True romance is hard to find in real life. But it’s always easy to find romance movies on Netflix. Other genres may not get enough attention, but Netflix boasts one of the largest selection of romantic dramas, rom-coms, and everything in-between even before factoring in the substantial library of original films made by Netflix itself. The reason why is simple: Netflix knows that romance movies are what the vast majority of its subscribers want to see.
This month is a little light when it comes to newly added romantic dramas. Fortunately, there’s no shortage of comedies like My Best Friend’s Wedding, 13 Going on 30, Love At First Sight, and a seasonally appropriate choice: The Noel Diary. But if you really need a touch of drama, we still highly recommend Silver Linings Playbook. For these films and more, keep reading our round up of the best romance movies on Netflix right now.
Looking for something else? Check out our list of the best rom-coms on Netflix, the best rom-coms on Hulu, and the best rom-coms on Amazon Prime Video.
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13 Going on 302004
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Love at First Sight2023
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The Noel Diary2022
My Best Friend's Wedding (1997) new
Julia Roberts was the reigning queen of rom-coms when she made the somewhat daring decision to star as both the villain and the main character of My Best Friend’s Wedding. In the mind of Julianne Potter (Roberts), she’s the hero of the story as she desperately tries to stop her best friend, Michael O’Neal (Scream VI‘s Dermot Mulroney), from marrying Kimmy Wallace (Cameron Diaz) because Julianne wants Michael for herself.
In the name of her supposed love for Michael, Julianne does some truly underhanded things in order to try to break up his relationship with Kimmy. Yet even Julianne can see that Kimmy is truly a good person, and she also slowly realizes that her bid to stop Kimberly and Michael’s wedding may not lead to the outcome that she hoped for.
13 Going on 30 (2004) new
Jennifer Garner was so good at rom-coms that it’s surprising that she didn’t do more of them in her prime. 13 Going on 30 is a charming fantasy in the vein of Big in which Jenna (Christa B. Allen) is humiliated by the cool kids on her 13th birthday, and she only has the support of her best friend, Matty Flamhaff (Sean Marquette).
After making a wish to be 30 years old, Jenna (Garner) essentially skips the next 17 years of her life and finds that she has everything that she ever wanted. Or at least everything that she thought she wanted. Much to her disappointment, Jenna learns that she and Matty (Mark Ruffalo) are estranged and that she isn’t the person that she hoped she would be. Fortunately, there’s still hope for Jenna and Matty to come together again.
Love at First Sight (2023) new
Love 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) new
Although 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.
Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
Just a few months after she starred in the first Hunger Games movie. Jennifer Lawrence played Tiffany Maxwell in Silver Linings Playbook, a role so memorable that it earned her the Oscar for Best Actress. In the film, Tiffany is a young widow who is battling a mental disorder and her own inner demons. She soon meets Pat Solitano Jr. (Bradley Cooper), the best friend of her brother-in-law.
In Pat, Tiffany sees a kindred spirit. He has just been released from a mental health facility after beating the hell out of the man who was sleeping with his wife, Nikki (Brea Bee). More than anything else, Pat wants to get back with Nikki. Tiffany offers to help Pat by relaying messages to Nikki if he agrees to be her partner for a dance competition. And let’s just say that the sparks will fly between them.
Love Actually (2003)
Love Actually is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, and it’s a cinematic universe all wrapped up in one film. Director and writer Richard Curtis follows nine major romantic plotlines and one subplot. You might need a scorecard to keep track of who’s who, and how they’re related to the other stories … if at all.
Our favorite romance in the film is between David (Hugh Grant), the Prime Minister of the U.K., and Natalie (Martine McCutcheon), a member of the housing staff at his residence. It’s a relationship that could potentially be a political liability for David, but he doesn’t give up on love that easily. Fair warning, not every love story here has a happy ending. Regardless, you’re likely to come away from this film smiling.
What If (2023)
Love Again (2023)
In Love Again, Celine Dion plays herself as an unexpected matchmaker between two people she barely knows at all. That in of itself would make for a pretty standard rom-com. But this is where things get a bit stranger, because Dion is helping a guy, Rob Burns (Sam Heughan), who formed a crush on Mira Ray (Priyanka Chopra-Jonas) because he’s been getting her depressed texts that she wrote to her late husband in which she routinely pours out her heart.
Rob inherited the phone number of Mira’s husband, and now he wants to form a relationship with the dead man’s wife. But this is a pretty big secret to hold over anyone, and Rob can’t hide the truth forever.
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.
Eat Pray Love (2010)
Julia Roberts was once the queen of romantic comedies, but she takes a more dramatic turn in Eat Pray Love. After eight years of marriage to Steven (Billy Crudup), Liz finds herself emotionally adrift from her entire life. After ending her union with Steven, Liz decides to embark on an international trip of self-discovery to Italy, India, and Bali.
On her journey, Liz encounters a man named, Felipe (Javier Bardem), whom she falls hard for fairly quickly. But is Liz willing to take a chance on love with someone she barely knows?
Friends with Benefits (2011)
Pop quiz: What’s the difference between Friends With Benefits and No Strings Attached? Friends With Benefits has significantly better reviews. Justin Timberlake stars as Dylan Harper, a man who is recruited to work for GQ by Jamie Rellis (That ’90s Show‘s Mila Kunis). Dylan and Jamie form a close friendship, which soon leads to casual sex. They believe that they can sleep together without affecting their friendship.
As you might expect, this turns out to not be the case. When Jamie starts seeing other people, it puts a strain on her connection with Dylan. And neither Jamie nor Dylan realize that they have something special until it may be too late to save their bond.
No Limit (2022)
Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between (2022)
It 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.
The Choice (2016)
Nicholas Sparks has a pretty high percentage for getting his romance novels turned into movies. The Choice is one of the more recent Sparks adaptations, and it features Benjamin Walker as Travis Shaw and Teresa Palmer as Gabby Holland, a medical student who catches Travis’ eye. Despite Gabby’s relationship with Dr. Ryan McCarthy (Tom Welling), and Travis’ on-and-off fling with a woman named Monica (The White Lotus‘ Alexandra Daddario), Gabby and Travis seem drawn to each other.
To explain what “the choice” is in regards to the movie’s title is a bit too big of a spoiler. Just expect some tear-jerking moments ahead. This is a Nicholas Sparks story, after all.
La La Land (2016)
La La Land is a modern-day musical for the dreamers, and one of the most successful flicks in the romance genre in a long time. Barbie‘s Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone share the spotlight as Sebastian “Seb” Wilder and Amelia “Mia” Dolan, respectively. Mia is a struggling actress in Los Angeles while Seb is an unfulfilled musician who can’t quite realize his career ambitions.
Seb and Mia’s musical courtship of each other is a wonder of song and dance, but finding a mutual happily ever after proves to be far more difficult. Can they stay together even as their dreams and hopes pull them apart?
Forever My Girl (2018)
In Forever Your Girl, Liam Lincoln Page (Alex Roe) is one of the biggest country music stars in the world. But years earlier, Liam abandoned Josie Mollee Swan (Jessica Rothe) at the altar and he didn’t look back. Upon returning to his hometown for a funeral, Liam learns that Josie resents him and that they have a daughter, Billy Anne Swan (Abby Ryder Fortson).
Learning about Billy inspires Liam to try to reconcile with Josie while trying to be a father to their daughter. However, the same reasons that kept Liam and Josie apart may keep them from figuring out how to rekindle the love they once had.
Where the Crawdads Sing (2022)
Where the Crawdads Sing is one of the rare films that works as a romance, a mystery, and a thriller. Director Olivia Newman adapted Delia Owens’ novel for the big screen with Daisy Edgar-Jones as Catherine “Kya” Clark, a young woman who lives alone in the marsh during the 1950s and ’60s after being abandoned by her family.
When Kya is a teenager, she falls for a boy her age, Tate Walker (Taylor John Smith). After her connection with Tate is seemingly severed, Kya takes up with Chase Andrews (Harris Dickinson), a young man who betrays his bond with her. But when one of her lovers ends up dead, Kya finds herself on trial for her life and the deck stacked against her.
Legends of the Fall (1994)
Legends of the Fall is yet another Brad Pitt romantic drama that takes place over the course of a few decades. In the early 20th century, William Ludlow (Anthony Hopkins) lives on his property with his three sons, Tristan (Brad Pitt), Alfred (Aidan Quinn), and Samuel (E.T.‘s Henry Thomas).
Julia Ormond co-stars as Susannah Fincannon, the woman who comes between the brothers. All three of the Ludlow brothers have romantic feelings for Susannah, but only two of the brothers return from World War I. And in the years that follow, heartbreak and pain threaten to tear the two remaining brothers apart as well.
Lady Chatterley's Lover (2022)
For 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.
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Most Eligible Bachelor (2021)
Along for the Ride (2022)
Phantom Thread (2017)
A Christmas Prince (2017)
Malcolm & Marie (2021)
To All the Boys I've Loved Before (2018)
To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You (2020)
To All the Boys: Always and Forever (2021)
The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society (2018)
Marriage Story (2019)
Always Be My Maybe (2019)
Someone Great (2019)
Set It Up (2018)
The Incredible Jessica James (2017)
Nappily Ever After (2018)
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