Movies like I'll Be Waiting... (1980)
The best movies like I'll Be Waiting... (1980) are Free Rein: Valentine's Day (2019), A Dog Named Palma (2021) and Last Chance for Christmas (2015). If I'll Be Waiting... hooked you with its romance and family, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedYour Heart Will Be Broken (2026)7.9/10 from 233 votes
- NewestYour Heart Will Be Broken (2026)Released 2026
Free Rein: Valentine's Day (2019)
Love is in the air as Zoe and friends go on a quest to find a fabled Maid's Stone. But when rivalry blinds them to danger, it's Raven to the rescue!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisA Dog Named Palma (2021)
The film is inspired by an incredible story of a shepherd dog named Palm who was inadvertently left in the airport by her owner. She befriends nine-year old Nicholas whose mother dies leaving him with a father he barely knows - a pilot who finds the dog at the airport. It's a story of amazing adventures, true friendship and unconditional love.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & romance
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisLast Chance for Christmas (2015)
When Prancer injures his hoof Santa’s stable hand, John, must find a fill in to ensure Christmas deliveries go off without a hitch. His mission gets complicated when he discovers that Frankie, the perfect substitute reindeer, belongs to a precocious 8-year-old girl and her mother Annie. As he races to get Frankie up to the North Pole, he realizes that he’s actually falling in love with Annie and has to find a way to win her over and save Christmas at the same time.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & romance
SnoozefestMovies like thisAttraction (2001)
A writer/radio advice show host fails to heed his own advice as he stalks his ex-girlfriend and then becomes involved with an actress friend of hers.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisYour Heart Will Be Broken (2026)
High school student Polina is saved from bullying at her new school and makes a deal with the main bully Bars: he must pretend to be her boyfriend and protect her, and she must do everything he says. During this game, the couple develops real feelings, but her family and classmates have reasons to separate the lovers.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisHoliday Date (2019)
When Brooke’s boyfriend, Ethan, breaks up with her just before the holidays, she agrees to go home with Joel, an actor who will pose as her boyfriend.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBrigadoon (1954)
Americans Jeff and Tommy, hunting in Scotland, stumble upon a village - Brigadoon. They soon learn that the town appears once every 100 years in order to preserve its peace and special beauty. The citizens go to bed at night and when they wake up, it's 100 years later. Tommy falls in love with a beautiful young woman, Fiona, and is torn between staying or going back to his hectic life in New York.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Matchmaker's Playbook (2018)
After a career-ending accident, former NFL recruit Ian Hunter is back on campus, and he's putting his extensive skills with women to work as one of the masterminds behind a successful and secretive dating service. But when Blake Olson requests the services of Wingmen, Inc., Ian may have landed his most hopeless client yet. As Blake begins the transformation from hot mess to smokin' hot, Ian realizes he's in danger of breaking his cardinal rule....
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSafe Haven (2013)
A young woman with a mysterious past lands in Southport, North Carolina where her bond with a widower forces her to confront the dark secret that haunts her.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAll of My Heart: The Wedding (2018)
Brian and Jenny are planning their wedding at the Inn where they fell in love. When a distant relative arrives and stakes their claim to the Inn, Brian and Jenny must find a way to save their beloved Inn or risk having to sell.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSailing Into Love (2019)
A biology teacher’s crusade to save a nearby island from development leads to unexpected romance with the handsome and mysterious young sea captain who is new to the seaside town of Willow Bay.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFull-Court Miracle (2003)
Inspired by the true story of University of Virginia basketball star Lamont Carr, the film centers on a group of young Jewish basketball players who search for a coach to help them out of a slump. The main character Alex Schlotsky is inspired by the true story of Alex Barbag and Chad Korpeck.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family
SnoozefestMovies like thisIt Was Always You (2021)
Elizabeth's engagement plans are thrown into disarray when her fiancée's free-spirited brother David returns home. David's unexpected influence prompts Elizabeth to question her life decisions.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance
Worth the HypeMovies like thisPloey: You Never Fly Alone (2018)
A plover chick has not learned to fly when his family migrates in the fall. He must survive the arctic winter, vicious enemies and himself in order to be reunited with his beloved one next spring.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTurkey Drop (2019)
Lucy Jacobs, a freshman university student, returns home to her small town for Thanksgiving break and suspects she's about to get turkey dropped— aka dumped by her high school sweetheart. To avoid a Turkey Day travesty, Lucy gets out of her comfort zone, proving she's not the same play-it-safe girl she once was.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisA Gift to Remember (2017)
After colliding with a pedestrian on her bicycle who loses his memory following the accident, Darcy Archer becomes determined to help the handsome guy figure out who he is. In the process, she finds out a lot more about who she is, what she wants from life, and how this too-good-to-be-true guy might just be the man she’s been waiting to bump into all her life.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAnastasia: Once Upon a Time (2020)
Anastasia Romanov escapes through a portal when her family is threatened by Vladimir Lenin, and she finds herself in the year 1988, befriended by a young American girl.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family
SnoozefestMovies like thisParis, Wine & Romance (2019)
Isabella is the ambitious new owner of her family’s Oregon winery whose dream of becoming world-renowned takes a big step forward when she enters a prestigious wine competition in Paris. Upon arrival, Isabella meets her biggest competitor, Jacques, from one of the world’s foremost winemaking families. Impressed by Isabella and her expertise in wine, a budding romance develops between them.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAlex & Me (2018)
An uplifting story of the passion and drive it takes to succeed and the power of family to help realize your dreams.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRunaway Romance (2018)
When she’s written out of her show, her relationship and her seemingly perfect life, reality TV star Ann Stanway leaves Hollywood and finds herself marooned in Amish country. But when Ann is taken in by the owner of a nearby Inn, and meets a handsome young architect, she discovers that the reality she left isn’t nearly as perfect as the one she’s found.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like I'll Be Waiting...?
The closest matches to I'll Be Waiting... are Free Rein: Valentine's Day (2019), A Dog Named Palma (2021) and Last Chance for Christmas (2015). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after I'll Be Waiting...?
Start with Free Rein: Valentine's Day (2019), the closest match to I'll Be Waiting....
What is the highest-rated movie like I'll Be Waiting...?
Your Heart Will Be Broken (2026), rated 7.9/10 by 233 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like I'll Be Waiting...?
Your Heart Will Be Broken (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
How are movies similar to I'll Be Waiting... chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside I'll Be Waiting..., then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.