Charlie Harper is finally making its way to theaters. The romantic drama from writer-director Tom Dean and co-director Mac Eldridge hits the big screen on Friday, September 25. It follows Harper (Task's Emilia Jones) and Charlie (Nick Robinson), two young people in love, who move to New Orleans together. But as Harper chases a culinary career and Charlie struggles to find his path, they start growing in different directions.
Ahead of the film's release, The Direct's David Thompson sat down with Jones and Robinson (the former star of The 5th Wave) to discuss the movie's raw, honest take on life and love.
Both stars were drawn to how real Dean's script felt, with Robinson calling it "very respectful of both characters" and the pair agreeing there's "no villain" in Charlie and Harper's story. Jones even said that anyone who's been through a breakup "kind of needs a Charlie Harper watch."
When asked what draws Robinson to love stories like this one and Netflix's Voicemails for Isabelle, Robinson joked that he has "a very symmetrical face." Jones, meanwhile, added she "couldn't cook before this film," but walked away with knife skills that came in handy on A24's Anthony Bourdain biopic Tony.
The duo was clear with their praise for each other and the film, hoping to treat viewers with life lessons on love and how a happily ever after ending can come in all different shapes and sizes.
Why There's No Villain Charlie Harper
"Anyone That's Been Through A Breakup Kind Of Needs A 'Charlie Harper' Watch..."
- The Direct: "I felt Charlie Harper was just tremendously human. There's something so raw and real about it. What drew both of you to the script and, eventually, to playing these characters?"
Emilia Jones: I mean, I think kind of what you said, like, it's just reading something so real and honest. And I hadn't really read a kind of romance script like it. I love that it's so nostalgic, and I love that you can kind of finish the film and you feel hope, and, you know, the fact that two people can grow up and grow apart, and it doesn't necessarily mean you hate them.
And, you know, every relationship in your life helps kind of form you as a person, and I love that Charlie Harper kind of touches on that. And I feel like, I don't know, anyone that's been through a breakup kind of needs [to] watch ['Charlie Harper'], and that really drew me to the project.
Nick Robinson: Yeah, and Tom's script was incredible, and I felt like it was very respectful of both characters. It's a very sensitive script, and he's a very sensitive guy.
And he was just able to kind of capture all the feelings and emotions of being in a really formative relationship, and also kind of give justice to both characters' points of view, where you kind of understood where they both were coming from, and neither one of them was necessarily wrong, but they, you know, were just growing up at different paces.
Jones: Yeah, there's no villain.
Robinson: There's no villain. Yeah, so I thought it was very honest and real and just really relatable, and I think it came at the right time in my life too. I felt very connected to the material, so, yeah, it's great.
The Challenges of Filming Charlie Harper
"Every Single Scene..."
- The Direct: "This feels like a true two-hander, with both of you on screen together for much of the movie. Was there a scene that was hard to get just right, where you had to bring something out of yourself that was difficult to reach?"
Robinson: Every single scene.
Jones: I knew you were gonna say that.
Robinson: No, no. I don't know. For me, the fight scene actually in the apartment was really difficult because we wanted to, like, have it be real, but not have it be too explosive or emotional, but then sometimes I wish that there was some more dynamic in there. It was a tricky day, but...
Jones: We also shot it... it was a night shoot. We counted, and I think the fight scene was like 10 pages. So it's a big scene, and they kind of, like, lit the apartment so we could just roam around freely, and we were lit no matter where we went, which was quite nice to kind of have that freedom. But it was a tough scene.
Robinson: It's a hard scene. But I think, yeah, with Tom and Mac at the helm, you know, they helped guide it, and, you know, there was always a... what is the word I'm looking for? Like an environment that was designed to be creative and free and trying things, and they were always open to new ideas, so that was great.
Jones: Yeah, it was fun in the end.
Why Nick Robinson Keeps Finding Himself in Love Stories
"I Have A Very Symmetrical Face, So That's Helpful..."
- The Direct: "Nick, your fans have been delighted to see you in two romantic films in 2026, Voicemails for Isabelle and Charlie Harper. What is it about love stories that you think you're drawn to, or that your skill set attracts?"
Robinson: Well, I have a very symmetrical face, so that's helpful.
But I don't know. I think love is a beautiful thing, and, you know, it's such a core experience, such a core part of the human experience. It's something we all kind of keep coming back to and trying to understand, and, like, what is it, and is it good, is it bad? So, good love, bad love.
So I don't know. I think it's just, like, the core element to most storytelling, so that's the thing that I keep finding myself in, I guess.
How Emilia Jones Learned to Cook Like a Chef
"My New Knife Skills Have Come In Handy..."
- The Direct: "Emilia, your character is a chef in Charlie Harper, and you notably learned American Sign Language for your role in CODA. Did you pick up any new kitchen skills for this role?"
Jones: Yeah, I actually couldn't cook before this film. I cooked, like, maybe pasta and things like that. And then when I got the call for 'Charlie Harper,' I was like, "Oh, perfect. This is like a great excuse to learn how to cook."
And I went into the Ritz kitchen, and they basically taught me how to chop really fast, and I was, like, shadowing all the chefs for a while, and it was so fun.
It was an amazing experience, and, yeah, I then could chop really fast and cook these, like, amazing, amazing dishes. And then I just did a film about Anthony Bourdain, and I taught Dominic Sessa how to chop really fast. So, yeah, my new knife skills have come in handy.
That's what I love about acting. You get to kind of learn all these random skills, and it's super fun to kind of challenge yourself.
Nick Robinson on Movies as Time Capsules
"Memory Is Very Fallible..."
- The Direct: "There's a line in the movie, I think from Charlie, about remembering the beginning really well and the ending really well, but the middle can be a bit hazy and sometimes even unreliable. Do you relate to that, or does acting, and the digital footprint you've both created over time, make it easier to remember your life as the years go by?"
Robinson: Yeah, I mean, I definitely think that I mark years with the projects that I've worked on, and it is kind of a helpful marker for going back through your life. And it is weird that it's, like, you know, immortalized in some kind of way, like this little time capsule. But I think, yeah, memory is very fallible. Is that the word?
And, you know, people can have the same experience and remember it completely differently, which is, again, one of the things I liked about the script, is that it's like, you know, two people can be having the same experience but experiencing it completely differently and remembering it differently. And so I thought that was just an exciting part of the project and something it tackled well.
What Audiences Should Take Away From Charlie Harper
"It's Okay To Grow At Different Paces..."
- The Direct: "In many ways, this movie is about self-worth to me, and what that means externally to the world and internally to yourself and your close relationships. What lessons do you hope audiences take away from Charlie Harper?"
Robinson: I like that. I haven't heard that being about self-worth before, but I do think that that's a core element to both of their stories. And Harper's looking for worth from an external point of view, and Charlie's kind of trying to find something internally, maybe. And they both are valid, and they both can, like, work hand in hand, I think.
But, yeah, so I hope people take away... that's a good one... self-worth, and, finding, I don't know. And it's okay to grow at different paces, and maybe that's not the person you'll be with forever. Maybe it is, but, like, taking some time apart to understand the relationship is important. And then...
Jones: Yeah, I think it's a very hopeful ending, too. You know, to be okay with the fact that not all relationships are meant to last forever, but, you know, people come into your life at a time, and, yeah, every kind of person you meet helps form you as a person and shows you what you like and what you don't like. And so I hope that people can kind of leave this and, yeah, feel some kind of hope.
Yeah, I really love 'Charlie Harper,' and I love the ending, and that it kind of leaves it up to you to decide, you know, what happens and where they go, but that they're grateful for each other.
The entire interview with the cast of Charlie Harper can be viewed below.
