By Jessica Herndon
From the early stages of flirtation to the trials of maintaining connection, stories about the pursuit of love are easy to get lost in. The romantic films at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival are among those that will sweep you away. Packed with moments that dive deep into how we connect, these films’ diverse perspectives remind us that the journey to find and keep love is full of surprises, challenges, and rewards.
This year’s lineup offers fresh, provocative, and emotionally rich takes on the many layers of romance. In Two Women, a delivery guy becomes the catalyst for two struggling mothers to rediscover their desires and joy. The Wedding Banquet reimagines a rom-com classic with a modern twist on love. And Sweet Talkin’ Guy hilariously tackles fragile masculinity as a trans woman endures three wildly awkward dates.
Dig into the nine films below — from narrative features to evocative shorts — that celebrate the many ways we seek, hold onto, and redefine love and add these titles to your schedule. All the films on this list will be available to view in-person at the Fest and online.
Already snagged your in-person or online pass or package? Level up your experience with a Short Film Pass: Online and get unlimited on-demand access to watch shorts when you want between January 30–February 2.
SHORT FILMS
Are You Scared to Be Yourself Because You Think You Might Fail? (Short Film Program 5) — As Mad (Lio Mehiel) heals from top surgery, they navigate the push and pull of craving their partner’s affection while grappling with their resistance to care from their mother. A tender exploration of vulnerability and connection, this intimate short beautifully captures the complexities of healing — both physical and emotional. Available in person and online.
Sweet Talkin’ Guy (Short Film Program 4) — This short confronts the male ego with biting humor as a trans woman, played by Dylan Wardwell (the film’s co-writer and director), navigates three hilariously revealing dates with a diverse selection of men, showcasing how the pursuit of companionship can make us reckon with our identity. Available in person and online.
FEATURES
Atropia (U.S. Dramatic Competition) — Hollywood meets war wounds, and reality blurs with role-play in Hailey Gates’ sharp and satirical debut. In a military training facility turned faux city, an aspiring actress (Alia Shawkat) falls for a soldier playing an insurgent (Callum Turner), but their real connection begins to disrupt the carefully choreographed simulations. Available in person and online.
The Ballad of Wallis Island (Premieres) — James Griffiths’s charming feature strikes the right notes as it brings together romance, humor, and folk music on a beautiful Welsh island. When idiosyncratic lottery winner Charles convinces his favorite band — and exes (Carey Mulligan and Sian Clifford) — to reunite for a private show, old wounds and awkward tensions bubble to the surface, threatening Charles’s good time.
Come See Me in the Good Light (Premieres) —Andrea Gibson and Megan Falley’s love story comes with an unthinkable twist: an incurable cancer diagnosis. Come See Me in the Good Light, executive produced by Tig Notaro, Brandi Carlile, and Sara Bareilles, follows the two poets on a heartbreakingly raw and unexpectedly funny journey. Through the lens of Sundance Film Festival alum, director Ryan White (Assassins, 2020; Ask Dr. Ruth, 2019), the film explores how to hold on and let go all at once. Available in person and online.
Love, Brooklyn (U.S. Dramatic Competition) — Rachael Abigail Holder’s debut feature follows three Brooklynites as they wrestle with shifting relationships, careers, and dreams as gentrification reshapes their borough. André Holland shines as the chill Roger, whose charm meets its match in DeWanda Wise’s Nicole, a single mom with no time for games. Meanwhile, Nicole Beharie’s Casey navigates a changing art world and an evolving bond with Roger. Available in person and online.
Sabar Bonda (Cactus Pears) (World Cinema Dramatic Competition) — Grief and tradition lead Anand (Bhushaan Manoj) back to his rural roots, where an unexpected connection blossoms. As he navigates family pressures and the loss of his father, Anand forms a tender bond with a local farmer who is trying to avoid marriage. Writer-director Rohan Parashuram Kanawade’s semi-autobiographical debut is a heartfelt portrayal of queer love in rural India. Available in person and online.
Together (Midnight) — A couple’s rocky attempt at a fresh start in the countryside spirals into something grotesque and transformative after a chilling supernatural encounter in writer-director Michael Shanks’s horrific feature debut. Married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie play the couple coping not only with a freakish presence but their toxic codependency. Available in person only.
Two Women (World Cinema Dramatic Competition) — Violette and Florence (Karine Gonthier-Hyndman and Laurence Leboeuf) are neighbors bound by a shared dissatisfaction with their picture-perfect lives. As Violette grapples with the chaos of maternity leave and Florence faces depression, an impulsive affair becomes a turning point for rediscovering joy. Chloé Robichaud’s contemporary reimagining of a 1970s comedy uses bold humor to explore motherhood, marriage, and desire. Available in person and online.
The Wedding Banquet (Premieres) — When Min’s green card marriage to his friend Angela sparks a whirlwind of misunderstandings — including an extravagant Korean wedding banquet orchestrated by his grandmother — chaos and comedy ensue. Back at the fest after premiering Spa Night in 2016, Andrew Ahn brings a modern twist to the remake of the 1993 film of the same name. Starring Bowen Yang and Lily Gladstone, Ahn explores love, identity, and family dynamics, transforming a romantic triangle into a hilariously complicated queer quartet. Available in person only.
