Movies, books, and stories about long-distance relationships have existed long before the internet and dating apps. They have been novels about pen pals turned lovers and of mail order marriages for centuries.
Once the internet came around, however, not only did online dating take off with incredible speed, but movie studios started pumping movies about online dating even faster. “You’ve Got Mail” is and probably always will be the most iconic example of that, but there have been many others too.
So, for the Netflix subscribers out there – what are the Top 5 movies about online dating on Netflix right now?
1. Love, Guaranteed (2020)
“Live, Guaranteed” sounds like exactly the type of name you’d expect from a dating app that doesn’t guarantee love. And that’s indeed what the makers of this movie had in mind too, as it follows Nick Evans (played by Damon Wayans Jr.) and his adventure of going through hundreds of unsuccessful dates with this app.
Enter Susan Whitaker (played by Rachael Leigh Cook), who is not only a friend of Nick but his lawyer too. Principally devoted to justice, Susan decides to help Nick sue the “Love, Guaranteed” app for false advertising. And, yes, if you’ve ever watched another romantic comedy or read a romance novel, you’ve already guessed the twist – Nick and Susan slowly start to fall for each other during the case against “Love, Guaranteed.”
Does this sudden falling in love jeopardize their case, however? They did fall for each other because of the app, after all, even though they didn’t technically meet on the app. Law is often as complicated as love, and both can be quite funny too, as 2020’s “Love, Guaranteed” shows.
2. Lover, Stalker, Killer (2024)
A movie about online dating doesn’t have to be a fun rom-com, and it also doesn’t have to be fictional. If you’re feeling up for a chilling true crime documentary about the risks of online dating and the devastating consequences that can sometimes befall you if you’re not careful, “Lover, Stalker, Killer” is definitely a movie to check out.
Directed by Sam Hobkinson, the movie follows the real-life story of Dave Kroupa, who, back in 2012, decided to jump into the dating pool after a breakup left him single at 35. Dave happily explores the wonderful and very new world of online dating and even starts a couple of non-exclusive relationships with Liz Golyar and Cari Farver.
However, what he thought were harmless non-exclusive flings soon turned out to be much more serious. Without spoiling too much about the documentary, it’s certainly a movie worth watching if you’re curious about the various risks of online dating.
As this movie expertly shows, whether you’re using a local dating app or you’re looking for a mail order bride online halfway across the world through a site like BridesUniverse, it’s important to make sure you stay safe at any moment of any online interaction.
3. You Do You (2023)
Netflix is a hub of not only Hollywood flicks but of many foreign films as well. The 2023 Turkish film “You Do You” is a prime example of that and a refreshing casual rom-com about online dating.
The movie follows Merve (played by Ahsen Eroglu), who is an aspiring fashion designer and who decides to start her own dating app to raise some funds. Simultaneously, she also finds out that a sleazy businessman is buying her childhood home from her estranged father.
And, yes, since this is a rom-com, you can probably guess what happens next – the sleazy businessman by the name of Anil Gurman (played by Mehmet Ozan Dolunay) not only meets Merve on her dating app and falls for her, but he also turns out to be the app’s primary investor.
Two hours of casual fun and fourth-wall breaks later, the situation is resolved in a way that may be somewhat familiar for some long-term rom-com aficionados but is charming nonetheless.
4. Sierra Burgess Is a Loser (2018)
Online dating can involve quite a few problematic situations and circumstances, and a movie about it is very likely to explore such things as well. So, it shouldn’t come as a shock that the 2018 flick “Sierra Burgess Is a Loser” caused quite a bit of controversy when it came out.
This coming-of-age teen comedy follows a topic as familiar and old as the 1897 play “Cyrano de Bergerac” – Sierra (played by “Stranger Things’” Shannon Purser) doesn’t feel like she’s pretty enough or deserving of love, so when the handsome Jamey (played by Noah Centineo) texts her, thinking Sierra was the school’s “queen bee” Veronica, Sierra decides to play along with his mistake and texts him back as if she was Veronica.
Of course, as you’d expect from such a Cirano-de-Bergerac-ian story, Sierra is actually incredibly smart, well-read, witty, and charming, and Jamey quickly falls for her during their online chats.
The inevitable problem arises when he tries to talk with Veronica in person, of course, but she is aware of everything that’s happening too because she was the one that had given Sierra’s number to Jamey in the first place.
Lots of jokes and shenanigans later, the movie ends, and it leaves a lot of questions behind it, as it explores issues such as catfishing, cyberbullying, and even a non-consensual kiss without explicitly condemning such acts.
5. Love Hard (2021)
If you like Nina Dobrev and you’re a sucker for holiday-themed rom-coms, 2021’s “Love Hard” is the movie for you. Directed by Hernán Jiménez, the movie follows L.A. denizen Natalie, played by Dobrev, whose entire career comes down to her sharing the details of her failed love life on her website.
After a particularly infuriating string of disappointments even for her, Natalie finally widens the search radius of her dating app to include not only folks in her immediate area but people everywhere in the country.
Shockingly, the change seems to work as she matches with a charming stranger pretty soon. As Christmas looms just around the corner and Natalie’s online boyfriend pines he wishes she was with him for the holidays, she decides, “Why not?” and packs for a cross-country trip from L.A. to New York. Yet, that’s where an unexpected surprise awaits.
Casual, funny, and full of endearing performances by the likes of not only Nina Dobrev but Jimmy O. Yang, James Saito, Takayo Fischer, Rebecca Staab, and others, “Love Hard” also touches on some important aspects and well-known issues of online dating such as catfishing and scams.
Final Word
Dating apps are full of promise, excitement, and the occasional disappointment, and a good movie about online dating is expected to showcase every aspect of that spectrum. Unfortunately, there are some great movies about online dating that simply can’t be found on Netflix, such as “Two Night Stand,” “Sex Drive,” “You’ve Got Mail,” “Newness,” “The Perfect Man,” “Must Love Dogs,” and many others.
Still, as many movies there are that can’t be found on Netflix, there are even more that can. So, even after you’ve watched all five of the cool flicks above, there are plenty of others about online dating you can find on this streaming service.
