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Some stories seem too good to be true. Small occurrences that feel insignificant in the moment may have a greater impact later on. Those occurrences can easily be called coincidences, but what if it’s actually fate? One theory may be able to tie these strange events to a predetermined timeline.
Every ball of yarn has two ends. Imagine one end is tied to your finger, and the other is connected to your soulmate. Now, imagine the string slowly bringing you together: The Invisible String Theory1 follows this idea. Two people are connected through life via a theoretical string, drawing them closer together through small moments until the perfect moment. Paths are crossed without notice or care. Once that perfect moment does arrive, all the random coincidences fit together like puzzle pieces.
While most associate the theory with love stories, invisible strings can tie you to anyone. There is no way to figure out an invisible string in advance. It always unfolds as it was meant to. As much as people would like to know how certain situations or relationships will play out, the truth only reveals itself day by day. You cannot jump ahead to learn whether or not you’re on the right path; however, you can reflect on the past, and how previous choices impact your current reality.
In 2025, there’s a new film that touches on this theory. A Big Bold Beautiful Journey,2 directed by Kogonada. It leaves its audience anxiously waiting for their invisible string to become clear.
Not Just A Movie: Introducing A Theory Of Connection
Rather than a game of cat and mouse, the invisible string theory functions more like a slow tug. It’s the same as trying to pull two positive sides of magnets. You know they match up, but only time will allow one to flip to its opposite side. Then, once the connection is made, everything that has led to said point seems impossible to ignore.
This is how the invisible string theory works. Though not based on scientific fact, the spiritual belief explains how two complete strangers can be so close to each other without ever encountering until months or even years later. There is a long history behind string theory, one that predates the age of modern media. However, now it is becoming increasingly globally recognized with the help of the internet and social media.
While it has always been culturally relevant in some countries, the theory gained popularity through Taylor Swift3‘s album Folklore,4 which then inspired TikTok’s hyper-focused on the idea. Swift’s song, Invisible String,5 tells the story of her life and a lover’s life before coming together and realizing that all the hardships were for a reason. The song emphasizes that every bad moment, small thought, or wish adds up to who you are when you meet your other half.
"And isn't it just so pretty to think
All along there was some
Invisible string
Tying you to me?"
People on TikTok began sharing their invisible string stories. When people share the connections between their partner, their parents, or friends, it always feels like magic. Like certain stories are straight out of a movie, seeming to be too good to be true. Viewers are left wondering how two individuals can be so close to each other without ever interacting. While some continue to view these stories as coincidences, there is an undeniable fascination behind the theory.
Even for those who feel better off going through life solo, the theory invites curiosity. As is the case for the leads in the new film, A Big Bold Beautiful Journey. David, played by Colin Farrell, and Sarah, Margot Robbie, are two single strangers who believed they were content on their own until they notably cross paths.
The String Between Sarah And David
The story of Sarah and David in A Big Bold Beautiful Journey is a dramatized version of what can happen when two people are brought together by an outside force. Before, they were two strangers who lived in the same city and had the same friend. Shockingly, they never crossed paths until that friend’s wedding day.
The audience learns before the characters that they both experienced car issues when on their way to the wedding. The film starts with David seeing a boot on the wheel of his car. Just behind him is a poster for a conveniently placed car rental agency.
Driving his rental car, David pulled up to the valet and walked into the wedding venue just as Sarah enters in the same car, directly behind him. Now the only degree of separation is the aisle. When the pair makes eye contact for the first time, its clear that their lives will never be the same again.
When David and Sarah are introduced to the audience, and each other, they seemingly have no connection. It feels awkward and forced. It isn’t until later in the wedding when, Sarah steps outside to find David smoking, that their relationship takes a dramatic turn. David, beginning the conversation, is quickly shut down by Sarah, convinced she would only end up hurting him.
The wedding goes by in a blur of her dancing without him. They go back to hotel rooms that are (of course) right next to each other. And, once it’s time to head back to the city, they both end up at the same fast-food joint; here, they concede, and eat together.
Imagine the resulting bizarre situation: being introduced to an attractive person who you should already be acquainted with, and expressing your interest in them. Just to be shot down even, though they also clearly find you attractive. Then, once you’re ready to get away and forget the connection, you look up from your greasy burger to see them waving at you from a few booths over.
Some would be annoyed that they can’t get away, while others would consider it to be fate. For David and Sarah, it’s the latter. The pair say their goodbyes in the food joint’s parking lot, just for Sarah’s rental car to falter. The two are forced to take a journey together that reveals more about their life than they would have ever shared.
A Nudge From The Universe
Now, this may seem like a regular love story, but A Big Bold Beautiful Journey adds an extra element to differentiate it from other rom-coms. Instead of rehashing their past over coffee, the car(s) they rented take matters into their own…tires? The GPS in the rental car acts as an omnipotent voice — one that guides them from one destination to the next. There, it questions: “Do you want to go on a big, bold, beautiful journey?”
David and Sarah end up traveling to random locations in the middle of nowhere. Each location is the home to a randomly placed door, one that looks like it would lead to nothing. However, stepping into each door brings them to a moment in the past that heavily impacted them…memories they hoped they would never have to think about again.
Through their most embarrassing moments, biggest regrets, and personal conversations, David and Sarah unwillingly learn more about each other. A scene that occurs in a local coffee shop they both used to frequent shows two separate conversations: conversations that have kept them from going back. Too wrapped up in personal guilt to own up to their past, they cannot deny their actions that led to this moment. No matter how uncomfortable it may make them feel. While this story may feel unrealistic with its magical elements, David and Sarah are not the only people to feel this connection.
Tracing The History Of The Invisible String Theory
The string theory is rooted in Asian culture. China and Japan have versions of this based around the red thread of fate, a legend that, like the invisible string, connects two people. This is a centuries-old idea that is an essential part of traditional romantic customs.
In Japan, this is based on the legend6 of an old man who lives on the moon, and helps soulmates find each other by tying a red string to them. These strings can be tangled or stretched, making the distance and time between them larger. Eventually, the string will tighten and bring the two souls together.
The invisible string theory follows the same idea; two people tied together by the universe. Their lives and circumstances are orchestrated to bring them together at the perfect time. No matter how far they are from each other or how painful these events may be, everything aligns to one pivotal moment.
As the red thread of fate is a big part of Asian culture, the invisible string theory has been around much longer than Swift’s Folklore album. People have believed in this theory for decades, if not centuries. In China, this originates from Chinese mythology and folklore, meaning that the idea has been shared through many generations. This is similar to the Japanese legend of the man on the moon; the Chinese myth7 is centered around Yue Lao, who keeps lovers from straying too far apart.
An Invisible Knot Around Your Finger: Why The Idea Resonates
Love stories exist without applying the invisible string theory, but it certainly puts some timelines into perspective. Stories like David and Sarah’s, though rooted in magical realism, hit harder when considering the theory. It gives hope for those uncertain to follow their passions knowing that they will make it to where they need to be at the right time.
In an article for People Magazine,8 written by Ariana Quihuiz,9 it is shared that people feel less lost when they consider that everything aligns; what before felt like desperation can be seen as learning. For David and Sarah, they were forced (literally) to reflect on the choices they made and how it negatively affected those around them.
Going back to the song that popularized the theory in the US, Swift wrote lines that speak on this same idea. No matter what decisions someone may regret, those bad decisions bring us to where we need to be.
“Something wrapped all of my past mistakes in barbed wire
Chains around my demons, wool to brave the seasons
One single thread of gold tied me to you.”
According to the invisible string theory, any regrets that haunt you won’t impact a soulmate connection. There may be delays, but it will all unravel as it destined.
Throughout the film, we see that the two have made many mistakes. David believes he’s not as great as he was always told, and Sarah pushes people away through abandonment. In the past, the two had real chances at what everyone wants: marriage and a comfortable life. However, both of them panicked when they realized what it meant for them.
Reliving their worst moments, David and Sarah learn to grow from their mistakes and, by the end of the film, know they wouldn’t make that same mistake again. They clearly get uncomfortable when put back into their past, but they soon learn that their past regrets are what brought them to each other.
Unfortunately, what you may believe is your invisible string may just be another stepping stone. There are many heartbreaking stories in Hollywood that offer a great deal of romance but don’t end how the audiences hope they will.
One example is La La Land.10 Audiences have joked about being tormented by the ending of the film, but in the context of Mia and Seb’s lives, they needed each other to help them become who they were meant to be. Sometimes people are brought into our lives to build us up rather than stick around.
Although, this doesn’t just have to apply to romantic relationships, as tragic romances seem to be the most common in real life. This can be the same for friendships, family, or any other type of relationship. The reason romantic relationships take the cake is likely because people dream of finding their partner in some storybook way. What’s more romantic than destiny tying two people together?
Connecting The Dots On Your Own
Not everyone’s love story will involve a magical car taking them to moments in their pasts, but when it’s with the right person, anything can feel magical. A Big Bold Beautiful Journey adds an exciting and dramatic element to the discussion. Through magical realism, Kogonada’s film takes the idea of an invisible string and turns it into an engaging film for the big screen.
Now, more audiences are becoming curious about what the invisible string may lead them to. As you leave the theater or turn off the TV, think about all the ways in which two characters were linked before ever interacting. While some films or shows may not emphasize this unknown connection, it’s easy to pick it up as an audience member.
Perhaps, this will even give you hope to wait for your perfect moment. It may all seem like a coincidence, but don’t be surprised to find that you and a partner are intertwined deeper than you originally thought.
Footnotes
- Mansuir, Anisha. What You Need To Know About The Invisible String Theory. Healthline. ↩︎
- Kogonada. A Big Bold Beautiful Journey. Columbia Pictures. 2025. ↩︎
- Taylor Swift. Taylor Swift. 2025. ↩︎
- Folklore, Taylor Swift. 2025. ↩︎
- Swift, Taylor. 2020. Invisible String. Folklore. Republic Records. ↩︎
- Terry, Tokyo. Red Threat of Fate: The Japanese Legend of Love. Sakuraco. January 19, 2024. ↩︎
- Chak, Ashlyn. What is the Chinese ‘red thread’. South China Morning Post. August 29, 2025. ↩︎
- Quihuiz, Ariana. What is the Invisible String Theory?. People Magazine. May 4, 2025. ↩︎
- Quihuiz, Ariana. Ariana Quihuiz. People Magazine. 2025. ↩︎
- Chazelle, Damien. La La Land. Summit Entertainment. 2016. ↩︎