Neither Margaret Qualley nor Aaron Pierre cried while watching their new tearjerker romance, Love of Your Life, which was released via streaming on Prime Video today.

“I mean, it’s me, so I’m looking with a much more critical eye,” Qualley said with a laugh, in a recent junket interview with Decider.

Her co-star Pierre, in the same interview, agreed. “I can empathize with that. I’m looking at it and I’m like, critiquing myself.”

Viewers without that critical distance, however, might want to have a full box of tissues at the ready before hitting play on this new drama, directed by Rachel Morrison (also known for 2024’s The Fire Inside) and written by Julia Cox. Qualley stars as Maya, a kind-hearted but closed-off nurse who finds herself swept off her feet by Charlie (Gabriel Basso). But this fairytale romance doesn’t come with a traditional happily ever after. Maya is forced to start over, and doesn’t know if she’ll ever be able to love life again… until she meets Felix (Pierre).

Pierre has been a rising action hero since his hit Netflix movie Rebel Ridge, and will soon star in the newest Star Wars. Qualley—a clear movie star since her stand-out role in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood—has recently made a splash in horror films like The Substance and the upcoming Possession remake. But Love of Your Life is something new for both of them—and not your traditional romance.

“The heavy emphasis of the film is falling forwards, and getting it wrong to get it right,” Pierre said. Pierre and Qualley spoke to Decider about Love of Your Life and more.

Warning: This interview contains mild spoilers for Love of Your Life on Prime Video.

DECIDER: Can you tell me about filming in Portugal? Did you get any time to explore?

MARGARET QUALLEY: Portugal was amazing. We’d been filming in London for some time by the time we got to Portugal, and a lot of the crew came with us, so it was awesome to let them loose and jump in the water and get drunk and stuff. The food was amazing. It was beautiful. 

AARON PIERRE: My sections of the film were London and Lisbon. I’m born and raised in London; I’m a London boy, so I loved being home. That’s my favorite place in the world. Lisbeth was just gorgeous; it was my first time there. I completely fell in love with Lisbon. The food is just out of this world. 

I’m a romantic, so I was rooting for you two to get back together. Did either of you feel the same way? Could there have been a version of the movie where Maya and Felix work it out, and have their happily ever after?

AP: I think there’s a version of this story where they make all of the necessary choices to get it right the first time, but that’s not the heavy emphasis of the film. The heavy emphasis of the film is falling forwards, and getting it wrong to get it right. That’s exactly what we want people to feel, like—”Ah, man, I want them to get back [together].” But at the same time, accepting that that’s the point of the conversation we’re trying to propose—which is, again, falling forwards, to get it right. 

MQ: I kind of love that the love of the movie is self-love, or a radical acceptance of your life. 

Margaret, did working on this film bring up any COVID-related feelings or memories for you? I know it did for me, even though I did not experience the same kind of loss as Maya.

MQ: This was very different from my personal experience. This was playing the experience of a nurse during COVID. I was really blown away when I got to talk to people who were working in that position. Having not only someone’s physical well-being in your hands, but their mental, spiritual well-being—because [the COVID patients] didn’t have their family there, they didn’t have their friends there. No one else could get into the hospital. They had to take care of their patients in a really, really big way, and then also had to take care of each other. So I was really moved, and impressed, and touched, by that whole community. 

Aaron, you have a line in the film that really struck me, where you tell Maya, “This was real, and if you need, I can call you and tell you that this was real.”

AP: That’s my favorite Felix line!

It was so powerful. Can you talk to me about filming that moment? What your interpretation of that line is? What is Felix saying?

AP: Again, it’s in connection to one of the overarching themes, which is acceptance, falling forwards and getting it wrong to get it right. He’s like, “Listen, we tried, didn’t work out. It’s okay. But that doesn’t mean that it wasn’t real. It doesn’t mean that everything in those moments weren’t super-duper real. Even though that moment in time has ended, me moving forwards in my life, and you moving forwards in your life, I can still carry those as real moments that I’ve had.” That’s literally my favorite Felix line. 

Margaret, there are so many powerful scenes where your performance just blew me away. The one that stood out to me, though, was the last scene where you sit down and have this talk with Catherine Keener. Can you tell me about filming that moment, and working with her?

MQ: I love Catherine. She’s just so grounded, honest and authentic in this way. I feel like she knows no other way. There is not any bullshitting in her. I’m really impressed by her, and I’m really grateful that I got to work with her and get to know her. 

I assume you’ve both seen the final cut of the film. I’m wondering, did you cry? And if so, which part got you? For me, it was that final moment where Maya’s listening to the Walkman. 

MQ: Aw, good. I didn’t cry, but… [Laughs.] I mean, it’s me, so I’m looking with a much more critical eye. 

AP: Yeah, I can empathize with that. I’m looking at it and I’m like, critiquing myself. 

Had you ever used a Walkman before this movie, Margaret?

MQ: Yes, I have. I’ve used a Walkman, but I really like a CD-ROM. 

Me too. Aaron, what can you tell us about who you play and what your experience was like in the upcoming Star War: Starfighter film? 

AP: I can’t say anything at all.

MQ: What’s the plot?

AP: [Laughs.] I do not want to get in trouble here.

MQ: Who dies? [Laughs.]

AP: I can tell you it was an amazing experience. Shawn Levy is a remarkable filmmaker, director, and friend. We’re very, very excited about sharing that with the world.