Romance movies come in many shapes, sizes, and genres. But if Netflix is a barometer of what people really want out of their romance movies, then rom-coms are by far the most popular selection. That’s why it shouldn’t surprise you too much that a 23-year-old rom-com called Life or Something Like It has found a second life as the No. 1 movie on Netflix. Having Angelina Jolie and Edward Burns in the two leading roles may have had something to do with that.
Similarly, a more recent Netflix original rom-com, The Hating Game, has also proven to be very popular. Maybe the secret behind the collective success of these films is that everyone kind of knows the ending going in. After all, watching movies about heartbreak and dying alone just isn’t as much fun. You can find these films and the rest of the best romance movies on Netflix below.
Need more recommendations? Then check out the best new movies to stream this week, the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Amazon Prime Video, the best movies on Max, and the best movies on Disney+.
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The Hating Game2021 -
The Hating Game (2021)
6.2/10By now, we’ve all seen the enemies to lovers story many times over in romantic comedies. It’s a classic trope because it works, and The Hating Game has it down to a science. Some of that may be due to Lucy Hale’s experience in the genre, and a good deal of this movie revolves around her character, Lucy Hutton. Lucy and her counterpart, Josh Templeman (Austin Stowell), came from rival publishing companies and they’re both up for the promotion that they want more than anything. To be rid of each other, they place a bet that calls for the winner of the promotion to stay and the loser to leave the company. Lucy’s got this in the bag, but the mutual attraction she’s formed with Josh is starting to cloud her judgment. Is their connection real? Or has Josh just come up with the way to decisively win their bet?
Life or Something Like It (2002)
31%
5.8/10Lanie Kerrigan (Angelina Jolie) is a TV reporter with big dreams in Life or Something Like It. She wants to make it on network TV, but all she has waiting for her is an untimely death according to Prophet Jack (Tony Shalhoub). Normally, Lanie would laugh off such a dire prediction. But everything Prophet Jack has predicted has come to pass, and her time is running out.
As Lanie starts to unravel, she finds a supporting hand from her one-time lover turned cameraman, Pete Scanlon (Ed Burns). He helps Lanie see life from a new perspective and reawaken some of the spark they shared before. If Lanie has a date with destiny, then she’s going to spend some time with Pete first to determine what she really wants out of the time she has left.
Pride & Prejudice (2005)
82%
7.8/10One of the greatest love affairs in history may be between filmmakers and Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice, which has been remade numerous times over the last century. Two decades ago, Keira Knightley starred in one of the novel’s best adaptations to date by stepping into the role of Elizabeth Bennet.
Elizabeth isn’t as obsessed with finding a romantic match as her sisters. But in that era, the Bennet women need to find a suitable husband in order to shore up their futures. One of the potential suitors, Mr. Darcy (Matthew Macfadyen), rubs Elizabeth the wrong way, and she initially dislikes him. Yet over time, Darcy may prove to be one of the best friends her family can ask for, and maybe more for Elizabeth herself.
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry (2022)
6.7/10The secret of The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry is that his story isn’t the only one that’s “storied.” A.J. Fikry (Kunal Nayyar) has suffered personal tragedies that made him give up on other people, and his bookstore is the only thing left that sustains his spirit. Or at least it was the only thing until he found an abandoned baby, Maya, whom he adopted.
A.J. also finds a second chance at love with Amy Loman (Lucy Hale) in true rom-com form. But this story has plenty of dramatic turns, as A.J.’s presence has profound effects on Amy, as well as their closest friends, Ismay (Christina Hendricks) and Daniel Parrish (Scott Foley), and even Officer Nick Lambiase (David Arquette).
La Dolce Villa (2025)
5.9/10Eric Field (Scott Foley) is a single dad in La Dolce Villa who has trouble accepting that his now grown daughter, Olivia (Maia Reficco), wants to start her own life in Italy by buying a cheap dilapidated property and fixing it up for herself. Her father is so dead set against this that Eric rushes to Italy to dissuade her, which means he’s neglecting his professional duties in America.
This wouldn’t be a romantic comedy without someone for Eric to rom-com with. In this case, it’s Francesca (Violante Placido), the small town’s mayor that Olivia wants to move to. And if Eric’s not careful, he may find himself falling for Francesca and contemplating a relocation to Italy as well.
Lonely Planet (2024)
46%
5.8/10Morocco is the setting of Lonely Planet, which shares its title with a series of popular travel guides. Laura Dern stars as Katherine Loewe, a writer who is going through a tough breakup when she attends a writers retreat in that country. That’s where she runs into Owen Brophy (Liam Hemsworth), a much younger man who is dating one of the other writers, Lily Kemp (Diana Silvers).
As the retreat continues, Lily emotionally pushes Owen away, while he forms a bond with Katherine. The sparks will fly as both Katherine and Owen realize they have little to lose by pursuing each other.
Girl Haunts Boy (2024)
6.4/10A Family Affair (2024)
43%
5.3/10Joey King’s Zara Ford is between a rock and a hard place in A Family Affair. She’s an assistant to a successful actor, Chris Cole (Zac Efron), and she’s completely exasperated by his flakey ways and his womanizing habits. So you can imagine how she’ll react when Chris starts a romance with her mother, Brooke Harwood (Nicole Kidman).
Zara is absolutely convinced that Chris will break her mother’s heart, just as he’s done many times before to other women. But there doesn’t seem to be anything she can do to keep these two apart, especially since Brooke’s romance with Chris is lifting her spirits in ways that Zara hasn’t seen in years.
Anyone But You (2023)
52%
6.2/10Thanks to Anyone but You, Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney are the breakout stars of 2024. And it was a rom-com that helped launch them to the stratosphere. Bea (Sweeney) and Ben (Glen Powell) start off the movie hot with an instant love connection. Their relationship quickly goes south over some miscommunication that leaves both blaming each other.
Less than a year later, Bea and Ben are reunited as guests for a destination wedding, and their distaste for each other is apparent. The only reason why they agree to pretend to be getting back together is to make Glen’s ex-girlfriend, Margaret (Charlee Fraser), jealous, and to keep Bea’s parents from pressuring her to reunite with her ex-fiancé, Jonathan (Darren Barnet). But as in all rom-coms, Bea and Ben’s renewed proximity means that sparks are going to fly.
All the Bright Places (2020)
61%
6.6/10Get ready for a tearjerker with All the Bright Places. Jennifer Niven co-wrote the adaptation of her own novel, which features Elle Fanning as Violet Markey. One year after the death of her sister, Violet seemingly contemplates suicide before Theodore “Theo” Finch (Dungeons & Dragons star Justice Smith) successfully talks her down and befriends her.
Over time, Theo and Violet become close even though their relationship causes some friction with her parents. However, Theo has some very serious emotional demons to face, and not even his connection to Violet may be enough to pull him back from the brink.
I Love Lizzy (2023)
6.4/10I Love Lizzy follows Jeff (Carlo Aquino), a young man who is on the verge of becoming a priest. While on vacation in the Philippines, Jeff becomes instantly attracted to his tour guide, Lizzy (Barbie Imperial); they soon open up to each other and share a bond.
This forces Jeff to question whether he is truly ready to become a priest or is willing to turn his back on that in the hope of finding a lasting love with Lizzy. However, Lizzy’s emotional baggage leads to tragedy, forcing Jeff to reevaluate his choices once again.
Love at First Sight (2023)
55%
6.8/10Love At First Sight is a bit of a misnomer, because Hadley Sullivan (Haley Lu Richardson) and Oliver Jones (Ben Hardy) don’t fall head over heels in love just because they’re two incredibly attractive people. Although that certainly had to have helped things along. Instead, Hadley and Oliver briefly meet at the airport before sitting next to each other on a long flight to England. And during the flight, they form a bond that surprises both of them.
Their connection is so strong that Hadley makes the decision to pursue Oliver even though they both have family drama that they need to face before they can determine if they can make a relationship between them into a reality.
The Noel Diary (2022)
63%
6.1/10Although it may be implied by the title, The Noel Diary is not a movie about the famous Christmas carol, The First Noel. Instead, it’s a literal diary by Noel Ellis (Essence Atkins), a woman who is unknowingly the common factor connecting Jake Turner (Justin Hartley) and Rachel Campbell (Barrett Doss).
Jake is back in his hometown to handle his late mother’s estate when he meets Rachel, a woman who is looking for Noel, the woman who may be her birth mother. Because Noel was once Jake’s nanny, he realizes that his estranged father, Scott Turner (James Remar), may have answers. And as Jake helps Rachel find what she’s looking for, they may find something even greater together.
Ehrengard: The Art of Seduction (2023)
The title character of Ehrengard: The Art of Seduction is played by Alice Bier Zanden, and she seems to be completely immune to the charms of a painter, Cazotte (Mikkel Boe Følsgaard). Cazotte is so eager to win Ehrengard’s heart that he agrees to help the Grand Duchess (Sidse Babett Knudsen) by giving her son, Prince Lothar (Emil Aron Dorph), some pointers on seducing women so he can have an heir.
Unfortunately for Cazotte, Lothar is a quick study. That leads to all sorts of problems for the royal family. And Ehrengard remains frustratingly out of Cazotte’s reach and in the arms of another man.
No Limit (2022)
5.8/10Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between (2022)
54%
5.1/10It feels like you need to take a deep breath before saying the name Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between. In this Netflix Original movie, Talia Ryder stars as Clare, a high school senior who has had a difficult time connecting with anyone because her family constantly moves. Enter Aidan (Jordan Fisher), a teenager who breaks through Clare’s emotional barriers.
To convince Clare to give romance a chance, Aidan proposes that they set an end date for their relationship with an epic final date. But when the date finally arrives, Clare has to wonder if Aidan’s elaborate plans are really meant to keep them together.
Lady Chatterley's Lover (2022)
67%
6.6/10For the better part of a century, D. H. Lawrence’s Lady Chatterley’s Lover has been adapted again and again for film, television, and even radio. Netflix’s movie is the latest adaptation, and it features Emma Corrin in the title role of Constance “Connie” Reid, the wife of Matthew Duckett’s Sir Clifford Chatterley.
When Clifford returns home from World War I as a paraplegic, the passion goes out of his marriage with Connie despite her best efforts. But when Connie begins a torrid affair with a gamekeeper, Oliver Mellors (Jack O’Connell), it may cost Lady Chatterley her title, her wealth, and even her husband.
Faraway (2023)
Sometimes, you just need a break from life. When her mother passes away and her husband doesn’t show up to the funeral, it’s the last straw for Zeynep (Naomi Krauss). She’s already dealing with stress at work, an aging father at home, a husband who is clearly too preoccupied with his job for her, and a typical closed off teenage daughter.
So, she takes things into her own hands and decides to drive off to a home in Croatia that her mother bought before her death. But when she arrives, the owner of the villa Josip (Goran Bogdan) is still living there. This could pose a problem, or could it? Faraway is a romantic drama with elements of comedy and feel-good heartwarming moments that fans have likened to movies like Mamma Mia.
Most Eligible Bachelor (2021)
6.1/10Along for the Ride (2022)
A Christmas Prince (2017)
66%
5.8/10Malcolm & Marie (2021)
53%
6.7/10To All the Boys I've Loved Before (2018)
64%
7.1/10To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You (2020)
54%
6.0/10To All the Boys: Always and Forever (2021)
65%
6.3/10The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society (2018)
65%
7.4/10Marriage Story (2019)
94%
7.9/10Always Be My Maybe (2019)
64%
6.8/10Someone Great (2019)
63%
6.2/10Set It Up (2018)
The Incredible Jessica James (2017)
72%
6.5/10Nappily Ever After (2018)
63%
6.4/10Related topics: Netflix | Hulu | Amazon Prime | More streaming services
