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The 75 Most Romantic Movies of All Time
From contemporary rom-coms to heart-wrenching dramas, see which movies made our list
Hollywood loves a fairytale ending—and what better medium to deliver that than the romance movie?
Since the invention of film, stories about people falling in love have captivated audiences across the world. What separates a good romance movie from a great one is its ability to reveal the transformative, intangible, and utterly human conditions of love. That can be as true for something as light-hearted as a contemporary rom-com like Pretty Woman as it is for a historical period drama like Portrait of a Lady on Fire. And while a fairytale ending isn’t always guaranteed for some of our favorite onscreen couples, these films still have the ability to make viewers root for romantic triumph—even against all odds.
Ahead, we compiled a list of the 75 best romance movies in cinematic history. If you’re still in the mood for love after that, consider checking out our lists of the best Valentine’s Day movies or the sexiest movies of all time.
Pretty Woman
No romantic movies list is complete without at least one title starring rom-com queen Julia Roberts. In Pretty Woman, Roberts plays Vivian, a young sex worker who is hired by businessman Edward Lewis (Richard Gere) to accompany him to high-profile events for his job. Vivian undergoes a makeover in order to assimilate to Hollywood’s elite scene. In the process, both Vivian and Edward realize that what started as a simple business transaction may actually be a deeper connection.
One Day
As the title implies, One Day tracks the events that take place on the same day over the course of several years in the intertwined lives of former-classmates-turned-best-friends Emma (Anne Hathaway) and Dexter (Jim Sturgess). Spanning major milestones, separate relationships, and a lifetime of friendship, Emma and Dexter keep finding ways to come back to each other.
The Sound of Music
The Sound of Music is more than just a musical set amid the idyllic backdrop of the Austrian Alps. It’s also a powerful romance that testifies to all the surprising, unexpected, and ultimately humbling ways love can find you. Julie Andrews is utterly magnetic as Maria, a free-spirited nun-in-the-making assigned as the governess of widowed Captain Georg von Trapp’s seven children. As Maria and the Captain (Christopher Plummer) butt heads over the right way to rear his family, the two eventually find common ground with each other.
Emma
Before there was Clueless, there was Jane Austen’s 1815 novel, Emma. In adapting the classic Regency-era love story, director Autumn de Wilde assembled a cast of stars who easily translated Austen’s wit and charm from the page to the screen, including the likes of Anya Taylor-Joy, Johnny Flynn, Josh O’Connor, and Callum Turner.
All of Us Strangers
Andrew Haigh’s directorial portfolio is full of ruminations on queer identity and humanity. From Weekend, to Looking, to Lean on Pete, each work is gorgeously shot and brilliantly told. All of Us Strangers is no exception. Starring Andrew Scott as an isolated screenwriter whose parents died when he was 12, the film offers its protagonist the ability to reconnect with them. While processing that grief, he and his lonely neighbor, played by Paul Mescal, find comfort in each other.
Joyland
Set in the city of Lahore, this Pakistani drama swirling with love and desire tells the story of a married man who scores a gig as a backup dancer performing in a cabaret then falls for the trans starlet headlining the show. So much more than just the relationship between Haider and Bebe, this international gem, which was temporarily banned in its origin country, is as much a hopeful romance as it is an aching depiction of repression.
The Notebook (2004)
Is there any contemporary romance movie as iconic as The Notebook? Adapted from Nicholas Sparks’s bestselling novel, the film follows the epic love story between Allie and Noah, whose relationship is thwarted by World War II and class prejudices. Star-crossed lover plot line aside, the movie’s ability to persist for years in cultural relevancy is due to the onscreen alchemy between its costars, Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling. Their fictional romance later became a real one—a true testament to their chemistry. Watch Now
Love Jones (1997)
Nia Long and Larenz Tate get hot and bothered in this classic from writer and director Theodore Witcher. They play a couple whose happenstance meeting in Chicago blooms into a relationship the two can’t seem to define. Though it was a box office dud back in the ‘90s, this is one you’ll want to rekindle. Watch Now
Casablanca (1942)
You can’t mention romance without referencing Humphrey Bogart’s Rick and Ingrid Bergman’s Ilsa. A wartime romance declaring only love can stand the test of time, Casablanca does what most romantic films dare never to do: Forgo the “typical” happy ending. And we’re so glad it does. Watch Now
Pride & Prejudice (2005)
Love is never simple in a Jane Austen narrative. In Pride & Prejudice, Mr. Darcy is a man in love with Elizabeth Bennet—but has a hard time making that known. Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen do their duty as lady and gentleman, and the dialogue in Joe Wright’s romance might make you weak in the knees. Watch Now
In the Mood for Love (2000)
Set in Hong Kong during the 1960s, Wong Kar-wai's melancholic period drama is as romantic as the costume silks are vibrant. A love square of sorts, the story charts the sexual tension blossoming between two neighbors who’ve just learned their partners are sleeping with each other. Their friendship naturally blossoms, but it’s not without its complications. Before they can truly allow themselves to fall in love again, they must both navigate how to deal with their respective marriages. Like any good romp between the sheets, this one takes its time. Watch Now
When Harry Met Sally (1989)
Can men and women actually just be friends? It’s the predicament put to the test in Nora Ephron’s rom-com that made Billy Crystal a superstar, Meg Ryan every woman’s heroine, and Katz’s Deli the infamous New York City setting of the fake orgasm heard 'round the world. Watch Now
Titanic (1997)
All aboard James Cameron’s epic melodrama about love on the high seas. Even though the film snagged a boatload of shiny statues, its narrative harbors a fate not nearly as joyous. Feelings about the extra real estate on the big floating door aside, we’d have it no other way. For Jack and Rose, our hearts will go on. Watch Now
The Best Man (1999)
Grab a plus-one for Malcolm D. Lee's wedding drama starring Taye Diggs, Sanaa Lathan, and Morris Chestnut. Precluding the walk down the aisle, the film works between timelines to reveal the secrets, hookups and friendship fractures plaguing Harper (Diggs) and his pals. But, oh, the chemistry between Lathan and Diggs. Watch Now
Roman Holiday (1953)
The Princess Bride (1987)
A beautiful farm girl named Buttercup (Robin Wright) has been selected to be the bride of the odious Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon). There’s only one problem: Buttercup is already in love with someone else. Long ago, she gave her heart away to Westley (Cary Elwes), a farmhand who was eventually killed by a pirate at sea. When Buttercup is kidnapped by bandits, that very same pirate sets out to rescue her. Adventure abounds in this family-friendly fairytale flick. Watch Now
Like Water for Chocolate (1993)
Giving new meaning to hot chocolate, Alfonso Arau’s treat of a romantic drama belongs to a cook whose desires are baked into her dishes, filling all who dine on her feasts with whatever emotion she was feeling at the time of conception. Seemingly the inspiration for the Sarah Michelle Gellar headliner Simply Irresistible, this magical Mexican delight is grade-A fare.
If Beale Street Could Talk (2018)
Based on the same-name story by author James Baldwin and featuring a simply sublime soundtrack, Barry Jenkins’s superb film stars KiKi Layne and Stephan James as Tish and Fonny, teen sweethearts who are ripped apart when Fonny is falsely accused of rape by a racist cop.
Dirty Dancing (1987)
A guy who stands up to your father is such a turn-on. This is exactly what Johnny Castle, played by Patrick Swayze, does for his more-than-a-summer-fling fling, Baby, who is, of course, Jennifer Grey. The two meet at a summer resort in the Catskills, where Baby is expecting a quiet vacation with her parents before she joins the Peace Corps. But, those plans get changed when Johnny, a camp dance instructor, recruits Baby to help him pull off his season finale dance party after his own dance partner falls ill. Although Baby’s father forbids her from seeing Johnny, Baby is determined to get her way. Watch Now
Romeo + Juliet (1996)
If violent delights have violent ends, then romantic delights so too have romantic ends. And only Baz Luhrmann can take the two ends of that spectrum and connect them in the middle to form a bloody heart. That’s exactly what the visionary director does with his swoon-worthy 1996 adaptation of the Shakespeare essential, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes. Watch Now
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