HELLO! Exclusive: Sofia Carson and Corey Mylchreest are redefining romance in the modern era

“Do you want to live deliberately or believe in forever?” That’s not just the emotional core of Netflix’s My Oxford Year, it’s also the kind of question that lingers long after the credits roll. Adapted from Julia Whelan’s bestselling novel, the film, which stars Sofia Carson and Corey Mylchreest, is as much about love as it is about how we love in a world that demands choices, sacrifices, and sometimes, a painful redefinition of “forever.” It’s a story that asks whether great love has to last a lifetime to truly count. HELLO! caught up with the stars to talk about their ideas of love and why the genre of romance; seemingly simple, often sentimental, is still so relevant.

“Some loves are short, but profoundly meaningful” is Sofia's response, full of heart and honesty, when asked if she believes in forever. “That’s a really great question,” she says. “I’ve always believed that we have many great loves. So, I guess I’m more of the belief that something can be short and profoundly meaningful. Someone can be one of the great lovers of your life and only be in your life for a certain amount of time. But I also would like to believe that when you meet the right person, there exists a forever.” Carson’s answer is reflective of a generation that values emotional depth over duration, choosing meaning over permanence. Her words echo a quiet rebellion against the classic fairytale ending, not because the fantasy isn’t valid, but because love, today, is more layered, more lived-in.

Corey Mylchreest, who plays the romantic lead opposite Carson, agrees but adds a philosophical twist. “It’s the opposite of a catch-22, because both things are true,” he says. “Some things increase in how powerful and meaningful they are with time, and some things don’t need that. You can fall in and out of love regardless of the subject, really.” The enduring appeal of love stories in a world that's increasingly cynical, where dating apps replace chance encounters and ghosting feels more common than grand gestures, why do love stories still matter?

Because it's perhaps now, that we need them, more than ever. Romance films like My Oxford Year give us space to reflect on our emotional truths. They’re not just escapist fantasies; they’re blueprints of possibility. They ask us, what would you do for love? What should you do? And most crucially, can something that ends still be worth everything?

In the film, Anna, played by Sofia, must choose between the career she’s always wanted and the love that surprises her. It's not a neat story, but that’s what makes it feel true. The idea of "living deliberately" is questioned, stretched, and eventually redefined. As Corey puts it, “In the film, living deliberately has two different definitions. Anna comes in with her own version of what that means—and it isn’t wrong. It’s just hers.”

Modern love stories aren’t just about the meet-cute. They’re about grief, ambition, fear, compromise, timing. They’re about making room for love, not just falling into it. They connect with audiences because they reflect the complicated truths, we face today that love doesn’t always come at the right time; that it doesn’t always last; and that it doesn’t have to, to be real. Maybe that’s the quiet magic of a film like My Oxford Year. It doesn't force a happy ending. It offers something more, the radical belief that a fleeting moment can still be unforgettable, and that forever is just one kind of love—not the only one.

So why do love stories still connect today? Because love, in all its messy, imperfect forms, is still what everyone is searching for. Whether it’s for a moment or a lifetime, it’s still the most deliberate choice we make. And sometimes, choosing to love; regardless of the outcome, is the bravest story we can tell.

(Also Read: From Charli xcx to Alia Bhatt, 6 low-key celebrity weddings where love spoke the loudest)