Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Amazon iTunes
Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet star in this metaphysical journey of lost love, which follows the story of a split couple who both undergo a procedure to erase their memories of one another. The film boasts a classically Charlie Kaufman script, though if you’re not one for the Manic Pixie Dream Girl trope, take a pass.
Before Sunrise (1995)
Amazon iTunes
The first installment of the Before trilogy, Before Sunrise follows the whimsical romance of a young man and woman who meet on a train and decide to take off for one night in Vienna. A perfect ode to love strained by limits, this film will leave you reeling—and relieved to know there’s more where it came from.
Shakespeare in Love (1998)
Amazon iTunes
The title says it all. What can be more romantic than a love affair involving famed playwright William Shakespeare at the time he pens the iconic Romeo and Juliet? A forbidden romance and period piece with a side of vintage Gwyneth Paltrow. Thank us later.
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Shape of Water (2017)
Amazon iTunes
If you know anything about Guillermo del Toro, then you know better than to ever try to predict what the fantastical director’s take on a love story would be. Besides, of course, that it will be more beautiful and unique than you could ever imagine. Shape of Water tells the tale of Elisa, a mute woman who works as a cleaning lady at a government laboratory, as she finds herself falling in love with the lab’s top-secret specimen: an amphibious creature. This film is a true testament that love comes in all shapes and sizes.
Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
Amazon iTunes
Directed by Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire follows Jamal Malik, from his childhood as an orphan to ending up one question away from winning India’s “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” Perhaps the most moving plot point of Malik’s against-all-odds journey is that he lives with the sole determination of one day reuniting with his childhood love, Latika. The film is as visually dazzling as it is emotionally gripping, boasting the incredible feature debut of Dev Patel.
Titanic (1998)
20th Century Studios Amazon iTunes
It’s hard to top being king of the world. Titanic sets the bar incredibly high for romantic epics. The only issue we have is that there was definitely room on that door, but someone had to sprawl out and get cozy.
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The Big Sick (2017)
Apatow ProductionsAmazon iTunes
Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon’s real-life hospital romance turned movie is one of the most original and thoughtful romances in years. In the face of tragedy, an estranged couple grows closer somehow by one of them being in a coma. Also, Holly Hunter is the best mom.
Moonstruck (1987)
Metro-Goldwyn-MayerAmazon iTunes
Snap out of it! The film that stars Nicholas Cage and Cher helped lock in Cher's long-deserved Oscar. The perfect Italian-American film set in New York, Moonstruck is a late-80s classic.
Call Me By Your Name (2017)
Sony PicturesAmazon iTunes
That peach scene is something else. The Luca Guadagnino-directed film perfectly encapsulates the feelings of first love and love lost in a beautiful Italian setting. Bonus points: CMBYN is the rare gay love story where someone doesn’t get beaten or end up with HIV.
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Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
Weinstein Co.Amazon iTunes
The first real entry of the Cooper/Lawrence film trio, Silver Linings Playbook is the story of what happens when perfectly flawed people find love together. The film also won Lawrence her first Oscar, and that’s pretty outstanding for a picture loosely categorized as a romantic comedy.
Dirty Dancing (1987)
VestronAmazon iTunes
Young love set in the Catskills, perfectly punctuated with an iconic '80s movie dance lift? Romance gold.
Love & Basketball (2000)
New Line CinemaAmazon iTunes
Love & Basketball is one of the ultimate sports movies. It just so happens to also be one of the ultimate romances, too. As two friends start establishing themselves as true basketball stars, they fall for each other—but their respective careers may keep them apart.
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Elizabethtown (2005)
Warner Bros.Amazon iTunes
Elizabethtown is quirky and cosmetically indie, but it’s still a sweetly thoughtful romance wrapped up in existentialism. Orlando Bloom is the perfect working guy finding his roots again and Kirsten Dunst is nothing if not the poster child for Manic Pixie Dream Girls.
The Bodyguard (1992)
ParamountAmazon iTunes
The chemistry between Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner is a disaster, but something about the security guard/pop star dynamic works. It also has one of the most iconic soundtracks in film history.
Carol (2015)
Weinstein Co.
Amazon iTunes
Who doesn’t love a lesbian love story adorned with mid-century forbidden temptation and department store customer service that can’t be beat?!
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Crazy Rich Asians (2018)
Color ForceAmazon iTunes
Crazy Rich Asians was long overdue—a film that both sheds light on heritage while also telling a very entertaining romantic story. And even if you’re not the most inclined to watch a romcom, the movie’s incredible scenery alone is worth watching for.
When Harry Met Sally (1989)
Columbia PicturesAmazon iTunes
It is perhaps the romantic comedy that stands above all others. Set across the expanse of multiple years, Harry and Sally were clearly always supposed to end up together. It just took a minute for it to happen.
Jerry Maguire (1996)
TriStarAmazon iTunes
If saying “I love you” isn’t enough, follow it up with “you complete me.” It’s a classic Jerry move, and it made for one of the most well-known scenes in the current romance canon.
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Notting Hill (1999)
Working Title FilmsAmazon iTunes
A romance movie list without Julia Roberts is asinine. While it might be easy to fall back on Pretty Woman, the nuanced and sometimes unbelievable story between a commoner and a movie starlet is near the top of Roberts’s heap of films.
The Notebook (2004)
New Line CinemaAmazon iTunes
Read me this story, and I’ll find you. Damn. Nicholas Sparks is cheesy and oftentimes over the top, but The Notebook is a romantic story of love that just beautiful enough that it transcends all of the cheesiness it takes to tell it.
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