What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedWhat If
Michael Dowse · Film · 2013
If you loved What If, start with What If...? (2021) — a series from the same story. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to What If across media.
What hooked you in What If was the way you navigated the messy, existential uncertainty of modern romantic connections.
Start with the source
Adaptation
What If...?
Series · 2021
Books on the same thread
If We Were a Movie
Zakiya N Jamal · Book · 2025
Explores: Academic Rivalry, Black-Owned Business, Movie Theater Setting.
Like the central bond in What If, this story captures the tension of proximity and the specific, awkward intimacy that blossoms between two people within a shared, daily environment.
People Watching
Hannah Bonam-Young · Book
Explores: friends to lovers, emotional intimacy, personal growth.
If you appreciated the slow-burn emotional growth found in What If, this narrative offers a similar exploration of how deep friendship evolves into something more complex and profound.
The Choice
Nicholas Sparks · Book
Explores: fate vs choice, emotional healing, second chances.
This story mirrors the themes of fate and choice explored in What If, focusing on how proximity to a neighbor can lead to unexpected and life-altering romantic paths.
Me Before You
Jojo Moyes · Book · 2012
Explores: Disability, Right to Die, Social Class Differences.
Much like the relationship dilemmas in What If, this book examines how unexpected connections can challenge your worldview and force you to confront the realities of your current life.
Series on the same thread
Love
Judd Apatow · Series · 2016
Shares a thread with What If: Modern Relationships.
This series captures the same raw, indie spirit of What If, focusing on the self-destructive behavior and existential angst inherent in navigating modern relationships and dating in the city.
Master of None
Alan Yang · Series · 2015
Explores: Dating in the modern age, Existential crisis, Career aspirations.
Just as What If addresses the anxieties of adulthood, this show tackles the existential crisis and career pressures that complicate the search for a meaningful, mature romantic relationship.
My Love from the Star
Park Ji-eun · Series · 2013
Explores: Alien Romance, Fish Out of Water, Forbidden Love.
This series mirrors the forbidden, high-stakes connection seen in What If, highlighting the tension between personal desire and the external circumstances that keep two people apart.
Wilfred
Adam Zwar · Series · 2011
Explores: Existential Crisis, Mental Health, Unconventional Friendship.
If the existential humor of What If resonated with you, this show provides a similarly surreal look at how unconventional friendships serve as a mirror for internal psychological struggles.
Podcasts on the same thread
Paano Kung...
Podcast
Explores: relationships, self-doubt, failure.
This podcast mirrors the contemplative, questioning nature of the characters in What If, providing a space to explore the same fears of failure and possibilities in romantic life.
Insta Love
Podcast
Explores: second chance romance, influencer culture, content creation.
Like the complicated social dynamics in What If, this story explores the messiness of moving on from a past partner while navigating new, professional entanglements with a former flame.
Common questions
Is What If from 2013 related to the 2021 Marvel series What If...?
No, the 2013 movie What If directed by Michael Dowse is a romantic comedy about Wallace and Chantry. It is an entirely separate production from the 2021 television series titled What If...?, which focuses on the Marvel Cinematic Universe multiverse.
What is the premise of the movie What If?
The movie What If follows a medical-school dropout named Wallace who has given up on romance. He develops a close friendship with an animator named Chantry, despite her being in a long-term relationship with her boyfriend Ben at the time they meet.
Who directed the 2013 film What If?
The 2013 film What If was directed by Michael Dowse. The story centers on the protagonist Wallace as he navigates his feelings for Chantry while maintaining their friendship despite her existing relationship with her partner, Ben.
Does Wallace stay in medical school in the movie What If?
No, Wallace is a medical-school dropout in the movie What If. After experiencing multiple negative relationships, he decides to put his love life on hold until he forms an unexpected connection with an animator named Chantry.