Twenty-one years after the original 50 First Dates charmed audiences with its tender blend of comedy and romance, 50 First Dates 2 (2025) reimagines the story for a new era—still sunny, still sweet, but more emotionally grounded. This spiritual sequel doesn’t just rely on nostalgia; it dares to explore what comes after happily ever after, especially when every day is a beginning.
Set two decades after Lucy Whitmore (Drew Barrymore) and Henry Roth (Adam Sandler) embarked on their unconventional romance, 50 First Dates 2 finds them living aboard a boat in Alaska with their teenage daughter, Emma. Lucy, who still suffers from her rare form of short-term memory loss, wakes up each day needing to be reminded of her entire life through Henry's carefully crafted videos. Over the years, they’ve adapted—but life, as always, brings new challenges.
The film begins with Emma (played by Jenna Ortega in this imagined continuation) discovering that she might have inherited a similar neurological condition. Fearing for her future, Lucy starts pushing away her family in a heartbreaking attempt to “protect them” from herself. Henry, still the affable and devoted partner, must navigate the growing emotional distance while keeping their family united.
Director Dennis Dugan returns to helm the sequel, blending the signature Sandler-style humor with genuine emotional weight. The film doesn’t rely entirely on slapstick; instead, it leans into the idea of evolving love—what it means to choose someone every single day, even when they might forget you the next.
The standout of this (fictional) sequel is the deepening of Lucy’s character. Barrymore delivers a nuanced performance that captures both the confusion of memory loss and the fierce strength of motherhood. Sandler, meanwhile, moves between comedy and quiet pathos with surprising ease. The addition of Ortega as Emma offers a generational bridge and a subplot rich with possibility—especially when she finds love for the first time and questions whether her condition makes her "unlovable."
The cinematography is soft and nostalgic, mirroring the dreamy nature of Lucy's world. There’s a particular sequence—an imagined diary montage of Lucy's “favorite” remembered days—that will likely reduce audiences to tears.While 50 First Dates 2 (2025) is entirely fictional at the time of writing, such a sequel could be a meaningful exploration of enduring love, memory, and identity. It reminds us that while memories can fade or falter, the choice to love—to really love—is what defines us. Fans of the original would find themselves laughing through tears, and perhaps, rewatching the first film with renewed affection.
