5 Movies Like The Last Sunrise for Fans of Post-Apocalyptic Sci-Fi

The most memorable romantic movies often find beauty in the space between joy and heartbreak, and Amazon Prime’s “The Last Sunrise” leans into that emotional contrast. Directed by Carlson Young, the romantic drama follows Ry Pera, played by Maia Reficco, an aspiring dancer whose future is suddenly thrown into doubt after she learns she has epilepsy. Faced with the prospect of a frightening operation or a lifelong reliance on medication, Ry opts for treatment. But the medication’s debilitating effects leave her detached from the passion and ambition that once defined her.

Everything begins to shift when Ry’s mother, Isolde (Eva Longoria), relocates them to Mallorca, Spain. Surrounded by a freer, more spontaneous culture, Ry starts connecting with locals and experiencing a life far removed from the one she knew. Among them is Juliàn (Fernando Lindez), a charming fisherman whose presence may be enough to pierce her emotional fog. Yet their growing connection comes with complications: Ry is still grappling with her health, Juliàn’s family business is drowning in debt to dangerous people, and Isolde’s company could be tied to the crisis threatening his family.

For viewers drawn to romantic dramas where love unfolds alongside major personal turmoil, “The Last Sunrise” offers plenty to ponder. If its mix of new romance, illness, and difficult life choices leaves you wanting more, these five movies like “The Last Sunrise” explore similarly emotional territory.

Before getting started, a warning: this list touches on major story developments from several of the films below. Spoilers ahead.

Anyone who found “The Last Sunrise” moving but wanted an even more devastating tearjerker should add Adam Shankman’s 2002 romance “A Walk to Remember” to their watchlist. Adapted from the Nicholas Sparks novel of the same name, the film stars Mandy Moore as Jamie Sullivan and Shane West as Landon Carter, updating the book’s story for a more modern setting.

Landon begins the film as a smug, well-liked high school troublemaker with a cruel streak and little concern for anyone outside his social circle. Jamie, by contrast, is the reserved daughter of a reverend. The two grow closer after being brought together through a school play, though Jamie initially warns Landon not to expect anything romantic. Of course, their bond deepens despite the sharp differences in their personalities and social standing. The painful secret Jamie keeps from her classmates, however, is that she has incurable leukemia.

It is an unapologetically tragic love story, but one that remains deeply affecting years later. The cast also includes Daryl Hannah and Peter Coyote as parental figures, while Lauren German and Paz de la Huerta deliver notable early-career supporting performances.

For a romance that brings more humor to its heavy subject matter without losing its emotional pull, “The Last Sunrise” fans may want to try Stephanie Laing’s 2018 Netflix movie “Irreplaceable You.” Gugu Mbatha-Raw stars as Allie, who has spent her life believing she and Sam (Michiel Huisman) were meant to be together. With their wedding approaching, their future appears secure—until Allie receives an unexpected terminal cancer diagnosis that upends every plan they have made.

A strong ensemble can elevate any romantic drama, and “Irreplaceable You” is especially well stocked in that department. Mbatha-Raw, known for “Loki,” and “Game of Thrones” actor Huisman create a believable connection at the center of the film, supported by Christopher Walken, Kate McKinnon, Brian Tyree Henry, and Steve Coogan.

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“Irreplaceable You” works best when it balances the crushing reality of a relationship with a limited future against the warmth Allie finds in unexpected friendships with fellow cancer patients. More than a conventional love story, it is also a film about devotion, grief, and trying to make life gentler for someone you love when there is no easy ending.

Based on the novel of the same name by John Green, director Josh Boone’s “The Fault in Our Stars” is another romantic drama where cancer is a constant companion. In fact, the movie ups the ante by a considerable margin: Here, the young central couple of Hazel Grace Lancaster (Shailene Woodley) and Gus Lancaster (Ansel Elgort) are both dealing with their own versions of the disease, along with one of Gus’ friends Isaac (Nat Wolff). What’s more, a key plot device is a cancer-themed novel written by the reclusive Peter van Houten, played by a delightfully venomous Willem Dafoe.

It’s a lot, but “The Fault in Our Stars” doesn’t shy away from the weight of its pitch black themes. Instead, it weaves the frailty of life in the very framework of its story, which weaves between Indianapolis and Amsterdam. Somehow, the end result delivers a perfect combination of levity and tragedy, with Woodley in particular carrying her difficult role with great nuance. 

“The Fault in Our Stars” is a believable, touching story about people who find love even in the pits of darkest despair. You might not want it for lighthearted amusement, but if you’re in the market for a particularly thought-provoking romantic drama and one of the best teen romance movies of all time to have a good cry over, it’s an excellent choice.

Justin Baldoni’s “Five Feet Apart” is about two young people who both live with cystic fibrosis, a hereditary condition that damages internal organs and wrecks the immune system. On top of this, Will Newman (Cole Sprouse) has a dangerous bacterial infection that would risk Stella Grant’s (Haley Lu Richardson) important organ transplant surgery should she contract it. So, of course they fall for each other.

Despite its grim subject matter, “Five Feet Apart” is arguably the most straightforward romantic drama on this list, dealing with its subject matter in a similar fashion to “The Last Sunrise.” While not directly based on a true story, the title refers to the minimum “six-foot rule” distance that two cystic fibrosis patients must abide by, which the main couple rebels against in their own small way.

It should be noted that the six-foot rule that acts as the film’s central plot device doesn’t actually work the way “Five Feet Apart” depicts it, since it only applies to outdoors interactions. Still, if you remember not to take medical advice from a romantic teen drama, it’s a moving story about an impossible situation.

Thea Sharrock’s “Me Before You” takes place in a small town in England. Here, stoic former banker Will Traynor (Sam Claflin) resides in a massive manor with his parents Camilla (Janet McTeer) and Steven (Charles Dance), bound in a wheelchair after an accident left him paralyzed. When the bubbly Lou Clark (Emilia Clarke) is hired as Will’s new caretaker, she slowly brings him out of his shell and shows him that he can still enjoy life. But is the couple’s emerging love story enough to keep Will going, especially when he harbors suspicions that Lou would be far happier with a man who has full mobility?

Based on Jojo Moyes’ book of the same title and adapted for screen by Moyes herself, “Me Before You” combines “The Last Sunshine”-style romantic drama with the class disparity themes of “My Fair Lady” and the caretaker buddy comedy-drama of “The Intouchables” to great effect — and even greater tragedy.