Debapriya Bhattacharya
Based on Nicholas Sparks’ eponymous novel, ‘The Notebook’ by Nick Cassavetes tells the timeless tale of a rich girl and a poor boy falling madly in love. Lumber mill worker Noah Calhoun (Ryan Gosling) first meets 17-year-old heiress Allison Hamilton (Rachel McAdams) at a carnival in Seabrook Island, South Carolina, in 1940. Allison’s family has just moved into town for the summer, and she begins a whirlwind romance with Noah, knowing that they may soon be separated. Her family strongly disapproves of their relationship, and soon, the time comes for them to part. Noah goes off to serve in World War II, while Allison gets engaged in New York.
However, when she finds out about his return to his hometown, the old spark is reignited. Since its release in 2004, the film has become a cult classic. If you’ve enjoyed Noah and Allison’s romance, here are some more movies similar to ‘The Notebook’ for you to stream on Netflix.
12. Along for the Ride (2022)
‘Along for the Ride’ by Sofia Alvarez follows Auden West (Emma Pasarow), a fresh graduate from high school, who decides to spend her summer before college with her father in Colby Beach. A night owl and a loner, she spends her nights roaming the streets when everyone is asleep. Soon, she meets Eli Stock (Belmont Cameli), a fellow insomniac and BMX biker. The two go on nightly adventures and push each other to overcome past traumas and live out their dreams in the film based on the book of the same name by Sarah Dessen. Like ‘The Notebook,’ the romance between the young couple in ‘Along for the Ride’ blossoms over a single summer. You can catch the movie here.
11. Falling Inn Love (2019)
Helmed by Roger Kumble, ‘Falling Inn Love’ revolves around Gabriela Diaz (Christina Milian), who loses her job and breaks up with her boyfriend within the same week. With nothing seemingly going her way, she enters an online contest to win an inn in the countryside of New Zealand and ends up winning. However, when she travels there all the way from San Francisco, she finds it to be an old, neglected place that the owner simply wants to get rid of. To restore the property, Gabriela is forced to work closely with Jake Taylor (Adam Demos), the town’s only contractor, and soon finds herself falling for him. Similar to Jake, Noah gets into restoring a manor in ‘The Notebook,’ where he first takes Allison while it’s still dilapidated. You can watch ‘Falling Inn Love’ here.
10. The Royal Treatment (2022)
Rick Jacobson’s ‘The Royal Treatment’ chronicles the story of Isabella (Laura Marano), a hairdresser who owns a salon and gets invited to do the hair and makeup at the royal wedding of Prince Thomas of Lavania. During his interactions with the prince, Isabella inspires him to do more for the common people and follow his heart while realizing that she needs to take control of her own destiny as well. Love blossoms between the two despite their different social statures and Tomas’ impending wedding, much like the plotline of ‘The Notebook.’ You can catch the movie here.
9. A Perfect Pairing (2022)
‘A Perfect Pairing’ by Stuart McDonald centers around Lola Alvarez (Victoria Justice), a wine executive based in Los Angeles who launches her own company and travels to Australia to secure a potential client. While she is initially turned down, Lola discovers that the family that owns the winery also owns a farm, and they are shorthanded at the moment. She secures employment on the property to get more time with them and change their minds. While she is on the verge of giving up, she meets a mysterious man named Max (Adam Demos), who pushes her to carry on. Over time, they develop feelings for each other. Set outside the cityscape, ‘A Perfect Pairing’ well captures the heart of ‘The Notebook.’ Watch the film on Netflix.
8. Irreplaceable You (2018)
Directed by Stephanie Laing, ‘Irreplaceable You’ follows best friends Abbie (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) and Sam (Michiel Huisman), who are engaged to each other. Their blissful life falls apart when Abbie is diagnosed with terminal cancer. Not ready to leave Sam behind on his own, she embarks on a humorous mission to search for a perfect new partner for him. At the same time, she also forges friendships with a few other cancer patients and a nurse, who help her realize the importance of focusing on living rather than dying. The emotional story has the impending separation of soulmates at its core, similar to ‘The Notebook.’ Catch the film here.
7. Don’t Leave (2022)
Ozan Aciktan’s ‘Don’t Leave’ opens with young professional artist Semih (Burak Deniz) being stunned out of his wits by his girlfriend Defne’s (Dilan Çiçek Deniz) sudden decision to end their relationship. As she walks out of their shared home, Semih goes into a state of self-reflection. The story proceeds by moving backward in time, and Samih replays the highlights of his relationship in his mind, attempting to figure out exactly where it all fell apart. In stark contrast to the relationship between Noah and Allison in ‘The Notebook,’ which is frequently punctuated with passionate fights, ‘Don’t Leave’ highlights an absence of tension, which does not necessarily signify a deeper connection. You can watch the movie here.
6. After Everything (2023)
‘After Everything’ is the fifth installment of the ‘After’ series, directed by Castille Landon, based on the books by Anna Todd. It depicts the protagonists, Tessa Young (Josephine Langford) and Hardin Scott (Hero Fiennes Tiffin), living apart after he publishes a tell-all book about their relationship. With Tessa being his muse, Hardin suffers from writer’s block and realizes that the way to move forward and get her back is to right his past wrongs. Similar to Noah and Allison in ‘The Notebook,’ the young couple go through the pangs of separation before getting another chance at making it work. Watch ‘After Everything’ on Netflix.
5. After We Collided (2020)
The second installment of the ‘After’ series, ‘After We Collided’ by Roger Kumble, chronicles another tumultuous period in the relationship between Tessa Young (Josephine Langford) and Hardin Scott (Hero Fiennes Tiffin). Tessa begins her internship at Vance Publishing, where she comes across coworker Trevor Matthews. His presence in Tessa’s life bothers Hardin, which leads to frequent fights followed by making up. Meeting Hardin’s mother, Tessa becomes aware of the source of his personality issues. Much like the start of ‘The Notebook,’ ‘After We Collided’ shows the whirlwind romance between the lead pair. You can watch the film here.
4. Love at First Sight (2023)
Based on Jennifer E. Smith’s novel ‘The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight,’ Vanessa Caswill’s directorial ‘Love at First Sight’ tells the story of a chance encounter between Hadley Sullivan (Haley Lu Richardson) and Oliver Jones (Ben Hardy) on a flight from New York to London. Over the next six hours and forty-seven minutes, the two youngsters fall in love before being separated at Heathrow Airport. The longer the two stay separate, the more desperate they become to reconnect. In the end, it seems to depend on fate if they can get back together, much like what happens in ‘The Notebook.’ Watch ‘Love at First Sight’ on Netflix.
3. Endless Love (2014)
Adapted from Scott Spencer’s novel of the same name, ‘Endless Love’ by Shana Feste centers around high school graduate Jade Butterfield (Gabriella Wilde), a 17-year-old sheltered girl from privilege who becomes enamored by working-class youth David Elliot (Alex Pettyfer). They begin a tumultuous relationship in the summer despite the disapproval of Jade’s father, Hugh (Bruce Greenwood). However, all it does is push the rebellious teens closer to each other. The narrative of ‘Endless Love’ thus frequently overlaps with ‘The Notebook’ as it chronicles passionate young love. You can watch ‘Endless Love’ here.
2. All the Bright Places (2020)
Helmed by Brett Haley and based on the eponymous novel by Jennifer Niven, ‘All the Bright Places’ revolves around teenagers Theodore Finch (Justice Smith) and Violet Markey (Elle Fanning), living in a small town in Indiana. Both struggle with baggage from their past. While Theodore often disappears for long periods without explanation, Violet likes to stay aloof, dealing with survivor’s guilt following the death of her sister. After a chance encounter on a bridge, they become close, learning to trust and confide in each other. The smallest moments that they share become very precious to them. Watch the film on Netflix.
1. The Last Letter From Your Lover (2021)
Based on Jojo Moyes’ eponymous novel, ‘The Last Letter From Your Lover’ follows two storylines set in the present and the past. In the present day, British journalist Ellie Haworth (Felicity Jones) discovers a letter from 1965 that speaks of a forbidden affair. Intrigued, she decides to dig deeper for a story with the help of archivist Rory McCallan (Nabhaan Rizwan). As they come across more secure love letters, they learn the story of Jennifer Stirling (Shailene Woodley), the wife of a wealthy industrialist and journalist, Anthony O’Hare (Callum Turner). At the same time, Ellie and Rory come closer together. Directed by Augustine Frizzell, the movie celebrates love that endures, similar to the one in ‘The Notebook.’ Over time, multiple plot points overlap in the two films, from letters to reconnection. You can watch ‘The Last Letter From Your Lover’ on Netflix.
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