Top 10 Best Moments from Chemical Hearts (2020)

Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Moments from Chemical Hearts.

For this list, we’ll be looking at the standout scenes from this Amazon Prime Video tear-jerker. If you haven’t seen the film yet, a spoiler alert is in order.

Did YOU get choked up watching “Chemical Hearts?” Let us know in the comments.

When Henry first meets transfer student Grace, they’re both offered co-editor positions at the school paper. Where Henry has been gunning for this job, Grace is disinterested in the paper or anything else social. Nevertheless, Henry is immediately drawn to Grace, as well as her taste in literature. Despite putting up a guarded front, Grace slowly takes a liking to Henry as they start walking and discussing poetry. The new girl even offers to give him a ride home, although she, strangely, makes Henry drive. This introduction tells us a lot about Grace without spelling it out. While the link between Grace’s fear of driving and the cane she walks with is obvious, her baggy clothes also subtly allude to another secret that she’s hiding.

Sooner or later, everybody has an experience involving death. Although Grace’s experience is still too painful to talk about, Henry opens up about his during a meeting. In a difficult scene that mixes tragedy with a touch of cringe, he reminisces about a boy named Mike who took his own life. Mike left behind a Hustler magazine he lent to Henry years earlier. This puts Henry in an uncomfortable position, as he isn’t sure whether to keep the memento or throw it away. He decides to bury the magazine at the site of the suicide, truly comprehending the weight of death for the first time. It’s an oddly relatable monologue that captures the confusion and uncertainty attached to grief, bringing Grace and Henry closer together.

At this point in the story, Henry has deduced that Grace was injured in a car crash that claimed the life of her boyfriend, Dominic. Uncertain how to talk to her about the accident, Henry attempts to be supportive while keeping a distance. When word gets out that Grace is alone on the track field at night, Henry is motivated to check in on her. Without revealing himself, he sees Grace trying to run without her cane, but she can only limp a few feet before falling. Letting her guard down, Grace reveals just how frustrated and heartbroken she is. It’s a side that Grace doesn’t want the world to see, one that Henry wishes he could make better, but can’t find the right words.

It takes some time, but Grace starts to let Henry in while seemingly letting go of Dom. Grace takes a significant step towards recovery by getting behind the wheel of a car. The driving route holds a special place in Grace’s heart, as does the necklace that she places around Dom’s cross. Perhaps her greatest breakthrough in this scene is when Grace tells Henry that she needs his support. The two share a sweet kiss against the beautiful yet foggy backdrop, affirming that Grace wants to move on. The keyword here is “wants,” however, as a part of Grace still can’t help but cling to her first love. Even so, it’s a genuinely romantic moment between the new couple.

Growing closer to Henry, Grace feels comfortable enough to meet his family and take a tour of his room. Just as Grace leans in a for a kiss, she draws back due to the familiar music playing. Having listened to it with her several times in the car, Henry thought that “Take Care” by Beach House could be their song. Grace informs Henry, however, that it can’t be their song, as it forever belongs to her and Dom. Although Henry already figured it out, Grace finally opens up to him about her loss in an emotionally wrought confession. Torn in more ways than one, Grace gives Henry a passionate kiss before walking away, telling him that her life can’t be so easily glued back together.

For all the tears and teenage angst in “Chemical Hearts,” the film also has a lot of cute and atmospheric moments that balance the story. One example is when Grace takes Henry on an unconventional date to a secret spot in the woods. At first, Henry isn’t sure why Grace would bring him to a grimy, abandoned building, but he comes to understand once they arrive at a fish pond. The setting says a lot about Grace. It may look bleak and broken down on the surface, but there’s still life inside that’s trying to flourish. Feeding the fish bread, the two talk about past relationships and sins of the past. While Grace doesn’t tell Henry everything, the writing is on the wall.

A costume party marks a turning point for Lola and Cora’s relationship, but the night mainly belongs to Henry and Grace. For the first time, Henry sees Grace in a gorgeous dress with her hair down. As per usual, Henry is confused by Grace’s actions. Is she finally coming out of her shell or is she concealing the pain underneath her new look? Either way, Grace and Henry are ready to go all the way. It’s a tender moment that sees Henry lose his virginity while Grace tries to recapture a spark that she once felt. Grace shares much with Henry that night, including her damaged knee and a bed. When they awaken the next morning, however, Henry can tell that she’s not sharing everything.

“Chemical Hearts” doesn’t work up to the happiest of endings, but it is the right ending for this particular story. Earlier in the film, Grace compared people to dead stars, atoms that briefly come together and then fall apart. Likewise, Grace’s relationship with Henry isn’t one that lasts forever. By the film’s conclusion, though, Grace no longer feels like she’s falling to pieces. Although there are still visible wounds, she can now walk away stronger, wise, and more mature. The same can be said about Henry, who walks away with a better understanding of love, death, and himself. The two part ways on bittersweet yet ultimately good terms, knowing that they’ve helped each other grow as individuals. The audience feels like they’ve grown as well.

Just as Grace starts to feel like an open book, Henry begins to read between the lines. The man believed to be her father is actually Dom’s father. Unable to handle her alcoholic mother, Grace has been living with Dom’s parents, sleeping in his old room, and wearing his clothes. Naturally, this is a lot for Henry to process. On one hand, he understands that Grace is grieving. At the same time, he doesn’t know how they can have a future together when she’s stuck in the past. Grace is every bit as confused as Henry. All she knows for sure is that she can’t let go. Finding the right words to describe heartbreak isn’t always simple, but this scene sums it up pretty well.

In the film’s most gut-wrenching moment, Henry tracks down a missing Grace. Wearing the wedding dress in which she was going to marry Dom, it appears that Grace may drown herself. We’re not sure what might have happened had Henry not shown up, but Grace takes this moment to let go of her guilt and the future with Dom that she’ll never have. Dropping old photos into the water and stripping off the dress, she experiences the final stage in grief: acceptance. Henry is supportive every step of the way, helping Grace to emerge from the pond with a clean slate. Lili Reinhart has always been a talented actress, but this honest scene showcases her true depth as a performer.