Girlfriend
  • News
  • Beauty
  • Fashion
  • Life and Advice
  • Entertainment
  • Role Model Search
  • Video
Girlfriend
  • News
  • Beauty
  • Fashion
  • Life and Advice
  • Entertainment
  • Role Model Search
  • Video
Sophie Monk drops another epic Love Island trailer
Watch 1:00

Sophie Monk drops another epic Love Island trailer

{headline}

{headline}

The Best Rom-Coms On Netflix

The Best Rom-Coms On Netflix

Louis Partridge is about to become your next internet sweetheart in ‘Enola Holmes,’ but is he ready for it?

Louis Partridge is about to become your next internet sweetheart in ‘Enola Holmes,’ but is he ready for it?

Joey King and Joel Courtney just recapped all of 'The Kissing Booth' in nine minutes

Joey King and Joel Courtney just recapped all of 'The Kissing Booth' in nine minutes

All the Christmas titles coming to Netflix

All the Christmas titles coming to Netflix

{headline}

{headline}

KJ Apa & Tyler Posey’s movie 'The Last Summer' is on Netflix

KJ Apa & Tyler Posey’s movie 'The Last Summer' is on Netflix

Please watch THREE Vanessa Hudgens in the new ‘The Princess Switch: Switched Again' trailer

Please watch THREE Vanessa Hudgens in the new ‘The Princess Switch: Switched Again' trailer

'Dash & Lily' is the new Christmas teen rom-com you're going to rewatch all through the holidays

'Dash & Lily' is the new Christmas teen rom-com you're going to rewatch all through the holidays

{headline}

{headline}

Netflix's 'Bridgerton' is 'Gossip Girl' meets 'Pride and Prejudice'

Netflix's 'Bridgerton' is 'Gossip Girl' meets 'Pride and Prejudice'

The final episodes of "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" just got a release date

The final episodes of "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" just got a release date

Emma Roberts to produce a new Netflix YA about vampires!

Emma Roberts to produce a new Netflix YA about vampires!

Jacob Elordi just joked that 'The Kissing Booth' might be a movie series that "never ends"

Jacob Elordi just joked that 'The Kissing Booth' might be a movie series that "never ends"

Sabrina Carpenter is making an 'Alice in Wonderland' movie with Netflix

Sabrina Carpenter is making an 'Alice in Wonderland' movie with Netflix

A Disney Plus Drive-In Is Coming To Brisbane, Sydney & Melbourne

A Disney Plus Drive-In Is Coming To Brisbane, Sydney & Melbourne

‘Enola Holmes’ stars Millie Bobby Brown and Louis Partridge explain why their characters didn’t kiss

‘Enola Holmes’ stars Millie Bobby Brown and Louis Partridge explain why their characters didn’t kiss

  1. Home
  2. Entertainment

The Most Romantic Movies Ever, From 'Love Actually' To 'Romeo + Juliet'

Consider date night, girls night and solo nights-in sorted. - by Team Girlfriend
  • 25 Nov 2020
The Most Romantic Movies Ever, From 'Love Actually' To 'Romeo + Juliet'

Christmas is around the corner, which means, alongside overeating, over drinking and over spending, you'll overindulge in cheesy romantic movies. We're not judging. In fact, creating a list with only 50 of Girlfriend’s fave romantic films proved quite a challenge.

From Hollywood classics to French avant-garde, these are the films likely to cause even the most staunch romance-phobe to shed a tear.

Romeo and Juliet

ROMEO AND JULIET (1996)

Baz Luhrmann's adaptation of the Shakespearean story is 100% stylised, 100% peak attractiveness Leo, 100% devastating.

The Graduate

THE GRADUATE (1967)

Endlessly parodied, The Graduate is one of the most iconic romances in Hollywood history. Who knew "boy has affair with older married woman then falls in love with her daughter" could be so romantic? Extra props for the chic '60s costumes and Simon and Garfunkel-heavy soundtrack.

The Notebook

THE NOTEBOOK (2004)

The only thing more devastating than this movie? The fact that Noah and Allie (Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling) got together then broke up IRL. Still not over it.

Love Story

LOVE STORY (1970)

If you think A Walk to Remember is heartbreaking, wait until you see Love Story. It's the story of a rich boy meets a poor girl mixed with a tragic terminal illness—Aka devastating.

An Officer and a Gentleman

AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN (1982)

Uniforms! Testosterone! Hats! Young Richard Gere! Hands up if you've also fantasised about being swept off your feet and literally walked into the sunset?

Gone With The Wind

GONE WITH THE WIND (1939)

The original Hollywood epic, Gone With the Wind is a three-hour emotional rollercoaster fit with deaths, betrayals and affairs, all against the backdrop of the American Civil War.

Breakfast At Tiffany's

BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S (1961)

Audrey Hepburn was immortalised as Holly Golightly, the gold-digging socialite who falls in love with her poor, struggling writer neighbour and, somewhere in the process, became a style and cultural icon for the next fifty years.

Annie Hall

ANNIE HALL (1977)

As problematic as Woody Allen is, nobody can deny the romantic pull of Annie Hall—regarded by many as his best film (it took home four Oscars). Bonus points to Diane Keaton's wardrobe—she insisted on styling herself.

Amélie

Amélie (2001)

Amélie; The Fabulous Destiny of Amélie Poulain is a technicolour Parisian dream following the romantic journey of Amélie—an anti-Manic Pixie Dream Girl, played by Audrey Tatou.

The Philadelphia Story

THE PHILADELPHIA STORY (1940)

The Philadelphia Story is essentially the cornerstone for all good romantic comedies. Ultimate legend Katharine Hepburn basically is generally independent while Cary Grant and James Stewart fight over her.

The Princess Bride

THE PRINCESS BRIDE (1987)

King of Hollywood Romance Rob Reiner really outdid himself with his fairy tale fantasy The Princess Bride, which skyrocketed Robin Wright's film career and made countless adolescent teenagers fall in love with Cary Elwes (where is he now?!).

Ghost

GHOST (1990)

Who knew a supernatural love story could be so moving? Who knew pottery could be so sexy? Who knew a movie could make you cry so much?

When Harry Met Sally

WHEN HARRY MET SALLY (1989)

"Can men and women be friends?" Asks late legend Nora Ephron, screenwriter of When Harry Met Sally. According to the film, no, apparently, but we don't care, as long as these two ended up together.

Somersault

SOMERSAULT (2004)

Now-classic Australian drama Somersault isn't your traditional love story—a promiscuous teen, played by Abbie Cornish, meets sexually confused farmer's son, played by Sam Worthington—but it's compelling viewing and surprisingly touching.

Walk The Line

WALK THE LINE (2005)

The real-life romance of Johnny Cash and June Carter is one of the most romantic in music history. Reese Witherspoon and Joaquin Phoenix did so well in bringing the story to the silver screen that Reese took home the Oscar.

Titanic

TITANIC (1999)

Hands up if you've cried hysterically watching this movie? Yes? It's essentially Romeo and Juliet on a sinking boat with young Leonardo and young Kate. Of course you did.

Casablanca

CASABLANCA (1942)

Casablanca is arguably the most important romantic movie ever. So many quotable lines, so much sexual tension, so much at stake.

Sleepless In Seattke

SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE (1993)

Sleepless in Seattle could be the corniest thing ever, but it just works. Thank Nora Ephron's razor-sharp writing and the not-so-subtle references to An Affair to Remember.

Atonement

ATONEMENT (2007)

This World War I set tragedy centres around a string of tragic events that all begin with a single lie. That green dress, and that bookcase are bound to go down in history as one of the best sex scenes of all time.

Notting Hill

NOTTING HILL (1999)

A Hollywood superstar (Julia Roberts) falls in love with a British bookshop owner (Hugh Grant), against the backdrop of London's chic Portobello Road in the '90s. 

The English Patient

THE ENGLISH PATIENT (1997)

Oscar-favourite The English Patient is everything you want from a tragedy: steamy affairs, a tragic plane crash in the Libyan desert, all against the backdrop of the final days of World War II.

Brokeback Mountain

BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN (2005)

Ang Lee's groundbreaking '60s era Western romance broke all sorts of boundaries, and proved Hollywood was ready for a same-sex love story.

Dirty Dancing

DIRTY DANCING (1987)

The music! The dancing! The unbearably '80s outfits! Dirty Dancing will live on in all of our hearts forever.

Love Actually

LOVE ACTUALLY (2003)

If you don't watch this film every Christmas (meaning you've watched it at least 12 times), you're doing Christmas wrong. Every love story in this movie—with the possible exception of that guy who goes to America to sleep around—is so romantic.

Edward Scissorhands

EDWARD SCISSORHANDS (1991)

Tim Burton's unconventional love story is all the more romantic since Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder met and fell in love while shooting.

Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind

ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND (2004)

Jim Carey gives an uncharacteristically dramatic performance against Kate Winslet in this off-kilter romantic comedy by French director Michel Gondry.

Moulin Rouge

MOULIN ROUGE (2001)

Baz Luhrmann called on Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman to star in his bohemian-era Parisian musical, about a prostitute who falls in love with a writer. So. Sad.

Crazy, Stupid Love

CRAZY, STUPID, LOVE (2011)

This six-degrees-of-separation rom-com is a winner for so many reasons. Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone have so much chemistry, Steve Carrell is characteristically hilarious, the women are smart and well developed. Go you, Crazy, Stupid, Love.

10 Things I Hate ABout You

10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU (1999)

One of the few high-school dramas to stand the test of time, 10 Things I Hate About You is actually a modernisation of Shakespeare that we love because a) Julie Stiles plays a strong, independent woman with no interest in dating and b) because Heath Ledger.

You've Got Mail

YOU'VE GOT MAIL (1998)

Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks reunite five years after Sleepless In Seattle for a tech-themed rom-com in which two bookshop owners (why is it always bookshops?) fall in love online.

Out Of Africa

OUT OF AFRICA (1985)

Meryl Streep and Robert Redford are the unlikely romantic match of your dreams in this epic, seven Academy Award winning flick based on the true story of a Danish woman who managed her own farm in East Africa in the early 1900s.

In The Mood For Love

IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE (2000)

This critically acclaimed film is an angsty will-they, won't-they set in conservative '60s era Hong Kong. Sexual tensions and missed opportunities make this a must-watch.

The Royal Tenenbaums

THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS (2001)

An adopted brother and sister falling in love just shouldn't be a thing but Wes Anderson makes it work in this cult comedy. Inadvertent style icon Margot Tenenbaum (Gwyneth Paltrow) tells her adopted brother Richie (Luke Wilson), "I think we're just gonna to have to be secretly in love with each other and leave it at that, Richie."

Betty Blue

BETTY BLUE (1986)

A man falls in love with an increasingly mentally unstable young woman in this French cult drama. Strangely haunting.

Roman Holiday

ROMAN HOLIDAY (1953)

Audrey Hepburn makes yet another appearance on our list as a Vespa-riding European princess who falls in love with an American reporter.

Moonrise Kingdom

MOONRISE KINGDOM (2012)

We're not privy to a romance featuring two pre-teens but Wes Anderson, yet again, pulls it off. Moonrise Kingdom is a visual feast with amazing performances by then 14-year-old Kara Hayward and Jared Gilman.

Bridget Jones's Diary

BRIDGET JONES'S DIARY (2001)

Renée Zellweger was so good as the overweight, bit-of-a-mess (British) Bridget Jones that she actually got nominated for an Oscar. The rom-com is loosely based on Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth reprising his role as the uptight Mr. Darcy.

500 Days Of Summer

500 DAYS OF SUMMER (2009)

Quirky rom-com 500 Days of Summer turned the usual girl-meets-boy trope on its head, with Zooey Deschanel playing the aloof, uninterested girl and Joseph Gordon-Levitt playing the romantic, keen to settle down guy.

Her

HER (2013)

Spike Jonze's 2013 Oscar-favourite is a semi-dystopian love story set in a time where people can have relationships with computers. So beautiful.

My Fair Lady

MY FAIR LADY (1964)

In this '60s musical Eliza Dootlittle (Audrey Hepburn) is "transformed" from a working class Cockney to a sophisticated Duchess as part of an academic experiment. Along the way, she falls for a young man called Freddy.

Slumdog Millionaire

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (2008)

Danny Boyle's Indian-set, decades-long love story tracks the story of Jamal, who goes on "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" to try and find his lost love, Latika. Dev Patel and Frida Pinto, who star as the leads, also fell in love while making the movie (!!).

Pride & Prejudice

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE (1995)

Okay, okay, it's officially a mini-series. But this adaptation of Jane Austen's classic novel will go down in history as one of the most romantic on-screen love stories ever. Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy, emerging from that lake, anyone?

Sabrina

SABRINA (1954)

Humphrey Bogart and Audrey Hepburn = a match made in romantic comedy heaven. Bogart plays the older brother of Hepburn's initial love interest, who tries to make her fall for him to save his brother's engagement, which will ensure a great corporate deal for their family business. Of course, he actually does fall in love with her in the process.

Say Anything

SAY ANYTHING (1989)

Is there a more iconic image from '80s rom-coms than John Cusack holding a boombox over his head, wooing Ione Skye's Diane? Nope, we couldn't think of one either.

From Here To Eternity

FROM HERE TO ETERNITY (1953)

This World War II-set Hollywood classic stars heavyweights Frank Sinatra, Deborah Kerr and Montgomery Clift, set in the Hawaiian army barracks in the days preceding the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour. That beach scene = classic.

Lost In Translation

LOST IN TRANSLATION (2003)

Sure, it's not strictly a "love story", but there's something so romantic about the interactions between Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson in Sofia Coppola's Oscar-winning classic.

Team Girlfriend

Subscribe to our sister mag and save up to 39%-

Subscribe Now
Subscribe to our sister mag and save up to 39%

Subscribe to our sister mag and save up to 39%-

Subscribe Now
Subscribe to our sister mag and save up to 39%

Recommended to you

Sophie Monk drops another epic Love Island trailer
Watch 1:00

Sophie Monk drops another epic Love Island trailer

{headline}

{headline}

The Best Rom-Coms On Netflix

The Best Rom-Coms On Netflix

Louis Partridge is about to become your next internet sweetheart in ‘Enola Holmes,’ but is he ready for it?

Louis Partridge is about to become your next internet sweetheart in ‘Enola Holmes,’ but is he ready for it?

Joey King and Joel Courtney just recapped all of 'The Kissing Booth' in nine minutes

Joey King and Joel Courtney just recapped all of 'The Kissing Booth' in nine minutes

All the Christmas titles coming to Netflix

All the Christmas titles coming to Netflix

{headline}

{headline}

KJ Apa & Tyler Posey’s movie 'The Last Summer' is on Netflix

KJ Apa & Tyler Posey’s movie 'The Last Summer' is on Netflix

Please watch THREE Vanessa Hudgens in the new ‘The Princess Switch: Switched Again' trailer

Please watch THREE Vanessa Hudgens in the new ‘The Princess Switch: Switched Again' trailer

'Dash & Lily' is the new Christmas teen rom-com you're going to rewatch all through the holidays

'Dash & Lily' is the new Christmas teen rom-com you're going to rewatch all through the holidays

{headline}

{headline}

Netflix's 'Bridgerton' is 'Gossip Girl' meets 'Pride and Prejudice'

Netflix's 'Bridgerton' is 'Gossip Girl' meets 'Pride and Prejudice'

The final episodes of "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" just got a release date

The final episodes of "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" just got a release date

Emma Roberts to produce a new Netflix YA about vampires!

Emma Roberts to produce a new Netflix YA about vampires!

Jacob Elordi just joked that 'The Kissing Booth' might be a movie series that "never ends"

Jacob Elordi just joked that 'The Kissing Booth' might be a movie series that "never ends"

Sabrina Carpenter is making an 'Alice in Wonderland' movie with Netflix

Sabrina Carpenter is making an 'Alice in Wonderland' movie with Netflix

A Disney Plus Drive-In Is Coming To Brisbane, Sydney & Melbourne

A Disney Plus Drive-In Is Coming To Brisbane, Sydney & Melbourne

‘Enola Holmes’ stars Millie Bobby Brown and Louis Partridge explain why their characters didn’t kiss

‘Enola Holmes’ stars Millie Bobby Brown and Louis Partridge explain why their characters didn’t kiss

Girlfriend
  • About Us
  • Subscribe Today
  • Contact Us
  • Terms
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Subscribe Today
  • Contact Us
  • Terms
  • Privacy Policy

Brands

  • New Idea
  • Practical Parenting
  • That’s Life
  • Who

Our Network

  • Better Homes and Gardens
  • BHG Shop
  • marie claire
  • Instyle
  • Beauty Crew
  • New Idea food
  • Women's Health
  • Men’s Health
  • Home Beautiful
  • All Recipes
  • 7plus
  • 7News
  • Health Engine
  • Starts at 60
  • The West Australian
  • Perth Now
  • Airtasker
  • Society One
© 2021 Are Media PTY LTD
Get more from Girlfriend

Magazine Subscription Offer

Subscribe to our sister mag and save up to 39%-

Shop This Offer
Subscribe to our sister mag and save up to 39%