Netflix's 'Roommates' Explores the Intimacy of Freshman Year Friendships

The coming-of-age film captures the 'bizarre' experience of living with a new roommate for the first time.

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

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The forthcoming Netflix movie Roommates, directed by Chandler Levack and produced by Adam Sandler's Happy Madison production company, follows the story of two college freshmen, Devon and Celeste, as they navigate the ups and downs of living together for the first time. The film stars Sadie Sandler as the socially awkward Devon and Chloe East as the more worldly Celeste, with a supporting cast that includes Storm Reid, Billy Bryk, Ivy Wolk, and Bailee Madison.

Why it matters

Roommates aims to capture the unique experience of the first year of college, a time when many young people are living away from home for the first time and trying to define themselves outside of their families and previous social circles. The film explores the 'bizarre' intimacy that can develop between college roommates, who quickly become either best friends or worst enemies.

The details

In the film, Devon is a bit naive, while Celeste is the more worldly cool girl. 'Devon is going into her freshman year of college having never really had a friend,' Sadie Sandler says. 'She's socially awkward and just trying to find her place—her goal is to finally find her group.' Chloe East adds, 'They meet freshman year thinking they're going to be besties—like they're going to totally understand each other—and then you start to see little cracks in the wall.'

  • Roommates is set to premiere on Netflix in 2026.

The players

Chandler Levack

The director of Roommates, known for her previous film Mile End Kicks.

Adam Sandler

The producer of Roommates through his production company, Happy Madison.

Sadie Sandler

The actress who plays the role of Devon, the socially awkward college freshman, in Roommates.

Chloe East

The actress who plays the role of Celeste, the more worldly cool girl, in Roommates.

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What they’re saying

“I really loved that it was this super funny, honest investigation of first year of college, [when] there aren't a lot of coming-of-age movies about your first year of college. It really is a super bizarre time in your life where you're leaving your family for the very first time, you're trying to define yourself outside of everyone you've ever known and reinvent yourself, but you're also terrified and socially awkward and thrust into adulthood.”

— Chandler Levack, Director (Teen Vogue)

“Devon is going into her freshman year of college having never really had a friend. She's socially awkward and just trying to find her place—her goal is to finally find her group.”

— Sadie Sandler, Actress (Teen Vogue)

“They meet freshman year thinking they're going to be besties—like they're going to totally understand each other—and then you start to see little cracks in the wall.”

— Chloe East, Actress (Teen Vogue)

What’s next

Roommates is set to premiere on Netflix in 2026, giving fans of coming-of-age stories a new take on the college experience.

The takeaway

Roommates promises to offer a fresh and honest exploration of the 'bizarre' intimacy that can develop between college roommates, capturing the unique challenges and experiences of the first year away from home for many young people.