12 Movies Like The Love Hypothesis You Must See

Prime Video’s ‘The Love Hypothesis’ is a rom-com directed by Claire Scanlon and based on Ali Hazelwood’s novel of the same name. Olive Smith (Lili Reinhart), a PhD student at Stanford, is a dedicated individual who finds herself in a strange situation. She has a crush on Jeremy (Nicholas Duvernay), but realizes that her best friend, Anh (Rachel Marsh), has feelings for him as well. Wanting to convince Anh that she no longer has feelings for Jeremy, Olive impulsively kisses Dr. Adam Carlsen (Tom Bateman), a handsome, intimidating professor infamous for his strict demeanor. This leads to a fake dating arrangement when Adam agrees to pretend to be Olive’s boyfriend.

Olive hopes their relationship will help Anh feel comfortable pursuing Jeremy, while Adam has a professional reason for the act. He believes appearing to be in a serious relationship could help convince the science department to fund his research. As Olive and Adam attend events and maintain their carefully planned relationship, their act becomes increasingly difficult to separate from reality. What begins as a convenient pact gradually develops into genuine feelings, forcing Olive to question whether love is real. These movies, similar to ‘The Love Hypothesis,’ feature tender stories of romance, doubt, and fate that will keep you entertained.

12. Red, White & Royal Blue (2023)

Director Matthew López’s ‘Red, White & Royal Blue’ is a rom-com based on Casey McQuiston’s novel of the same name. Alex Claremont-Diaz (Taylor Zakhar Perez), the son of the US President, and Prince Henry (Nicholas Galitzine) of England have spent years clashing despite sharing similar privileged lives. Their rivalry causes a major scene at a royal wedding and risks tension between their two nations. To contain the fallout, their families force them to pretend that they have become friends. The carefully planned PR stunt gradually gives way to genuine friendship, and then to romantic feelings, between Alex and Henry.

With Alex’s mother, President Ellen Claremont (Uma Thurman), fighting for re-election, their secret relationship could have serious consequences. Alex and Henry struggle to balance their feelings with their public responsibilities and must make tough decisions. Much like ‘The Love Hypothesis,’ the movie turns an artificial relationship into a genuine emotional connection between two unlikely people. The characters initially believe they can control how others perceive their relationship, but their growing feelings turn the situation on its head.

11. 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

‘10 Things I Hate About You’ centers on Cameron (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a student at Padua High who quickly becomes interested in Bianca Stratford (Larisa Oleynik). The obstacle is that Bianca cannot date unless her older sister, Kat (Julia Stiles), dates first. Cameron realizes that getting closer to Bianca means finding someone willing to pursue her sister. He arranges for Patrick Verona (Heath Ledger), a rebellious student, to impress Kat. What begins as a carefully engineered plan becomes complicated when Patrick and Kat develop genuine feelings for each other. Meanwhile, Cameron’s own pursuit of Bianca creates its own romantic complications, threatening to expose the scheme behind both relationships.

The Gil Junger directorial is loosely inspired by William Shakespeare’s ‘The Taming of the Shrew.’ Along the lines of ‘The Love Hypothesis,’ the rom-com explores how a transactional arrangement transforms into something genuine and surprising. Patrick is supposed to be pursuing Kat for reasons connected to the larger scheme, while Olive and Adam similarly expect their fake relationship to remain within clearly defined boundaries.

10. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003)

‘How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days’ centers on Andie Anderson (Kate Hudson), an advice columnist, and advertising executive Benjamin Barry (Matthew McConaughey). Andie wants to prove she can write a more substantial story by showing she can drive a man away within 10 days, while Ben must convince a woman to fall in love with him within the same period to secure a major advertising opportunity. Their paths cross, and neither realizes that the other is secretly pursuing a completely different objective. While Andie puts her plan into action and Ben attempts to make the relationship succeed, their conflicting strategies create a series of increasingly complicated situations.

Genuine attraction develops between them, threatening to derail both of their missions. With Donald Petrie in the director’s seat, the rom-com is loosely based on the eponymous picture book by Michele Alexander and Jeannie Long. ‘How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days’ and ‘The Love Hypothesis’ comment on the intertwining of professional ambitions and love. Ben’s advertising career is tied directly to his pursuit of Andie, while Adam’s academic ambitions fuel his connection with Olive.

9. Set It Up (2018)

‘Set It Up’ is a rom-com that follows Harper Moore (Zoey Deutch) and Charlie Young (Glen Powell), two exhausted assistants whose demanding bosses leave them with little time for their own lives. Looking for a way to make their working conditions more manageable, the pair hatch a scheme to bring their bosses, Kirsten Stevens (Lucy Liu) and Rick Otis (Taye Diggs), together romantically. Working as matchmakers gives Harper and Charlie an excuse to spend more time together, and their collaboration soon develops into an unexpectedly close friendship.

As they coordinate to make the bosses’ relationship work, Harper and Charlie begin to notice feelings between each other that neither had planned for. This forces them to reconsider the romantic arrangement they created and their own views on love. Shaped under Claire Scanlon’s directorial vision, ‘Set It Up’ and ‘The Love Hypothesis’ are both visually engaging and character-driven love stories that unfold in professional spaces and feature personal arrangements that lead to unexpected romantic tribulations.

8. Purple Hearts (2022)

‘Purple Hearts’ brings Cassie Salazar (Sofia Carson), an aspiring musician struggling to afford her diabetes treatment, together with Luke Morrow (Nicholas Galitzine), a Marine facing financial difficulties before deployment. With both desperate for a solution to their problems, they agree to a marriage of convenience that they intend to keep entirely practical. The pact gives each of them something they urgently need, but the relationship eventually starts to feel deeper. After Luke returns home following a grave injury, their circumstances shift again, forcing Cassie and Luke to confront emotions that no longer fit their plans.

The couple has to determine whether the connection they have developed can survive beyond the practical reasons that brought them together. Brought to life by Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum, the romantic drama film is an adaptation of Tess Wakefield’s novel of the same name. ‘Purple Hearts’ shares a strong connection with ‘The Love Hypothesis’ through its intricate portrayal of a relationship of practicality and lies that becomes something else. Cassie and Luke enter a marriage for non-romantic needs, while Olive and Adam agree to fake a romantic relationship because their arrangement benefits both of them.

7. Plus One (2019)

‘Plus One’ is a rom-com from directors Jeff Chan and Andrew Rhymer that introduces longtime friends Ben King (Jack Quaid) and Alice Mori (Maya Erskine). Both of them dread the start of a seemingly endless wedding season. Both are tired of showing up to celebrations alone, so they make a practical agreement to attend every wedding as each other’s fake dates. This strange pact allows them to navigate the social expectations of weddings without having to pursue actual relationships. But shared experiences and the familiarity of their friendship gradually change the dynamic between them. When their connection becomes increasingly intimate, the boundaries they established at the beginning start to feel less certain.

Ben and Alice must then confront whether their emerging feelings are worth risking a meaningful friendship. ‘Plus One’ and ‘The Love Hypothesis’ feature scenarios where repeated time together gradually changes a relationship that initially seems easy to control. Alice and Ben worry about jeopardizing their friendship, while Olive and Adam navigate uncertainty as their carefully defined fake relationship begins to feel real.

6. Anyone But You (2023)

‘Anyone But You’ brings Bea (Sydney Sweeney) and Ben (Glen Powell) back into each other’s lives after a promising first encounter ends in an unexpected breakdown. Although the pair initially seems to have genuine chemistry, a misunderstanding turns their attraction into mutual resentment. Their paths continue to cross through the same social circle, eventually leading both to a lavish destination wedding in Australia. Rather than endure the awkwardness, Bea and Ben agree to pretend they are a couple. Interestingly, both have their own separate reasons for maintaining the elaborate act. The convenient performance soon becomes complicated as their old attraction resurfaces amid the celebrations.

With friends and family watching their every move, the two have to decide whether their fake relationship is merely a way to survive the wedding or an opportunity to reconsider their feelings for each other. Directed by Will Gluck, the rom-com is loosely based on William Shakespeare’s ‘Much Ado About Nothing.’ Both ‘Anyone But You’ and ‘The Love Hypothesis’ are visually rich movies that build their romances around relationships that begin as performances rather than genuine commitments. Bea and Ben pretend to be together at a wedding, while Olive and Adam enter a fake relationship for practical reasons, only for real feelings to complicate the arrangement.

5. The Valet (2022)

‘The Valet’ turns an accidental encounter into an unlikely fake romance between two people from completely different worlds. After paparazzi photograph movie star Olivia (Samara Weaving) with her married lover, Vincent (Max Greenfield), she needs a new relationship to divert attention from the scandal. Antonio (Eugenio Derbez), the valet who accidentally appears in the photograph, is recruited to pose as Olivia’s boyfriend. Antonio struggles to fit into Olivia’s glamorous world and the awkwardness it brings. Meanwhile, he also hopes the newfound attention might somehow help him solve a few personal problems.

Eventually, Olivia and Antonio realize that their deceptive pact might have emotional consequences they did not foresee. Helmed by Richard Wong, the rom-com is a remake of the French movie of the same title. ‘The Valet’ and ‘The Love Hypothesis’ show how a carefully controlled arrangement becomes emotionally unpredictable. Antonio pretends to be Olivia’s boyfriend to manage a public scandal, while Olive and Adam pretend to be together for their own practical reasons.

4. The Perfect Date (2019)

‘The Perfect Date’ centers on Brooks Rattigan (Noah Centineo), an ambitious high school student whose academic record is overshadowed by his worsening financial situation. An unexpected chance to earn money to fund his Ivy League plans comes when he agrees to pose as Celia Lieberman’s (Laura Marano) boyfriend. Realizing that people are willing to pay for a convincing romantic companion, Brooks turns the idea into a business with his friend Murph (Odiseas Georgiadis), creating an app through which clients can hire him as their date or pretend boyfriend. While the demand for his services grows, Brooks becomes increasingly skilled at adapting himself to whatever each client wants. At the same time, he meets a girl who genuinely interests him.

Balancing his business ambitions and personal feelings eventually forces Brooks to reconsider the carefully constructed identity he has created. With Chris Nelson in the director’s chair, the rom-com is an adaptation of Steve Bloom’s novel ‘The Stand-In’. Along the lines of ‘The Love Hypothesis,’ the narrative explores what happens when characters form a relationship for non-romantic reasons and unexpectedly develop genuine feelings. Brooks initially treats dating as a service, while Olive and Adam assume their fake relationship can remain controlled, only for real romantic feelings to interfere.

3. Holidate (2020)

In ‘Holidate,’ Sloane (Emma Roberts) is tired of being judged by her family for being single, and Jackson (Luke Bracey) is frustrated with the pressures surrounding relationships. After an unexpected meeting, they become platonic dates for one another whenever family celebrations or major holidays arrive. With no romantic expectations attached, the arrangement seems ideal, giving both of them a reliable companion without the complications of a real relationship. Over the course of a year, however, repeatedly spending holidays together changes the nature of their connection.

The two grow increasingly comfortable with each other and begin developing feelings that contradict the rules they established. This complication forces Sloane and Jackson to navigate emotional chaos. Helmed by John Whitesell, the rom-com, much like ‘The Love Hypothesis,’ is a commentary on love’s ability to transcend boundaries and rules that people think they can control easily. The characters in the two films are also urged to rethink their perspectives on romance.

2. The Proposal (2009)

‘The Proposal’ narrates the story of Margaret Tate (Sandra Bullock), a NYC publishing executive who finds herself in an increasingly complicated situation when she faces deportation because of her immigration status. To protect her career and remain in the country, she falsely claims that her assistant, Andrew Paxton (Ryan Reynolds), is actually her fiancé. Andrew agrees to the deception in exchange for promised professional benefits, but maintaining the story requires them to spend time together away from their workplace. They travel to Alaska for the birthday celebration of Andrew’s grandmother, Annie Paxton (Betty White), where Margaret is introduced to his family.

The pair has to make their supposed engagement convincing to ensure that the immigration issues are sorted. But as the act becomes harder to maintain, their carefully negotiated arrangement leads to real feelings, complicating matters. Anne Fletcher steers this rom-com, in which the need to make a fictional relationship convincing to other people leads to unforeseen romantic tribulations, akin to ‘The Love Hypothesis.’ Margaret’s trip to Alaska exposes her to Andrew’s family and life outside work, while Olive’s time with Adam gradually reveals sides of him that challenge her original perception.

1. The Hating Game (2021)

Based on Sally Thorne’s eponymous novel, ‘The Hating Game’ is a Peter Hutchings directorial in which a competitive workplace becomes the unlikely setting for a romance between Lucy Hutton (Lucy Hale) and Joshua Templeman (Austin Stowell). Sharing the same position at their company, the two have developed a hostile rivalry, with every interaction becoming another opportunity to outdo or irritate the other. Their competition becomes even more intense when both are considered for the same promotion to managing director, making their professional relationship increasingly difficult to separate from their personal feelings.

Yet beneath the antagonism, an unexpected attraction begins to emerge. Lucy and Joshua are forced to reconsider whether their rivalry is masking something deeper and whether pursuing their careers at the expense of their relationship is really what they want. The rom-com, similar to ‘The Love Hypothesis,’ places unlikely romance inside a professional environment, adding to the chaos and intensity. Lucy and Joshua work together while competing for a promotion, whereas Olive and Adam’s relationship develops within Stanford’s academic world.