Even when they tack too close to home, the greatest love films are the ones that you can watch again and again. That’s because there are a ton of movies on relationships that depict every stage of your love life—past, present, and future—regardless of whether you’re single, in a new relationship, divorced, or anywhere in between.
You’ll be able to relate to at least one of these love stories, even though we can’t guarantee that watching them will help you with any relationship issues you may be having right now. Some movie moments are so legendary that they’ve transcended pop culture and shaped the way we live and think about love, whether it’s Rose saying goodbye to Jack in Titanic or that rain-kissing scene in The Notebook. Really, tell me that after watching those couple interviews from When Harry Met Sally, you didn’t hope that you would one day be in that situation. Not at all!
1. The Photograph (2020)
- Cast: Lil Rel Howery, LaKeith Stanfield, and Issa Rae
- Grade: PG-13
A delightful plot and electrifying chemistry between Rae and Stanfield make it impossible to say no. The Photograph centers on Mae, a well-known photographer’s daughter who discovers more about her late mother’s life while falling in love with a journalist.
2. Your Place or Mine (2023)
- Cast: Jesse Williams, Ashton Kutcher, and Reese Witherspoon
- Grade: PG-13
You must watch this romantic comedy about two best friends for life who decide to swap houses—and lives—if you enjoyed The Holiday.
3. Basketball & Love (2000)
- Cast: Alfre Woodard, Sanaa Lathan, and Omar Epps
- Grade: PG-13
In this beloved film, Quincy McCall (played by Oscar Epps) and Monica Wright (Sanaa Lathan), who are best friends and aspiring basketball players, explore their developing romance. However, as they follow their goals, their relationship is put in jeopardy by their increasing success. You should put this on your list if you enjoyed Brown Sugar or The Best Man.
4. Crazy Rich Asians (2018)
- Gemma Chan, Henry Golding, and Constance Wu in the cast
- Grade: PG-13
Constance Wu plays Chinese-American professor Rachel Chu. When Rachel Chu and her boyfriend visit Singapore to meet his family for the first time, she is thrust into an opulent, filthy rich lifestyle, and a sea of disdainful ladies refer to her as a “gold digger.” Can the turmoil in this relationship continue?
5. Marry Me (2022)
- Cast: Maluma, Owen Wilson, and Jennifer Lopez
- Grade: PG-13
J.Lo plays a Latin pop artist who finds out her spouse has been unfaithful to her. She thus marries a stranger who comes to one of her concerts in an attempt to exact revenge.
6. Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011)
- Cast: Emma Stone, Julianne Moore, Ryan Gosling, Steve Carell
- Grade: PG-13
Carell plays middle-aged prosperous man Cal Weaver, who appears to have everything—a stunning wife and a lovely home. However, he finds himself unmarried and unsure of how to navigate the dating scene after his wife demands a divorce after cheating on him. Jacob Palmer, the ultimate player, has given Cal a chance to try again with love.
7. Love Jones (1997)
- Cast: Larenz Tate, Nia Long, Isaiah Washington
- Rating: R
Meet Love Jones if you enjoy somewhat corny romantic comedies with a more grounded view of love. Nia Long plays Nina, a driven photojournalist who falls in love with poet Darius Lovehall (Larenz Tate) right away. But their future begins to appear dubious when Nina chooses to move on and patch things up with her ex.
8. The Big Sick (2017)
- Cast: Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter
- Rating: R
The Big Sick is centered on an interracial couple named Kumail (Nanjiani) and Emily (Zoe Kazan), which was inspired by Kumail Nanjiani’s actual relationship with Emily V. Gordon. Kumail must navigate cultural divides as he develops a close bond with Emily’s family when she unexpectedly becomes unwell. Look out for humor and a touching message about accepting people from different backgrounds.
Read more: 27 Must Watch Movies that are Inspiring and Motivating!
9. Lovers Rock (2020)
- Cast: Amarah-Jae St. Aubyn, Michael Ward, Kadeem Ramsay, and Kedar Williams-Stirling
- Review: 16+
This swoon-worthy love story transports you to 1980s London and provides a wealth of historical context for Black British society at the time. Young Martha (Amarah-Jae St. Aubyn) meets and falls in love with the dashing Franklyn (Michael Ward) when she goes to a reggae house party with her close friend. It’s everything you need to set the tone for a romantic evening.
10. Hitch 2005
- Cast: Kevin James, Eva Mendes, and Will Smith
- Grade: PG-13
“Hitch,” a dating advisor known for his conceit, is Will Smith’s attempt at helping a client win the heart of the woman he is infatuated with. Hitch discovers he still has a lot to learn about relationships and love, though, when he tries to employ his tried-and-true techniques with a desirable writer.
12. Dirty Dancing (1987)
- Cast: Jerry Orbach, Jennifer Grey, and Patrick Swayze
- Grade: PG-13
You now have an excuse to spend some quality time dancing in your living room with your significant other. The premise of the 1980s classic revolves around a young girl named Frances (Jennifer Grey), sometimes known as “Baby,” who, while on summer vacation with her family, falls in love with a stunning dance instructor (Patrick Swayze).
13. The Graduate (1967)
- Dustin Hoffman, Anne Bancroft, and Katharine Ross in the cast
- Grade: PG
Are you lacking in nostalgia? Next, think of The Graduate. Starring with Dustin Hoffman is Benjamin Braddock, a recent college graduate who embarks on an improbable romantic journey after succumbing to an older woman’s seduction, Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft). However, Benjamin’s infatuation with her daughter Elaine (Katharine Ross) ends their meeting.
14. Palm Springs (2020)
- Cast: Andy Samberg, Cristin Milioti, J. K. Simmons
- Rating: R
This entertaining sci-fi comedy, which tells the story of a growing romance between two strangers who meet at a Palm Springs wedding, takes a novel spin on Groundhog Day. They are trapped in a temporal loop and need to find a way out.
Read more: 27 Little Known Animation and Fantasy Movies that You Can Enjoy with Your Family!
15. Call Me By Your Name (2017)
- Cast: Armie Hammer, Timothée Chalamet, Michael Stuhlbarg
- Rating: R
Living with his parents in Lombardy, Italy, seventeen-year-old Elio Perlman (Timothée Chalamet) finds himself falling in love with Oliver (Armie Hammer), his father’s attractive young intern and graduate student. Widespread praise was bestowed to the Academy Award winner because to its candid depiction of love and heartache.
16. Queen and Slim (2019)
- Cast: Jodie Turner-Smith, Daniel Kaluuya, Bokeem Woodbine
- Rating: R
This criminal thriller, which is sometimes referred to as the Bonnie and Clyde of today, centers on the intriguing romance between Queen and Slim, who go from having the most embarrassing first date to being wanted by the police and falling in love. The movie deftly addresses the hard reality of being Black in America in addition to its love plot.
17. When Harry Met Sally (1989)
- Cast: Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan, Carrie Fisher, Bruno Kirby
- Rating: R
This film has everything that makes a fantastic romantic comedy, from the legendary orgasm scene to the amazing chemistry between Crystal and Ryan. When Harry Met Sally delves into the age-old subject of whether men and women can truly be friends by focusing on the connection between two lifelong friends.
18. The Princess Bride (1987)
- Cast: Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Chris Sarandon
- Rating: PG
The film centers on a farmhand named Westley who sets out to save his beloved Princess Buttercup from the villainous Prince Humperdinck, based on William Goldman’s 1973 novel of the same name. It’s brilliant, witty and wildly quotable.
19. You’ve Got Mail (1998)
- Cast: Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Greg Kinnear
- Rating: PG
The new Foxbooks chain store owner across the street, Joe Fox (Tom Hanks), and bookshop owner Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan) have a major falling out. She has no idea, though, that Joe and her enigmatic internet crush are actually the same person. What happens when she discovers the truth at last? Watching will have to do to find out.
20. Grease (1978)
- Cast: John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, Stockard Channing
- Rating: PG
Watching Danny (John Travolta) and Sandy (Olivia Newton-John) serenade each other in all-black costumes never gets old, regardless of how many times you’ve watched it. As they traverse high school, revisit the well-known romance between the greaser and the transfer student.
21. Moonlight (2016)
- Cast: Mahershala Ali, Trevante Rhodes, Janelle Monae
- Rating: R
This Oscar-winning movie, which explores issues of Black manhood, addiction, and sexuality, will win you over. It chronicles Chiron’s journey through his childhood, adolescence, and adulthood as he tries to make sense of his difficult background and discover who he is.
22. Scream (1996)
- Cast: David Arquette, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Matthew Lillard
- Rating: TV-MA
Scream is a perfect movie for any couple who enjoys all things creepy. It centers on a young adolescent who is the target of a masked killer who is terrorizing the community. It’s quite funny, very creative, and has just enough jump scares to make you want to cuddle up to your significant other.
23. Get Out (2017)
- Cast: Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Bradley Whitford
- Rating: R
Now that Chris and Rose have progressed past the “meet the parents” stage of their relationship, Rose extends an invitation to spend a weekend together upstate. Chris initially interprets the family’s overly accommodating actions as anxious attempts to handle their daughter’s interracial romance, but as the weekend goes on, he learns a series of startling revelations that finally lead him to the truth, which he could never have predicted.
24. How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998)
- Cast: Angela Bassett, Taye Diggs, Regina King
- Rating: R
As Stella, a successful stockbroker who embarks on a romantic liaison with a man almost half her age while on vacation in Jamaica, Bassett excels. But she discovers she’s falling in love when it’s time for her to go back to California. Will this new relationship last over the distance?
25. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
- Cast: Kate Winslet, Jim Carrey
- Rating: R
Do you feel like reading a moving story that delves into the complexities of relationships? Try the movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, in which Joel and Clementine, a previous relationship, have a painful split and then have all of their memories of one another erased.
26. The Proposal (2009)
- Cast: Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds, Malin Akerman
- Rating: PG-13
A tense book editor makes plans to wed her hardworking assistant after finding out she is about to be deported to Canada. Even when he accepts, she finds that her problems are far from ended because of an untrustworthy immigration official who believes there is foul play.
27. Sweet Home Alabama (2002)
- Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Josh Lucas, Patrick Dempsey, Fred Ward, Mary Kay Place
- Rating: PG-13
Melanie, a successful fashion designer, finds out that she cannot legally tie the knot until her ex-partner completes their divorce after becoming engaged to her current lover. She returns home to Alabama with the intention of moving on, but she ends up getting much more than she anticipated.
Final Remarks
Your heart will skip a beat when you watch these iconic rom-coms, depressing tragedies, and young love stories. That’s exactly what you can do with romantic films. You can lose yourself in love-based storylines that will make your heart sing—or bust—for friends, lovers, adversaries, or both. Every taste is catered to by Netflix’s selection of romantic films, which include heart-wrenching tragedies, amusing fish-out-of-water stories, classic rom-coms, and young love stories. The streamer’s library features a few vintage romantic films that audiences of all ages adore.
