden longing
Family drama factor
Family is the whole conflict
Emotional weight
Quietly moving
Not sure what to watch?
Date night
Crazy Rich Asians pairs gorgeous visuals with crowd-pleasing romance that works for any couple.
Quick watch
To All the Boys I've Loved Before (2018)
At 100 minutes, To All the Boys is the shortest and easiest to fit into a weeknight.
Friend group
Love Hard's catfishing premise gets the biggest group reactions and loudest laughs.
Find your pick
Do you want family expectations and cultural identity at the heart of the romance?
Moments you loved
Best movies like Always Be My Maybe (2019)
1. The Big Sick (2017)
120 min · IMDb 7.5 · RT 98%
Kumail Nanjiani plays a fictionalized version of himself falling for Emily while hiding her from his traditional Pakistani family, the same push-pull between personal desire and the life everyone expects you to live that drives Sasha and Marcus apart. Showalter grounds the comedy in real vulnerability, letting the hospital scenes and family confrontations land with weight that Always Be My Maybe only hints at.
Watch if
You want a true story where comedy and real heartbreak share the screen.
Skip if
You prefer your rom-coms without any serious medical drama.
2. Crazy Rich Asians (2018)
121 min · IMDb 6.9 · RT 91%
Rachel Chu discovering Nick Young's secret ultra-wealthy family mirrors Sasha walking back into Marcus's neighborhood as a celebrity chef, both films finding comedy in lovers whose worlds no longer match. Jon M. Chu stages the culture shock through lavish Singapore set pieces and a killer ensemble, with Michelle Yeoh's Eleanor creating the kind of formidable opposition that makes the final romantic payoff feel earned.
Watch if
You love glamorous settings and a love story tested by fierce family loyalty.
Skip if
Lavish party sequences and fashion montages bore you.
Where to watch
3. To All the Boys I've Loved Before (2018)
100 min · IMDb 7.0 · RT 96%
Lara Jean's secret letters forcing her into a fake relationship with Peter Kavinsky creates the same accidental-reconnection spark that throws Sasha and Marcus together after fifteen years. Susan Johnson keeps the mood cozy and earnest, letting Lana Condor and Noah Centineo's chemistry carry scenes the way Ali Wong and Randall Park do, relying on small gestures over grand declarations.
Watch if
You want the warmest, most comforting rom-com on this list.
Skip if
High school settings and teen romance feel too young for you.
Where to watch
4. Love Hard (2021)
105 min · IMDb 6.3 · RT 50%
Natalie getting catfished by Josh Lin and then agreeing to be his fake girlfriend flips the reconnection setup of Always Be My Maybe into a holiday-comedy framework. Jimmy O. Yang and Nina Dobrev find genuine chemistry inside the deception, and the small-town Christmas setting gives their growing attraction the same cozy, contained feel as Marcus's San Francisco neighborhood.
Watch if
You want a breezy holiday rom-com with a catfishing twist.
Skip if
Christmas movie tropes and predictable setups frustrate you.
Where to watch
5. Ali's Wedding (2017)
110 min · IMDb 6.9 · RT 92%
Ali's single white lie about his exam results spiraling into an arranged marriage he cannot escape echoes Marcus's habit of self-sabotage in Always Be My Maybe, where fear of change keeps both men stuck. Osamah Sami brings a fidgety, lovable nervousness to Ali that recalls Randall Park's Marcus, and Jeffrey Walker frames the Iraqi-Australian community with the same lived-in warmth that Wong and Park bring to their San Francisco.
Watch if
You enjoy underdog comedies where family expectations collide with secret love.
Skip if
Slower-paced indie comedies without big set pieces lose your attention.
Where to watch
Beyond movies
TV shows and books that scratch the same itch
Never Have I Ever
Mindy Kaling's sharp, culturally grounded rom-com shares Always Be My Maybe's blend of identity humor and will-they-won't-they tension. The childhood-friends romantic thread plays out across seasons with real emotional stakes and zero cringe.
Netflix
Lovesick
Dylan and Evie's central friends-to-lovers arc stretches across years of growing apart and circling back, wrapped in a witty British rom-com structure that treats romantic comedy as something smart adults actually watch.
Netflix
New Girl
The Nick and Jess slow-burn is one of TV's best friends-to-lovers arcs, built on years of living together, drifting into other relationships, and realizing the obvious. The comedy stays sharp and the romance earns every beat.
Peacock
People We Meet on Vacation
by Emily Henry
Two best friends take a yearly summer trip until a falling-out separates them for two years. The dual timeline of their history together and awkward reunion captures exactly the funny ache of reconnecting with someone you never stopped loving.
Available at major bookstores
Common questions about movies like Always Be My Maybe (2019)
What is the best movie like Always Be My Maybe (2019)?
Based on our analysis, The Big Sick (2017) is the closest match with a 95% fit score. See the full breakdown above for why it earned the top spot.
Can I watch any of these with my parents or teenagers?
To All the Boys I've Loved Before is PG-13 and perfectly family-friendly, built around a high school love story with zero uncomfortable scenes. Crazy Rich Asians and Love Hard both work for teens and parents alike. The Big Sick and Ali's Wedding touch on heavier family conflicts that could spark good conversation.
Do any of these get heavy or deal with difficult topics?
The Big Sick includes a serious medical emergency and tense hospital scenes, plus frank conversations about cultural rejection. Ali's Wedding deals with the pressure of arranged marriage and lying to family. The other three stay in lighter romantic-comedy territory throughout.
Which one will leave me feeling the happiest?
To All the Boys I've Loved Before is pure warmth from start to finish, designed to leave you smiling. Love Hard wraps up with a satisfying holiday-movie glow. Crazy Rich Asians builds to a triumphant ending with a mahjong scene that lands like a victory lap.
Which is the quickest watch for a weeknight?
To All the Boys I've Loved Before runs just 100 minutes, the shortest of the five. Love Hard clocks in at 105 minutes. The Big Sick, Crazy Rich Asians, and Ali's Wedding all run close to two hours, so save those for when you have more time.
How do these compare in terms of comedy style?
The Big Sick leans on observational, stand-up-influenced humor from Kumail Nanjiani. Crazy Rich Asians goes broad with Awkwafina's scene-stealing energy and physical comedy. Love Hard plays the holiday-comedy formula for laughs. Ali's Wedding uses dry, cringe-comedy awkwardness. To All the Boys is more charm than punchlines.
Which should I start with if I rarely watch rom-coms?
Crazy Rich Asians works as a perfect entry point because it pairs its love story with family drama, gorgeous production design, and enough spectacle to hook anyone. If you prefer something grounded and real, The Big Sick feels more like a drama that happens to be funny and romantic.
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