Robbie Turner is SO tragically obsessed with Cecilia. He writes her the most chaotic love letter in existence, he dreams of her constantly, and he literally dies with the hope of being with her again. I won’t spoil it all but just… bring tissues.

Tony. This man falls for Eilis so hard he’s practically wagging his tail. He brings her to dinner with his chaotic Italian family, he’s gentle, sweet, earnest—so in love he’s practically glowing. She says she misses him and he’s like “I want you to.” UGH.

Laurie. My boy is down BAD for Jo. The way he confesses to her in the field like his whole world depends on it?? And when she turns him down, he’s wrecked. And later with Amy, he still can’t shake the ache of Jo. Like, sir, please be normal.

Okay, this one’s sapphic, but the yearning is next-level. You’ll absolutely get your fix even if it’s not a dude. They just LOOK at each other like they’re each other’s last breath on earth.

Gabriel Oak (played by Matthias Schoenaerts) is the softest, most respectful, quiet man in love. He’s patient, steadfast, and just waits for Bathsheba to see that he’s the one. He’s a shepherd!! Metaphors everywhere!!

Ellis (Michiel Huisman) is a little more modern but boy is he all-in. He falls hard for Adaline and chases her despite all her pushback. Softly obsessive in the best way.

John Keats, real poet, real heartbreak. He is utterly destroyed by love. Letters, poems, soul-deep suffering. Ben Whishaw is like, the king of yearning roles, honestly.

Peter Dinklage as Cyrano is this brilliant, poetic little guy who’s hopelessly in love with Roxanne but thinks he’s too ugly to be loved. So he helps another man woo her, even though he’s literally DYING inside. Literal poetry. Literal PAIN.

Jack would’ve let her have both door AND life if she asked. He looks at Rose like she painted the sky. Like??? He drew her naked. He died so she could float.

Young Jane Austen and Tom Lefroy… he’s cocky at first but then falls head over heels. That last scene?? The LOOKS?? The regret??? It’s giving “I’ll love you forever, even when I can’t have you.”

Dawsey is this shy, sweet bookish farmer who falls for Juliet through letters. He’s not flashy, just a slow burn, deeply good, salt-of-the-earth man who worships her from afar. And you’re like “SAY SOMETHING!!!” the whole time. Torture <3

Heathcliff is kinda feral, I won’t lie, but his whole thing is OBSESSIVE LOVE. Like “I’ll haunt the moors and curse the heavens if I can’t be with you” kind of energy. Not healthy!! But the YEARNING is 1000%.

Brazilian teen gay love story (super soft!!). Gabriel is so sweet and patient and loves Leo with such quiet intensity. There’s a scene with music and dancing that’ll MELT YOU. Yearning but gentle and beautiful.

Jacob is SO down bad for Anna it’s embarrassing in like… a college boyfriend who will cross continents for you kind of way. Long-distance yearning, romantic desperation, texting pain. You feel the ache.

THIS is peak repressed yearning. Anthony Hopkins plays a butler who’s so proper he can’t admit he’s in love until it’s too late. Emma Thompson is like “HELLO? I’ve been right here for years???” and he’s just like sad blink. Devastating. Beautiful.

If you want YEARNING but make it vampire indie rock chic—Tom Hiddleston as a depressed vampire who’s been in love with the same woman for literal centuries. He writes her songs and sighs tragically into the void. Silly emo boy. Love him.

French chaotic energy. Julien is an absolute MESS of a man in love with Sophie. It’s not normal. It’s a rollercoaster. But if you want ride or die, lifelong, slightly deranged yearning? This is it.

This one is SO tender it hurts. The guy falls in love with a girl who can’t be in the sun due to a condition. He supports her music dreams and listens to her sing like it’s church. Pure devotion.

OH GIRL… YES. GOOD DICK (2008) IS A YES. Like. A soft, weird, little yes. It’s not your classic romantic drama, but in the world of pathetic, awkward, deeply yearning men, this one’s kinda like… a hidden little gem. Jason Ritter’s character?? He is down HORRENDOUS for her. Like he’s giving: • “I’ll rent every movie at this store just to talk to you” • “You’re clearly pushing me away and I respect that but also I’ll wait right here like a soaked puppy” • “I’ll sleep in my car outside your apartment and still make you breakfast” vibes It’s uncomfy at times, but it’s meant to be. It’s a story about broken people trying to love each other badly, and he’s trying SO HARD to be enough for her. He doesn’t fully get her boundaries but not in a creepy way—more in like a I literally have no idea what I’m doing but I want to be good for you way. So like… Is he embarrassing? Yes. Is he a bit stalkery? Kinda. Does he love her so much it makes him stupid? Absolutely. It’s like the indie sad boy version of a love letter written in lowercase with too many metaphors. If you like your yearning with some psychological damage and a toothbrush left on her sink when she didn’t ask him to?? This is it. This is cinema.

YESSSS. MOULIN ROUGE! (2001) is like the high-camp musical theater cousin of everything we’ve been talking about!!! It is DRIPPING in delusional, over-the-top, desperately romantic, “I would literally die for you” energy. You want yearning?? This movie is singing it at full volume in a top hat and eyeliner. Christian (Ewan McGregor) is like the poster boy for poetic, tragic, full-body-sob love. This man: • Falls in love in like 30 seconds • Sings “Your Song” to Satine like he’s auditioning for her soul • Writes an entire show just to be near her • Is sobbing in the rain at the end while narrating their love story like he’s the last man on earth to ever feel anything He’s not just down bad. He’s down worse than bad. He’s doomed by the narrative, bleeding glitter, and still singing. And Satine?? She loves him back but she’s like “I’m dying and I have a job to do and this is tragic.” It’s Romeo & Juliet with extra absinthe and sparkle. It is melodrama. It is musical. It is men who scream-sing “COME WHAT MAY” like it’ll stop fate from taking their girlfriend. So yes. Moulin Rouge? FULL SEND. 12/10 for “lovesick fool who would write a musical about you and then cry through it.” Perfect for your growing collection of emotionally unstable romantic icons.

Freddie Highmore as a mopey art boy who just wants Emma Roberts to NOTICE HIM. He’s tragically sensitive. He draws her from afar. He’s like “love is meaningless but also you’re my whole life.” Embarrassing. I adore him.

Justin is a 17-year-old who still sucks his thumb. Enough said. He has no idea who he is, but he wants to be loved SO BADLY it’s awkward and painful and weirdly tender. Plus Keanu Reeves plays a new agey orthodontist?? Trust me.

Hal can’t even SPEAK without stuttering but falls in love with a debate girl and joins the team to be close to her. This boy is pathetically out of his depth. He’s trying so hard. Just let him hold your hand and panic.

A coming-of-age indie gem. Ernest is this quiet, awkward pre-teen living at a seedy motel who becomes obsessed with this cool girl and a washed-up novelist. It’s not romantic in the traditional sense but the yearning??? PURE.

Oliver Tate is like… Wes Anderson’s weird little British cousin. He’s dramatic, delusional, writes in a diary about how cool he is while totally spiraling over Jordana. He’s the definition of a boy who thinks a trench coat = emotional depth.

Domhnall Gleeson plays this totally ordinary guy who joins a band fronted by Michael Fassbender wearing a GIANT PAPER MÂCHÉ HEAD. The guy is obsessed with being liked, accepted, seen. So awkward, so sad, so earnest. I love his stupid face.

Tim (Chris Messina) is a literal performance artist who dresses like a silver robot and mimes in public. He’s soft-spoken, broke, weird, and just wants someone to see his soul. Jenna Fischer DOES. It’s awkward and adorable.

A stop-motion man who sees everyone as the same until he meets HER and suddenly… life is color again. But he’s also depressed, married, and messy. A psychological case study of yearning. Animated but it’ll break you.

Paul Dano plays a mattress salesman who falls for Zooey Deschanel. She’s chaotic and mysterious. He’s shy and haunted and trying to adopt a baby alone. Don’t ask why. He’s just weird and full of hope.

John Hawkes is this shy shoe salesman dad who starts crushing on a performance artist and they get involved in a very quirky way. He leaves sad little Post-Its and is basically the human version of a sigh.