One Day (2024), a remake of the 2011 film and 2009 novel, was released just under two months ago. Did anyone else have an absolute breakdown over this show? Emma and Dexter’s slow burn was harrowing, yet so wholesome. There are so many tropes and pipelines throughout literature, film, and television. From enemies to lovers to messy love triangles, there is a never ending list of ways that our favourite characters fall in love. In this post, we’ll be taking a look at our favourite friends to lovers stories.
Streaming availability is based on the UK, availability may vary in other countries
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Friends to Lovers Movies
13 Going on 30
13 Going on 30 is all about the difficult transition from adolescence into adulthood, and is the perfect representation of a friends to lovers story. When Jenna, 13, makes a wish and wakes up as her 30-year-old self, she has to navigate the trials and tribulations of adulthood. Jenna tracks down her childhood best friend, Matty, and the pair, reluctantly but eventually, fall in love.
13 Going on 30 is available to stream on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, and Google Play Movies.
Flipped
Flipped really is your classic childlike one-sided love, very much about how two people love each other at different times. Honestly, the way these two were acting, it was almost like an enemies to lovers story. Bryce tried so desperately to get rid of Juli. Ever since they met as kids, she was so obsessed with him and he couldn’t have cared less. Then, when they become teenagers, the tables turn.
This movie feels very much reminiscent of other right place wrong time films, like The Notebook and, of course, One Day.
Flipped is available to rent on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, and Google Play Movies.
Love, Rosie
Rosie and Alex have been best friends since childhood and never saw themselves having any sort of romantic connection. As they grow up and their lives carry on, taking them in separate directions, they stay in touch via emails and letters. Alex moves to Boston, while Rosie stays in England with her kid. Deep down, they’re in love with each other, but unfortunate timings and a few mistakes keep them apart.
It’s not until the very end of the movie that the pair finally get together, giving viewers some satisfaction but we’re left wondering what the hell happened next.
Love, Rosie is available to stream on Amazon Prime and Disney+
Lovesong
Lovesong shows Sarah and Mindy, two best friends going on a road trip with Sarah’s young daughter, after not seeing each other for years. Their dynamic changes from platonic to romantic throughout the film, but the feelings are not spoken, instead they’re shared through hopeful glances. Years later, they reconnect as Mindy’s about to get married, and Sarah is trying to revive the connection they’ve had in the past. The issue is Sarah only has a few days before Mindy says “I do” to someone else.
Lovesong didn’t find the success of other queer films, such as Moonlight and Portrait of a Lady on Fire, but it is nonetheless fitting in the yearning and heartbreak genre.
Lovesong is available to rent on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Google Play Movies and Youtube.
Yesterday
For fans of The Beatles, this friends to lovers pipeline is perfect for you. When Jack, an aspiring musician, wakes up and the world has forgotten about The Beatles, he uses their songs as his own to get famous. Jack’s childhood friend Ellie has supported his career since the start and cheers him on as he becomes famous. She confesses her love for him, but his desire for fame keeps them apart.
Yesterday is available to rent on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, and YouTube.
Crush
Crush centres around Paige, an artist who has to join her high school’s track due to a false accusation that would’ve otherwise gotten her suspended. She uses this opportunity to get closer to her crush, Gabriella, but instead spends more time with Gabriella’s sister, AJ. While still pursuing Gabriella, Paige begins to understand that maybe she had the wrong idea of who she should be with.
Crush represents a story we’ve seen many times in straight rom-coms, but now through a sapphic lens, which makes it revolutionary in the queer movie genre that has until now only explored stories depicting tragedy.
Crush is available to stream on Disney+.
Friends to Lovers TV Shows
Law and Order: SVU
This may be the slowest burn we have seen throughout television. Since the pair started working as partners in 1999, Law & Order: SVU fans have been longing for them to get together. Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler are the ultimate detective-duo and, honestly, we admire that their work came first. Nonetheless, finally, in season 24 fans got exactly what they were waiting for. After 24 years of that friends to lovers pipeline developing very slowly, Elliot confesses his love for Olivia.
Law & Order: SVU is available to rent on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, and YouTube. Seasons 6-11 are available on Netflix.
The Office
The Office was full of crazy and unexpected romances and hookups, but the one fans were waiting for for years was that undeniable connection between Pam and Jim. They both work for a paper company and lead their own lives, occasionally interacting at work. Despite fleeting romances with other characters, Pam has always had a crush on Jim. As it turns out, Jim has had a crush on Pam this whole time, too, and they finally get together.
The Office is available to stream on Amazon Prime, Netflix, and NOW.
New Girl
New Girl tells the adventures of Jess, a girl who moves out of her apartment after finding her boyfriend cheating on her. She finds an ad for an apartment looking for a roommate, the only downside being she would be living with three guys, Nick, Winston and Coach (soon replaced by Winston in later episodes). She moves in, developing wholesome friendships with the three guys. As the story unfolds, she finds herself falling in love with Nick, not knowing he is reciprocating her feelings.
New Girl is the perfect example of a friendship slowly turning to romance, with the complications that arise when falling in love with your best friend and roommate.
New Girl is available to stream on Disney+.
Atypical
Atypical is the story of Sam, a teenager on the autism spectrum, who decides he is ready to start dating, which is met with hesitation from his family. His sister, Casey, who is very protective of him moves to another high school to pursue her career in track running. There she meets Izzy, who becomes her best friend. The more time passes, Casey realizes she is having feelings for Izzy, which complicates the situation given that they both have boyfriends and they are only discovering their respective identities through these growing feelings.
Atypical is the typical experience for queer women — falling for your best friend and panicking because of not knowing if she feels the same. It is a great coming-of-age story about coming to terms with who you are.
Atypical is available to stream on Netflix.
Normal People
If you’ve watched Normal People, I’m so sorry. What a heartbreaking story. The series starts with Marianne and Connell in school and how their complex friendship/relationship develops as they become adults. As their adult lives progress, they fall in and out of some form of relationship, but miscommunication interferes. Connell seems to constantly let Marianne down and, as viewers, we’re left heartbroken.
Somehow, despite it all, the series ends up with the pair finally living happily together in Ireland.
Normal People is available to stream on BBC iPlayer or to rent on Amazon Prime.
Heartstopper
Heartstopper is jam packed with friends to lovers stories, but, of course, our favorite has to be Nick and Charlie. When two teens build an unlikely friendship, they soon discover that it may be more. As they navigate the struggles of sexuality, particularly in a British secondary school setting, they quickly fall in love and build one of the best relationships we’ve seen on television in a long time.
Bring on season 3!
Heartstopper is available to stream on Netflix
Friends to Lovers Books
Never Let Me Go
Never Let Me Go tells the story of three boarding school friends, Kathy, Ruth and Tommy. They’re exploring growing up in a closed-off environment, with their fates sealed. Ruth and Tommy become a couple, one that lasts throughout their lives, however, Kathy and Tommy have understood each other better than anyone else since their beginnings. With Ruth giving them the green light to be together, it is up to them to decide whether it’s too late to explore the romantic side of their relationship.
Never Let Me explores the unspoken feelings between friends, and the loss that accompanies the unsaid.
Never Let Me Go can be purchased on Amazon Prime.
Exciting Times
Exciting Times follows Ava, an Irish teacher that moves to Hong Kong to teach English. She moves in with Julian, her friend who she’s navigating a complicated situation with. They are sleeping together, but Julian isn’t looking for a relationship, while Ava is catching feelings. When Julian goes abroad, Ava meets Edith, a lawyer who she forms a connection with. With the lines between friendship and romance blurring with Edith, Ava has to decide where her feelings reside.
Exciting Times is an intriguing exploration of friendship and sexuality, with a bisexual main character attempting to sort the generational complexities of establishing a committed relationship.
Exciting Times can be purchased on Amazon Prime.
She Gets The Girl
She Gets The Girl develops the friendship between Molly, a shy freshman college student with a crush on one of her fellow classmates from high school, and Alex, another student who is struggling to keep her relationship. Since they’re on the same college campus, Alex befriends Molly and promises her that she’ll help her get the girl, while Molly will attempt to solve Alex’s relationship problems. However, the closer they grow, they begin to fall for each other instead.
She Gets The Girl is a wholesome story about finding the right person and learning to let go of what no longer serves you.
She Gets The Girl can be purchased on Amazon Prime.
Six Times We Almost Kissed
Six Times We Almost Kissed is about two girls, Penny and Tate, whose mothers have been best friends their entire lives. Although Penny and Tate were brought up together, they don’t appreciate each other that much. When Penny’s mom decides to be an organ donor for Tate’s mom, they announce that they would be moving in together, in order to simplify the preparation and recovery of the two women. Penny and Tate are not fine with the arrangement, but there’s nothing they can say but be supportive. While spending most of their time together, Penny and Tate have to face the many times they almost kissed during their teenage years, and figure out the truth about their feelings for each other.
Six Times We Almost Kissed is an emotional book, the slow burn relationship of the two main characters guiding them through the difficult times in their lives.
Six Times We Almost Kissed is available to purchase on Amazon Prime.
Have some of these stories got you feeling nostalgic? Check out our post on the most iconic TV shows of the 2000s.
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