Following a chance encounter, wunderkind Remy (Jenna Ortega) and music-obsessed slacker Barnes (Percy Hynes White) become inexorably entwined in each other’s lives. As winter turns to spring and spring turns to summer, the two find themselves falling in love. But with Remy heading to Harvard in the fall, the young couple are forced to reevaluate what’s truly important to them.

Courtesy of seasoned rom-com screenwriter Tiffany Paulsen, Winter Spring Summer or Fall is a Gen Z love story brimming with charm that will tug on the heartstrings regardless of age. Loaded with classic tropes like the meet cute, prom and, of course, that climactic sprint, Paulsen’s film is a reminder why these stories endure over the years and why audiences keep coming back for more. The two lead performances from Ortega and Hynes White bring to mind Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke in Richard Linklater’s Before Sunrise with a generous helping of YA fizz.––Cara Cusumano

Tiffany Paulsen