For this list, any picture where romantic love is front-and-center is fair game. We’ve included Hollywood and foreign fare, modern audience favorites and essentials from the early days of cinema. Oh, and if you’re wondering where your favorite rom-coms are, don’t worry–we have a separate list of those, as well. In ascending order, here are the best romantic movies of all time. All titles are available to rent and purchase across major streaming platforms.
Best romantic movies of all time
75. The Bridges of Madison County (1995)
Clint Eastwood directs, produces, and co-stars alongside Meryl Streepin a drama based on Robert James Waller’s novel about an Italian war bride who has a four-day affair with a photojournalist. It’s a sad, affecting story of soul mates who met too late. It was adapted for the Broadway stage in a short-lived, Tony-winning 2014 show.
74. Jerry Maguire (1996)
CameronCrowe’s oft-quoted dramedy channels the great work of Frank Capra, with a selfish protagonist undergoing a crisis of conscience. Tom Cruise plays a humbled, determined sports agent. Jerry Maguire features a breakout turn from Renée Zellweger, and Cuba Gooding Jr. swept awards season as a high-energy Arizona Cardinals wide receiver.
73. A Room With a View (1985)
Along with Howards End, this is perhaps the high point of the extraordinary, decadeslong romantic and professional partnership of filmmakers Ismail Merchant and James Ivory. Helena Bonham Carter stars in the period piece as an Englishwoman torn between two beaus. Like the E.M. Forster book, the film succeeds as both a touching romance and a biting critique of English society at the dawn of the 20th century.
72. From Here to Eternity (1953)
Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Frank Sinatra, Deborah Kerr and Donna Reed star in Fred Zinnemann’s prestige drama, about the tribulations of three Army soldiers at the dawn of World War II. Adapted from James Jones’ bestseller, the picture swept the Oscars and was one of the ten highest-grossing pictures of the 1950s. The endlessly referenced and parodied scene of a passionate kiss in the surf is about as iconic as filmic imagery can get.
71. Monster’s Ball (2001)
Halle Berry became the first (and, to date, only) woman of color to win a Best Actress Academy Award for Marc Forster’s unflinching Georgia-set drama—harrowing as a grieving widow who unwittingly begins an affair with a corrections officer (Billy Bob Thornton) who executed her husband. The film’s greatness comes from the complexities of the characters, their flaws and secrets. There’s no neatness or cliché. It’s a tough, rewarding watch. Roger Ebert named Monster’s Ball the best film of 2001.
70. Witness (1985)
Gripping. suspenseful and surprising, Peter Weir’s Oscar-winning crime drama stars Harrison Ford in his most soulful performance—as a big-city cop protecting the young son of an Amish woman (Kelly McGillis). In a rave four-star review, Ebert noted Witness is “first of all, an electrifying and poignant love story. Then it is a movie about the choices we make in life and the choices other people make for us.”
69. Grease (1978)
Thanks entirely to time capsule-worthy, million-watt performances from leads John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, Randal Kleiser’s blockbuster ‘50’s high school musical is a marked improvement upon its stage source material. Fox’s 2016 Grease LIVE! is, by a margin, one of the very best broadcasts of its ilk, a lively surprise.
68. Amélie (2001)
Whimsical without being saccharine, Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s French-language rom-com made an international star of Audrey Tautou, who plays a waitress who wants to help others, and in doing so, finds love. Nominated for five Oscars, Amélie was a critical darling, and a mammoth hit at the box office (it remains the highest-grossing French film in the U.S.), grossing about $175 million worldwide against a $10 million budget. It was adapted rather unsuccessfully into a Broadway musical. Jeunet wasn’t shy about voicing his disdain for the stage show.
67. Love Actually (2003)
Richard Curtis’ character-rich, sexy and romantic R-rated ensemble rom-com divided critics when it first arrived in theaters. But it was a huge hit with audiences from the outset, grossing about five times its budget on its way to becoming a modern classic.
66. In the Mood For Love(2000)
Heart-stoppingly sumptuous and sensitively performed, Wong Kar-wai’s Hong Kong drama about adultery and unexpected feelings is already regarded by many as one of the greatest films of all time. In the Mood For Love was restored by the Criterion Collection in 2016, currently available to stream on their Criterion Channel service.
65. An American In Paris (1951)
Inspired by George Gershwin‘s 1928 composition of the same name, Vincente Minnelli‘s classic romantic musical stars Gene Kelly as an American ex-GI-turned-artist in a Parisian love triangle. An American in Paris won the Academy Award for Best Picture, it’s preserved in the Library of Congress and the American Film Institute named it the ninth best musical of all time.
64. On Golden Pond (1981)
Directed by Mark Rydell and adapted from Ernest Thompson’s play, On Golden Pond follows the summer of a retired couple (Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn) and a reunion with their estranged daughter (Jane Fonda). It won three Oscars, and was nominated for Best Picture.
63. Gone With the Wind (1939)
Gone With the Wind swept the Oscars of what is considered the finest year of Hollywood film, and remains the highest-grossing movie ever if adjusting for inflation. Based on Margaret Mitchell’s massive novel, Victor Fleming’s historical romantic epic stars an iconic Vivien Leigh as strong-willed daughter of a plantation owner struggling to survive in the Civil War and Reconstruction-era South. Clark Gable embodies Old Hollywood sex appeal as cynical philanderer Rhett Butler. Their love story is the stuff of film legend, and the sheer scope of Fleming and producer David O. Selznick’s vision is still breathtaking. Unfortunately, the whitewashed, sanitized depiction of slavery makes the whole enterprise hard to stomach these days.
62. The Apartment (1960)
One of the most successful, defining works of old Hollywood creative giant Billy Wilder is this romantic dramedy starring Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine and Double Indemnity‘s Fred MacMurray. Witty and brilliant, The Apartment, about an insurance worker torn between career advancement and the girl of his dreams, won five Oscars including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay.
61. The Shape of Water (2017)
Guillermo del Toro is at home with monsters, and this labor-of-love romantic Baltimore-set fable saw the master back at the top of his game. The romance between woman and fish is unconventional, sure, but the heart of The Shape of Water is pure, unmistakable, timeless Old Hollywood swoon. From its very premise to a musical interlude straight out of a Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers pic like Top Hat, this is one of our great dreamers operating with total confidence and freedom. Sally Hawkins‘ luminous turn as mute cleaning woman Elisa is as fine a feat of screen acting as any in recent memory. Anything but a passive victim, Elisa is lionhearted, sexy, clever, funny, rude when the occasion calls for it— and she goes after what she wants. The pairing of del Toro and an excellent Octavia Spencer is inspired, and this is hopefully the first of many collaborations. The actress has a quality that always brings us to Earth, perfect for del Toro’s low fantasy.
60. La La Land (2016)
The takeaway of Damien Chazelle’s acclaimed spin on the classic musical is the love story. At risk of understatement, it’s one for the ages. Sharply written and performed, it’s a kind of love story we haven’t seen on screen before, at least certainly not done this well. It’s about two creative people (Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone), wildly ambitious and all but defined by their lofty dreams, who really see each other and help each other. The dreams come true—at the cost of their union. Love it or hate it, it’s hard to deny the picture’s layers of brilliance.
59. Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner? (1967)
The final pairing of iconic screen and real-life couple Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn is Stanley Kramer’s revolutionary dramedy about an impending interracial marriage, costarring Sidney Poitier and Katharine Houghton (Hepburn’s niece). A grieving Hepburn never saw the completed film, saying the memories of Tracy (who died two weeks after shooting wrapped) were too painful.
58. Atonement (2007)
In 2006 filmmaker Joe Wright pulled off an unlikely feat in selling Jane Austen’s 1813 romantic novel of manners Pride & Prejudice to a young modern audience (that charming film almost made this list). A year later, Wright and star Keira Knightley reunited for a picture of even stranger alchemy. An adaptation of Ian McEwan’s book about a crime, wrongful accusations and decades-spanning repercussions, Atonement is stylish as hell without ever distracting us from a narrative that intrigues us at first—then finally shatters our hearts into a million pieces.
57. Brooklyn (2015)
A simple story about the kinds of not-so-simple choices that define our lives, John Crowley’s period piece stars Saoirse Ronan as an Irish immigrant with beaus on either side of the pond. Adapted for the screen by Nick Hornby, Brooklyn has an understated, triumphant power. It’s pretty much perfect.
56. The English Patient (1996)
With hindsight, who could deny the Oscar for Best Picture this year belonged to Fargo? Still, reality is Anthony Minghella‘s widescreen epic romance took home the gold, and it’s a respectable classic in its own right. Ralph Fiennes, Kristin Scott Thomas and Juliette Binoche deliver dynamite performances in a post-war drama set in the expanses of the Sahara, based on the book by Michael Ondaatje.
55. Phantom Thread (2017)
Paul Thomas Anderson‘s Oscar-winning period piece Phantom Thread is, unequivocally, the best, richest movie about workaholism of all time. This is a bizarre, brilliant film whose triumphs are layered. That’s one of them. Daniel Day-Lewis stars as a grief-stricken, toxic fashion designer who meets his match in a beautiful waitress (Vicky Krieps). Some great films about toxic, conflict-heavy romance, written with a lot of thought and care, benefit from being watched twice in a row so you can follow the story from both perspectives; recent examples that come to mind include Blue Valentine and Revolutionary Road. Phantom Thread is one such film, too. The romantic power struggle at the core of Anderson’s magnum opus is as intoxicating as the filmmaking craft around it.
54. The African Queen (1951)
Adapted from the 1935 novel of the same name by C.S. Forester, John Huston‘s romantic adventure stars Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn (the two greatest screen legends ever, according to the American Film Institute). Set in 1914 as World War I is dawning, the frequently funny drama—about opposites who find love while navigating the Ulanga River in a 12-foot boat—earned Bogart the only Academy Award of his career. Hepburn (the all-time Oscars champ with 4 Best Actress wins) was nominated.
53. Vertigo (1958)
These are the confessions of the cinema’s most celebrated director ever. Vertigo was a critical and commercial failure when it was released, but it’s now widely accepted as one of the greatest of all films. This is Alfred Hitchcock’s most personal work, a complex statement on masculinity and obsession, that will forever be a staple of film school curriculums. From a purely technical standpoint, it’s as intoxicating a piece of pure cinema as any, thanks to Bernard Herrmann‘s stirring, hypnotizing score and Robert Burks‘ cinematography, which ingeniously uses color to add layers of meaning to the narrative. Audiences in 1958 weren’t ready to embrace lovable good-guy James Stewart playing against type as a deeply troubled individual in the throes of despair, but he is brilliant here. Many critics of that time also complained that Kim Novak was too stiff, but as a victim of psychological torture who stifles her emotions in order to survive, she really is perfect, just like the rest of the film. Every 10 years, esteemed British film magazine Sight & Sound polls hundreds of critics for a list of the greatest films of all time. In 2012, for the first time in 50 years, Citizen Kane wasn’t ranked No. 1; Vertigo claimed its spot. It’s a work of genius, and it will continue to inspire filmmakers as long as the medium exists.
52. Shakespeare in Love (1998)
One of the great upsets in Oscars history saw John Madden’s period tragicomedy win Best Picture over Steven Spielberg’s war landmark Saving Private Ryan. Don’t get us wrong; we fell in love with this film. But there were other deserving movies that year. Gwyneth Paltrow won Best Actress for a sexy, luminous and intelligent turn as a merchant’s daughter who poses as a man to perform in theatre, ultimately bewitching none other than William Shakespeare.
51. Romeo & Juliet (1968)
The quintessential, rigorously faithful take on Shakespeare’s tragedy has been a staple of classrooms for decades and counting. To this day, Franco Zeffirelli’s drama stands out for being surprisingly violent and racy, with raw performances. Timeless.
50. Ninotchka (1939)
Greta Garbo‘s penultimate film, and only full comedy, was marketed with the simple tagline “Garbo laughs.” The icon plays a no-nonsense diplomat of the Soviet Union who falls for a carefree bachelor (Melvyn Douglas) with conflicting allegiances. 1939 is often cited as the finest year of American cinema. Lubitsch’s Ninotchka was one of 10 best picture nominees at the Oscars, alongside the likes of Gone With the Wind, The Wizard of Oz and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.
49. Bonnie & Clyde (1967)
1967 was a landmark year for Hollywood, the year an age of innocence ended and a new age began. No film embodies this watershed moment better than Arthur Penn’s graphically violent, potently sexy biographical crime film starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway as infamous bank robbers. Conventions were shattered in a moment; this is first film of the New Hollywood era.
48. His Girl Friday (1940)
Fast-talking, lightning-paced and fully lacking schmaltz or sentimentality, Howard Hawks’ film remains arguably the finest of its kind. Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell star in a picture that set the record for fastest film dialogue, based on stage play The Front Page by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur. The stars play divorced journalists who rekindle old feelings over a twisted murder case.
47. Manhattan (1979)
Two years after the career-high success of Annie Hall, Woody Allen wrote a love letter (that’s sometimes hate mail) to the Big Apple. Meryl Streep, Mariel Hemingway and Diane Keaton star in the black-and-white rom-com about a malcontent facing middle age alone—also, his anxieties and insecurities.
46. King Kong (1933)
It was beauty killed the beast in Merian C. Cooper‘s breathtaking, awe-inspiring and even quite touching adventure romance. It was remade several times, including a moderately well-received 1976 version with Jessica Lange and an overlong but often brilliant Oscar-winning 2005 epic by Peter Jackson.
45. Double Indemnity (1944)
This is one of a handful of the finest crime movies in history, the first Hollywood studio film about murderers; groundbreaking stuff that was utterly shocking in 1944. It’s still a disturbing watch. It’s also fun and funny. And sleazy. Barbara Stanwyck is one of film’s most manipulative and iconic villains, a femme fatale who ropes an insurance salesman (Fred MacMurray) into a killing. AFI named Stanwyck’s Phyllis Dietrichson her the eighth greatest villain ever. When Hitchcock saw Double Indemnity, he declared the two most important words in motion pictures were “Billy” and “Wilder.”
44. Sense & Sensibility (1995)
Ang Lee’s Sense & Sensibility remains the big-screen high-water mark for Jane Austen adaptations. Emma Thompson stars in (and won an Oscar for adapting) Austen’s 1811 story of suddenly destitute sisters choosing respective suitors. Kate Winslet and Alan Rickman costar.
43. The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan star as coworkers who can’t stand each other—only to realize they’re falling in love through anonymous letters. Sound familiar? The Shop Around the Corner was remade decades later as You’ve Got Mail, starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan.
42. Harold and Maude (1971)
This is a cult favorite whose reputation seems to grow a little with each passing year. Hal Ashby’s uncanny blend of bildungsroman, dark comedy, existential drama and love story stars Bud Cort as a young depressed man obsessed with death and Ruth Gordon as an elderly concentration camp survivor who teaches him how to live.
41. An Affair to Remember (1957)
Have tissues at the ready for Leo McCarey‘s fateful Cinemascope romantic drama starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr as lovers who meet aboard a transatlantic liner. It’s heavily referenced (particularly the iconic Empire State Building finale) in another New Year’s romance classic, Sleepless in Seattle. It is itself a remake of 1939’s Love Affair, once again remade in a lesser-known, critically-panned 1994 weepie starring Warren Beatty and Annette Bening.
40. An Officer and a Gentleman (1982)
Richard Gere, Debra Winger and Louis Gossett Jr. are uniformly riveting in Taylor Hackford’s acclaimed drama about a Naval trainee, his lousy attitude and path to maturity. A million movies have attempted this kind of boys-becoming-men thematic material—almost none with this level of depth and artistry.
39. Moulin Rouge! (2001)
The genius of Moulin Rouge!—and there is a kind of genius in this melodramatic musical tragicomedy—is that it’s a feature-length music video that works. On a scale of one to 10, every emotion is played to about an 18, but thanks to innovative, rapid-fire editing, confident direction by Baz Luhrmann, and flat-out brilliant turns from Ewan McGregor, Jim Broadbent and most notably Nicole Kidman (her first Oscar nod), it’s impossible not to be bewitched. Surrender to its powers, and Moulin Rouge! is a transporting experience. And it’s aging beautifully.
38. Ghost (1990)
It’s an understatement to call Ghost a phenomenon of its day; it was the highest-grossing movie of 1990—at the time, the third highest-earning movie ever. Demi Moore stars as the endangered lover of a murdered man (Patrick Swayze). In an uncategorizable, inspired turn, Whoopi Goldberg plays a medium who reluctantly becomes involved in the lovers’ plight. She won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.
37. Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)
Iconic and enchanting if shy of great, Breakfast at Tiffany’s hasn’t aged as well as Audrey Hepburn’s breakthrough Roman Holiday—but it’s a cultural touchstone all the same. Aside from a racially insensitive subplot that’s aged like milk, the other major issue with the big screen adaptation of Truman Capote‘s book is that the charms of Hepburn and Patricia Neal upstage star George Peppard throughout. Still, there’s no denying the transporting power of the opening scene, or Hepburn singing “Moon River” on a New York fire escape.
36. Dirty Dancing(1987)
One of the most iconic romances of the ’80s stars Jennifer Grey as a listless teen who falls for a dance instructor (Patrick Swayze). Quotable, immensely re-watchable and unusual, it’s a time-capsule tale of rebelliousness and blossoming sexuality.
35. Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
Stars Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, and director/co-writer Nora Ephron are in top form in this swoon-worthy, often hilarious romantic comedy about a widower and a reporter who fall in love over the airwaves. Nominated for two Oscars, Sleepless in Seattle was a big hit with critics and a major force at the box office, grossing roughly ten times its budget worldwide.
34. The Way We Were (1973)
Generous performances from Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford (and a great title tune by the former) elevate Sydney Pollack’s epic about a decades-spanning love between a Jewish woman and a WASP. “Your girl is lovely, Hubbell,” became a zinger and plot point in the second season of Sex and the City.
33. Carol (2015)
Based on the 1952 novelThe Price of Saltby Patricia Highsmith, the most assured film of Todd Haynes’ illustrious career to date tells the story of forbidden love between a young photographer (Rooney Mara) and an older woman (Cate Blanchett) going through a rough divorce. This is an utterly riveting, even exhausting watch, as the lovers must overcome disheartening, dehumanizing adversity. The hopeful ending is hard-won and deeply gratifying. Mara won Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival, but was submitted for Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars. Carol was nominated for six Academy Awards total, surprisingly shut out of Best Picture and Best Director categories.
32. A Star is Born (1954 and 2018)
Melodrama sometimes gets a bad rap, one it doesn’t inherently deserve. Something of a spiritual successor to the great pictures of Douglas Sirk—glossy on the outside, and profound the deeper you dig—Bradley Cooper’s remake of—well—three movies, centers on a fading rock star (Cooper) who’s a depressed mess, and a rising pop star (Lady Gaga) he becomes involved with. Cooper’s pop masterpiece is a grand entertainment—and it’s an emotional juggernaut for anyone who’s been around mental illness and addiction struggles, one that doesn’t hit a false note. The longer you sit with it, the more you’re struck by the audacity of the first-time feature filmmaker’s achievement. A Star Is Born was nominated for 8 Oscars, winning one for Best Song (“Shallow”). It would be remiss not to mention the 1954 version of this story here, too. Judy Garland and James Mason star in George Cukor’s drama, a biting Hollywood satire ahead of its time. Garland gives a titanic performance; “The Man That Got Away” is one of the great songs ever written for film.
31. The Lady Eve (1941)
Tough-as-nails Brooklyn girl Barbara Stanwyck had a razor wit and a mighty, intense presence onscreen. Preston Sturges‘ esteemed, hyper-literate rom-com The Lady Eve sees the icon of toughness at her most vulnerable, and romantic; it’s truly something to behold. Henry Fonda co-stars as ale heir Charles “Hopsi” Pike, a wealthy, handsome bachelor who’s so busy dodging the aggressive advances of every woman he meets that true love sneaks up on him—when he crosses paths with con artist Jean Harrington aboard a cruise ship. This is soulfully romantic and morally complex…and, in a balancing act, it’s goofy, filled to the brim with slapstick. The New York Times named The Lady Eve the best picture of 1941, the same year Citizen Kane came out.
30. The Philadelphia Story (1940)
Creatively skirting the Hays Production Code’s stipulations concerning adultery and wedlock, comedies of remarriage were popular in the 1930s and 40s. Based on Philip Barry‘s play, George Cukor‘s Oscar-winner stars Katharine Hepburn as a socialite torn between two suitors, including her ex, on the eve of a scheduled marriage—to someone else. It won two Oscars: Best Actor (James Stewart) and Best Adapted Screenplay.
29. Written on the Wind (1956)
One of the defining melodramas of the great Douglas Sirk stars Rock Hudson as a hunky geologist who falls for the unsatisfied wife (LaurenBacall) of an alcoholic playboy (Robert Stack). It’s gobsmacking to behold, with layers of meaning, astounding depth of character and examination of power dynamics. Other essential Sirk classics include All That Heaven Allows and Imitation of Life.
28. Annie Hall (1977)
Woody Allen’s finest hour explores a relationship between a comedian and a lounge singer, Annie Hall. Observational comedy blends with surrealist fantasy and touching drama. Annie Hall won four of the “big five” Oscars: Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Actress and Best Picture (beating Star Wars). The Writers Guild of America has named Annie Hall the funniest script of all time.
27. Brief Encounter (1945)
David Lean‘s romantic drama stars Celia Johnson as a bored housewife who fatefully crosses paths with a married stranger in pre-war England. Based on Noël Coward’s play Still Life—adapted by the author himself—Brief Encounter is regarded as one of the finest British films ever made. It was nominated for three Oscars.
26. Trouble in Paradise (1932)
Ernst Lubitsch‘s Trouble in Paradise was, for a while at least, a casualty of the Hays Code of censorship. Miriam Hopkins and Herbert Marshall star as master international thieves masquerading as nobility, who fall in love and team up when they cross paths (attempting to swindle one another before realizing they’re both up to the same thing). The pickpocket lovebirds set their sights on a wealthy and beautiful French perfume manufacturer (Kay Francis). Unexpected, honest feelings pop up and a love triangle forms. Hilarious, fervently sexy misadventures ensue before it’s clear no one is getting out of this without getting hurt. The epitome of the iconic “Lubitsch touch,” Trouble in Paradise stacks jokes upon jokes in a way that would make it feel like you’re watching a great math equation being solved/performed if the thing didn’t have so much heart. It’s an intimate, delicate, frank and sad look at three people who can’t have what they want.
25. The Graduate (1967)
Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft) seduced international audiences, making Mike Nichols’ dramedy about a college grad (Dustin Hoffman) who flings with an older woman—and then falls for her daughter (Katharine Ross)–the highest-selling film of its year. The Graduate (and Bonnie and Clyde) lost Best Picture to Oliver! —but Nichols won a Best Director Oscar.
24. Pretty Woman (1990)
Following a breakout turn in Mystic Pizza, Julia Roberts’ star shot into the stratosphere thanks to Garry Marshall’s audience favorite. She plays a hooker with a heart of gold in a fairy tale on Rodeo Drive (and less reputable corners of LA). Richard Gere is the wealthy businessman who falls for her scrappy allure. Roberts won a Golden Globe, was Oscar-nominated—and Pretty Woman grossed over thirty times its budget (it remains Disney’s highest-earning R-rated release).
23. Love Story (1970)
Love means never having to say you’re sorry for loving a soapy blockbuster melodrama. Ryan O’Neal and Ali MacGraw star in Arthur Hiller‘s film adaptation of Erich Segal‘s weepie bestseller, about young lovers struck by tragedy. Adjusting for inflation, this remains one of the top 50 highest-grossing movies of all time in North America.
22. The Princess Bride (1987)
Pure and simple, this is one of the most charming films ever made. Rob Reiner’s deconstructed fairy tale, gracefully written by William Goldman is brightly performed by a cast including Cary Elwes, Robin Wright and Mandy Patinkin. We have exactly one issue with this movie: that we can’t see it for the first time again.
21. The Sound of Music (1965)
Robert Wise’s musical epic—at one time the highest-grossing movie ever—remains a favorite of families everywhere—for many, an annual tradition. Julie Andrews is filmgoers’ favorite rebel, Christopher Plummer the widower with a broken wing, who eventually succumbs to her charms. This widescreen wonder’s heartbeat and most haunting moment is their duet, “Something Good.”
20. Shrek (2001)
The third and fourth Shrek movies got pretty bad pretty fast, so it might be hard to remember just how fresh, surprising and invigorating the first one was. The tale of an ogre (Mike Myers) who falls for a fair princess (Cameron Diaz) had a relentless irreverence only matched by the tenderness of its heart. Love is blind. Few films since City Lights have expressed that with such clarity and sincerity.
19. It Happened One Night (1934)
One of the final sexy romantic comedies released before the MPAA enforced its stringent Hays Production Code later that year, Frank Capra’s widely beloved road movie charmer was the first film ever to win all “Big Five” Oscars: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Screenplay (only two other films, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and The Silence of the Lambs, have since matched the distinction). Claudette Colbert stars as a spoiled heiress who causes a national sensation when she runs away from home on a sham elopement with a fortune-hunting priss—and crosses paths with a dashing, broke journalist Peter Warne (Clark Gable) who offers to help her only in exchange for exclusive scoop. It Happened One Night blossoms as the mismatched pair’s newfound affections inspire them to be better, less selfish versions of themselves. Italian-American, real-life rags-to-riches story Capra, referred to by film historians as “the American Dream personified,” left a legacy of powerfully uplifting, optimistic films full of triumph and goodwill. These days we revere It’s a Wonderful Life even more, but this was perhaps the auteur’s greatest success within his own lifetime. It Happened One Night continues is still referenced in modern films and television. It’s even been adapted for Bollywood…five times.
18. Notorious (1946)
Arguably Hitchcock‘s most exquisite film (yes, Notoriousreally is on the same level as Vertigo), this elegant thriller cast Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman against type as bitter lovers tangled in a post-World War II spy mission in South America. Bergman plays a drunk with a haunted past. Selected by the Writers Guild of America as one of the finest screenplays ever written, Ben Hecht‘s script succeeds on multiple levels: it’s a chilling, enraged response to the horrors of the war that were only just sinking into the public conscious, and it’s a note-perfect psychological exploration of a romantic relationship that’s toxic in both directions.
17. My Fair Lady (1964)
We’ve grown accustomed to George Cukor’s classic adaptation of the stage musical, starring Audrey Hepburn as a poor Cockney flower girl who becomes the project of an arrogant phonetics professor, played by Rex Harrison. Preserved with multiple high-profile restorations over the decades, My Fair Lady holds up most of all thanks to iconic turns from its leads.
16. Moonstruck (1987)
Snap out of it and revisit one of the best rom-coms in history. Cher and Nicolas Cage star in this award-winning classic about an Italian-American woman who falls for her fiancé’s hot-tempered but totally hunky brother. Moonstruck was nominated for six Academy Awards including Best Picture, and it won three: Best Actress, Supporting Actress (Olympia Dukakis) and Best Original Screenplay. Roger Ebert included Moonstruck among his “Great Movies” list of cinema’s all-time finest. The characters so fully inhabit their characters; it’s bittersweet and the laughs are often huge.
15. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Michel Gondry and Charlie Kaufman’s audacious, hilarious, wincingly on-point and undeniably moving sci-fi tale follows a couple (Jim Carrey and Oscar-nominated Kate Winslet) who’ve erased each other from their memories. With a nonlinear narrative and elements of a psychological thriller, Eternal Sunshine performs an autopsy on a broken bond—ultimately uncovering a singular, unforgettable way to make us believe in true love. The Writers Guild of America named Kaufman’s screenplay the 24th best script in the history of motion pictures.
14. The Before trilogy (1995-2013)
In 1995’s Before Sunrise, Jesse (Ethan Hawke) convinced Céline (Julie Delpy) to hop off the train out of Budapest for a romantic stroll around Vienna. Nine years later, they cross paths in Paris. Nine years after that, we got a snapshot of their new reality as they vacation to Greece. By multiplex standards, not much happens in the Before films. And yet, the walking-and-talking trilogy is, in its way, exhilarating—not to mention profoundly moving in a layered sort of way that few romantic films could even aspire to. Sunset is the most purely enjoyable entry, and this series, which started out damn near perfect, has just gotten better as it goes along. A lot of this has to do with Delpy and Hawke becoming more involved in the writing of their characters, undeniably influenced by the performers’ real lives.
13. Doctor Zhivago (1965)
Set between the nascence of World War I, the Russian Revolution and the Civil War, David Lean’s epic adapts Boris Pasternak’s controversial book about a years-spanning love affair amidst the terrors of wartime. Starring Omar Sharif and Julie Christie, Doctor Zhivago is the ninth highest-grossing movie of all time if taking inflation into account.
12. Beauty and the Beast(and La Belle et La Bête)
The second film in the Disney Renaissance is an even more refined, dramatically punchy film than The Little Mermaid. Taking a cue from the 1946 French masterwork La Belle et La Bête, benefiting enormously from the songs of Ashman/Menken, this is a landmark. Before the campy (undeniably successful) Disney live-action remake, Beauty and the Beast had been told to perfection already in live action, in Jean Cocteau‘s 1946 French classic La Belle et la Bête. If you’ve never seen the French film, a playful wonder of micro-budget special effects, you might be shocked by how many visuals were borrowed for the 1991 film. This is a touchstone of fantasy filmmaking, a low-budget venture so successful it’s credited with revitalizing post-war French economy.
11. Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
Stanley Donen‘s MGM musical spectacular is often cited as the best musical ever made. Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor, Debbie Reynolds and Jean Hagen star in a showbiz rom-com set at the industry-shaking dawn of the talkies. The final moments (“Stop that girl!”) are so swoon-worthy it’ll still make your heart leap. Top 10 romantic movies of all time
10. Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
David O. Russell‘s Philly-set masterpiece, about two hot messes who fall for each other as they heal from significant trauma, is an astounding blend of huge laughs, painful authenticity and a moving love story. Silver Linings Playbook walks a risky tightrope thematically and never sets a foot wrong—much to the delight and pleasure of anyone who watches it. This was the first movie since Warren Beatty‘s Reds 31 years earlier to be nominated for Oscars in all four acting categories (for stars Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro and Jacki Weaver). Lawrence won Best Actress of course, and the rest is history. Family is a funny thing. We love them, and sometimes they drive us nuts. Few pictures in memory have better captured the devastating heartbreak and occasional hilarity that happens when loved ones throw down quite like Silver Linings Playbook. There’s a stunningly effective message here—about grace, living amends and the healing powers of selfless love. In addition to being arguably the most powerful screen romance we’ve seen in the 21st century, Silver Linings Playbook is a profoundly American movie—has any other film dissected our love of football with as much insight as this one?
9. When Harry Met Sally (1989)
We’ll have what she’s having. Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan star in this modern classic about friends who test their theory that friends can’t have sex with each other, over several years. Written by Nora Ephron and directed by Rob Reiner, When Harry Met Sally was named the 23rd best American comedy ever by the American Film Institute; it’s the most loved romantic movie of its era. It all ends with an oft-quoted declaration of love moments before the clock strikes twelve.
8. Moonlight (2016)
By the end of Moonlight‘s unforgettable three acts, we’ve witnessed nothing less than the birth and salvation of a human soul. Defiantly eschewing sentimentality and hand-holding, director and screenwriter Barry Jenkinstells this story of light and love in seemingly hopeless circumstances with broad strokes, gritty reality and some of the most intoxicating audiovisual loveliness on record. Moonlight won three Academy Awards, including a Best Picture victory in one of the biggest live-television blunders of all time. Moonlight will stand alongside the likes of Casablanca, The Godfather and select others as a Best Picture winner for the ages.
7. Brokeback Mountain (2005)
A watershed moment for Hollywood and pop culture at large, Ang Lee’s tragic Western won best film and best director honors in nearly every corner of the awards circuit, including the Golden Globes, the BAFTAs, the PGA Awards, the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards and the Independent Spirit Awards. Brokeback Mountain received eight nods at the 78th Academy Awards, winning in three categories including Best Director. Its surprise Best Picture loss to Paul Haggis‘s Crash is widely considered one of the biggest upsets in Academy history, if not the biggest.
6. The Notebook (2004)
Based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks, this epic melodrama centers on a love between a poor country boy (Ryan Gosling) and a rich city girl (Rachel McAdams) that spans decades and endures endless adversity. Gena Rowlands, Joan Allen and James Garner costar in the massively successful picture that started an entire sub-genre of big-screen Sparks adaptations.
5. Titanic (1997)
In a highly publicized ordeal quite similar to production of “Disney’s Folly” Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, James Cameron bet the farm on a meticulously detailed epic pitched as “Romeo and Juliet on the Titanic.” The budget was record-breaking, the production turbulent. It looked like Titanic would be a disaster movie in a cynical sense. Instead, it became an instant classic. Any backlash in the decades since is, frankly, unfounded. Particularly in its second half, Titanic is spellbinding in a way few pictures have even aspired to be. The love story is simple—but is that even a fault? That accessibility paired with great performances (Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet are as captivating as the picture around them) and groundbreaking effects gripped international audiences; Titanic obliterated box-office records, and is tied with Ben-Hur and Return of the King for most Oscar wins (11 in total).
4. West Side Story (1961)
Robert Wise’s electrifying musical of star-crossed love between rival street gangs is the most awarded musical in Oscars history (10 wins including Best Picture). If there is a flaw here, it’s that the supporting stars Rita Moreno and George Chakiris steal all the thunder whenever they’re on screen. Steven Spielberg’s triumphant remake lived up to the original, and in some ways, arguably, surpassed it.
3. Roman Holiday (1953)
Audrey Hepburn is a timeless screen presence, and of all of Hepburn’s iconic, cherished films, her black-and-white breakthrough (for which she won a Best Actress Oscar) has aged the very best. In fact, William Wyler‘s swoon-inducing, sunny and scrappy Italian travelogue is a bittersweet, understated masterpiece. Simply the perfect Valentine’s watch. Cary Grant was originally in talks to play the affable reporter opposite Hepburn’s sheltered princess, but turned it down because he thought he was too old (10 years later, the two were well-matched in Stanley Donen’s hilarious Charade, which barely didn’t make this list), and the role ultimately went to the ever-appealing Gregory Peck. Another example of an esteemed star being as lovely offscreen as on, Peck, already a big star in 1953, demanded that newcomer Hepburn receive equal billing with him. This kind of #TimesUp thing was all but unheard of in 1953.
2. City Lights (1931)
The magnum opus of Charlie Chaplin, cinema’s greatest clown, also humanist and steadfast romantic. The story of a Little Tramp (Chaplin) who falls for a blind flower girl (Virginia Cherrill) and endures a turbulent relationship with a drunken millionaire and countless other obstacles so that the apple of his eye may see. A silent made four years after the talkie revolution, City Lights was a special film for Chaplin, too. Ultimately his personal favorite of his many masterworks, it was his baby and he took an unusually long time to piece it together. This is also the first time he composed a movie’s score, adding that to his other credits: actor, writer, director, producer, editor and to quote W.C. Fields “the greatest ballet dancer who ever lived.” According to the American Film Institute, this is the greatest romantic comedy ever made, and the 11th best American film of all time. Renowned, influential film critic James Agee called the film’s final scene “the greatest single piece of acting ever committed to celluloid.” There are some cinephiles out there who would argue in favor of “I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship,” from Casablanca, but many, this reviewer included, firmly regard the final moments of City Lights as the best ending in movie history. Love is blind, you see.
1. Casablanca (1942)
As time goes by, Casablanca remains one of the most unanimously adored and celebrated movies ever. Not least among the reasons why is the adapted screenplay by Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein and Howard Koch, frequently touted as the smartest, most quotable script ever written. And there’s the romantic chemistry between Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart. A big reason we all love this movie so much is how proud we are of the characters in the end. Rick and Ilsa prioritize the greater good, and put a human face on the sacrifices made during wartime, even those made off the battlefield. The Greatest Generation, indeed. Casablanca‘s messages about seeing things bigger than yourself and doing what’s right will always resonate with audiences. Never pass up an opportunity to re-watch one of the highest highs of Hollywood history. Honorable mentions: Talk to Her (2002), It’s a Wonderful Life (1946), Love, Simon (2018), Tootsie (1982), God’s Own Country (2017), Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010), Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994), The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946), Top Hat (1935), Notting Hill (1999),As Good As It Gets (1997), Say Anything (1989), The American President (1995), North by Northwest (1959), Now, Voyager (1942), Call Me By Your Name (2017), Groundhog Day (1993), Two for the Road (1967), Adam’s Rib (1949), Cold War (2018), Pillow Talk (1959), The Piano (1993), Emma (2020), Lady and the Tramp (1995), REDS (1981), Sabrina (1954), Weekend (2011), Palm Springs (2020), Breathless (1960), Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019). Looking for even more romantic classics? Check out the best romantic movies of the 21st century so far. save the
