This is an elaborate list of the 101 best romance movies ever made. From Forest Gump to Titanic, these are the greatest films with gripping romance to be enjoyed.
A good romance movie should have two likable protagonists who are struggling with some obstacle to their relationship. There should be some tension and conflict, but ultimately the couple should end up together. The film should be well-written and directed, with great chemistry between the two leads.
Previously we compiled a profound list of 101 best comedy movies of all time. This time it’s all about romance. Browse the list and find your greatest watch of the day.
1. Forrest Gump | 1994 | 8.8 IMDB
Forrest Gump is a film about a man with a low IQ who goes through several significant events in his life. He is in love with a woman named Jenny, but she does not reciprocate his feelings. He is drafted into the Vietnam War and is wounded. He returns home and becomes a successful businessman. He meets the President of the United States and is present at several historical events. He also has a son with Jenny.
2. Life Is Beautiful | 1997 | 8.6 IMDB
In the movie Life Is Beautiful, a Jewish man and his family are sent to a concentration camp during World War II. The man, Guido, uses his wit and imagination to try to keep his son, Joshua, from being too scared and to make the best of their situation. The movie is ultimately a story about the power of love and hope.
3. It’s a Wonderful Life | 1946 | 8.6 IMDB
It’s a Wonderful Life is a holiday classic about a man named George Bailey who is on the brink of suicide on Christmas Eve. An angel named Clarence comes to him and shows him what life would be like if he had never been born. George realizes how much he has to be thankful for and decides to live.
4. Cinema Paradiso | 1988 | 8.5 IMDB
Cinema Paradiso is a 1988 Italian film directed by Giuseppe Tornatore. It tells the story of a young boy, Salvatore, who falls in love with cinema and grows up to become a successful film director himself. The film won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1989.
5. Casablanca | 1942 | 8.5 IMDB
Casablanca is a 1942 American romantic drama film directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, and Paul Henreid. The film centers on a cynical American expatriate who must choose between his love for a woman and helping her and her husband, a Czech resistance leader, escape from the Vichy-controlled city of Casablanca to continue his fight against the Nazis.
6. Modern Times | 1936 | 8.5 IMDB
In Modern Times, Charlie Chaplin stars as a factory worker who struggles to keep up with the demands of the assembly line. The film is a comedy but also critiques the industrialization of society and the mistreatment of workers.
7. City Lights | 1931 | 8.5 IMDB
City Lights is a 1931 silent romantic comedy film written and directed by Charlie Chaplin. The film stars Chaplin as a tramp who falls in love with a blind girl, played by Virginia Cherrill. The film was a critical and commercial success and is considered one of Chaplin’s best films.
8. 96 | | 2018 | 8.4 IMDB
The movie 96 is a Tamil language romantic drama film directed by C. Prem Kumar. The movie stars Vijay Sethupathi and Trisha Krishnan in the lead roles. The movie is based on the real-life incident of the 1996 Chennai floods. The movie was released on 6 October 2017 and received positive reviews from critics.
9. Your Name. | 2016 | 8.4 IMDB
Your Name is a 2016 Japanese animated romantic drama film written and directed by Makoto Shinkai. The film tells the story of two high school students, a boy, and a girl, who swap bodies and live with each other. The film was a huge commercial success in Japan, becoming the country’s fourth highest-grossing film of all time, and has received critical acclaim from both Japanese and international audiences.
10. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind | 2004 | 8.3 IMDB
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a 2004 film directed by Michel Gondry and written by Charlie Kaufman. It stars Jim Carrey as Joel Barish, a man who undergoes a procedure to erase all memories of his former girlfriend Clementine Kruczynski (Kate Winslet). The film received critical acclaim and won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.
11. Amélie | 2001 | 8.3 IMDB
Amélie is a young French woman who lives a relatively isolated life in Paris. She spends her days working at a local cafe and her nights exploring the city. Amélie is a very kind and compassionate person, and she often goes out of her way to help others. One day, she finds a box of old photos that belonged to a man who died in a car accident. Amélie decides to return the photos to the man’s family, and in doing so, she discovers a new purpose in life. Amélie is a charming and heartwarming film that will leave you feeling happy and hopeful.
12. Good Will Hunting | 1997 | 8.3 IMDB
Good Will Hunting is a 1997 American drama film, directed by Gus Van Sant, and starring Robin Williams, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Minnie Driver, and Stellan Skarsgård. Written by Affleck and Damon, the film follows 20-year-old Will Hunting, a janitor at MIT, who is identified as a genius and encouraged to become a research mathematician under the guidance of a professor.
13. The Apartment | 1960 | 8.3 IMDB
The Apartment tells the story of a young man named C.C. Baxter who rents out his apartment to various executives from his office in order to get ahead in his job. However, when one of the executives, Mr. Sheldrake, begins using Baxter’s apartment for trysts with his mistress, Baxter finds himself in a difficult situation. The film was directed by Billy Wilder and starred Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine.
14. Vertigo | 1958 | 8.3 IMDB
Vertigo is a psychological thriller and romantic drama film directed by Alfred Hitchcock. The movie follows Scottie Ferguson, a retired police detective, who is hired by an old friend to investigate the strange behavior of his wife. Scottie becomes obsessed with the woman, and as he tries to uncover the truth, he spirals into a world of madness and delusion.
15. Singin’ in the Rain | 1952 | 8.3 IMDB
The 1952 musical film Singin’ in the Rain is set in Hollywood during the transition from silent films to “talkies”. The film stars Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor, and Debbie Reynolds. The film was a huge success and is considered one of the greatest musical films of all time.
16. Chhichhore | 2019 | 8.2 IMDB
Chhichhore is a 2019 Indian Hindi-language coming-of-age comedy-drama film directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Sajid Nadiadwala under the banner of Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment. The film stars Sushant Singh Rajput, Shraddha Kapoor, Varun Sharma, Prateik Babbar, Tahir Raj Bhasin, Naveen Polishetty, and Tushar Pandey.
17. The Secret in Their Eyes | 2009 | 8.2 IMDB
The Secret in Their Eyes is a 2009 Argentine-Spanish thriller film directed, co-written, produced, and edited by Juan José Campanella, based on the novel La pregunta de sus Ojos (The Question in Their Eyes) by Eduardo Sacheri. The film stars Ricardo Darín and Soledad Villamil.
The film tells the story of a retired legal counselor who writes a novel hoping to find closure for one of his past unresolved homicide cases and for his unreciprocated love for a woman. It won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 82nd Academy Awards.
18. Some Like It Hot | 1959 | 8.2 IMDB
Some Like It Hot is a 1959 American romantic comedy film directed by Billy Wilder, starring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, and Jack Lemmon. The film follows two musicians who dress in drag in order to escape from mafia gangsters. The film is considered to be one of the greatest films of all time.
19. To Be or Not to Be | 1942 | 8.2 IMDB
The movie To Be or Not to Be is about a theater troupe in Poland during World War II who uses their acting skills to fool the Nazis. The movie is a romantic comedy, but also has a serious side as it deals with the realities of war.
20. Gone with the Wind | 1939 | 8.2 IMDB
Gone with the Wind is a 1939 American epic historical romance film adapted from the novel of the same name by Margaret Mitchell. The film was directed by Victor Fleming and produced by David O. Selznick of Selznick International Pictures. The leading roles are portrayed by Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Thomas Mitchell, and Barbara O’Neil.
21. Sherlock Jr. | 1924 | 8.2 IMDB
“Sherlock Jr.” is a 1924 comedy film directed by and starring Buster Keaton. The film tells the story of a young man who dreams of becoming a great detective like his idol, Sherlock Holmes. When he is framed for a crime he did not commit, he must use his detective skills to clear his name. “Sherlock Jr.” is considered one of Keaton’s greatest films and is a classic of silent cinema.
22. Portrait of a Lady on Fire | 2019 | 8.1 IMDB
Portrait of a Lady on Fire is about a young woman who is commissioned to paint a wedding portrait of a wealthy heiress. The heiress is reluctant to sit for the painting, so the artist must covertly observe her in order to complete the portrait. As the artist gets to know the heiress, she begins to develop feelings for her. The film explores the forbidden love between the two women and the societal constraints that prevent them from openly expressing their love for one another.
23. Dil Bechara | 2020 | 8.1 IMDB
The movie Dil Bechara is a 2020 Indian Hindi-language coming-of-age romance film directed by Mukesh Chhabra in his directorial debut and produced by Fox Star Studios. The film is based on the novel The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. The film stars Sushant Singh Rajput and Sanjana Sanghi in the lead roles. The film’s music is composed by A. R. Rahman, with lyrics written by Amitabh Bhattacharya.
The film follows the story of Kizie Basu, a young girl suffering from cancer, and her love interest, Manny Khurana. The two meet when Manny comes to Kizzie’s support group, and they quickly develop a close bond. However, when Kizzie’s cancer takes a turn for the worse, Manny is forced to confront his own feelings for her. The film is a touching exploration of young love in the face of adversity.
24. The Handmaiden | 2016 | 8.1 IMDB
The Handmaiden is a 2016 South Korean historical thriller film directed by Park Chan-wook and starring Kim Min-hee, Kim Tae-ri, Ha Jung-woo, and Cho Jin-Woong. The film is based on the novel Fingersmith by Sarah Waters, with the setting moved from Victorian-era Britain to Korea under Japanese colonial rule.
A young pickpocket (Kim Tae-ri) is hired by a conman (Ha Jung-woo) to pose as a maid to a Japanese heiress (Kim Min-hee) in order to trick her into marrying him and gaining control of her fortune. However, the maid soon finds herself falling for her mistress, complicating the conman’s plans.
The Handmaiden is a beautifully shot, brilliantly acted, and suspensefully plotted film that ranks among Park Chan-wook’s best works.
25. Barfi! | 2012 | 8.1 IMDB
Barfi! is a 2012 Indian comedy-drama film directed by Anurag Basu, and produced by UTV Motion Pictures and Ronnie Screwvala. The film features Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, and Ileana D’Cruz in the lead roles, with Saurabh Shukla, Ashish Vidyarthi, and Jisshu Sengupta appearing in supporting roles.
The story follows the life of Murphy “Barfi” Johnson (Kapoor), a deaf-mute boy from Darjeeling, and his relationships with two women, Shruti (Chopra) and Jhilmil (D’Cruz). Barfi! was released worldwide on 14 September 2012 to positive reviews from critics, with particular praise for Kapoor’s performance.