Watching a romantic movie on Netflix with your significant other by your side on a weekend — doesn’t it sound like the perfect date night at home? And, to help you select the perfect movies, and save you some time, here’s this list of the best romantic movies on Netflix with a solid IMDb rating. Stream the perfect love story that ticks all the right boxes along with being an emotional rollercoaster.
The subgenres of romance
In the realm of romantic movies, several subgenres catch the audience’s attention. For instance, if you like period dramas, then classical love stories make for a wholesome watch, especially when critically acclaimed novels like Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility have become hugely successful onscreen adaptations with multiple Academy Awards.
Meanwhile, history enthusiasts can get a glimpse of the bygone era through historical romances like Jodhaa Akbar (2008), Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019), Titanic (1997) and Gone With The Wind (1939), which bring alive the heart-warming story as well as the time they are set in.
Films for young adults make a wide subgenre that appeals to the youth. Nicholas Sparks’ The Notebook is adapted into a hugely successful on-screen love story which grossed over USD 116 million at the time of release in 2004.
Besides these, supernatural romance includes massive hits as well. From the immense success of the Twilight saga to Only Lovers Left Alive (2013), viewers are rooting for both thrill and passion in one film. Chick flicks like The Kissing Booth (2018), The Perfect Date (2019) and The Age of Adaline (2015), have also raked in positive reviews and high ratings on IMDb.
For those looking for relatable contemporary love movies on Netflix, Love Per Square Foot (2018), Always Be My Maybe (2019), To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018) and Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013) are absolute must-watch.
Additionally, modern directors are also eschewing the typical girl-meets-boy romance and using the romantic genre to uphold poignant social issues. Queer relationships in Call Me By Your Name (2018), Brokeback Mountain (2005) and Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan (2020) are bringing in rave feedback on IMDb.
Hence, while there is almost a vast ocean of subgenres, one thing that binds them all is the essence of a heartwarming romance. Backed by IMDb’s expert ratings, browsing through the film library on the OTT platform is a much easier task.
These are some of the best romantic movies on Netflix based on IMDb ratings
Jump To / Table of Contents
- Violet Evergarden: The Movie (2021)
- La La Land (2016)
- Pride & Prejudice (2005)
- Call Me By Your Name (2018)
- The Notebook (2004)
- Sense and Sensibility (1995)
- Brokeback Mountain (2005)
- Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
- Your Name Engraved Herein (2020)
- The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (2018)
- Love Per Square Foot (2018)
- To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018)
- The Half Of It (2020)
- Always Be My Maybe (2019)
- All The Bright Places (2020)
IMDb rating: 8.3
Director: Taichi Ishidate
Cast: Yui Ishikawa, Daisuke Namikawa, Takehito Kayasu
Synopsis: Violet Evergarden (voiced by Ishikawa) was born to fight in the war as an Auto Memory Doll. However, after the war, during the peace period, Violet is left without a purpose. She begins to look for Major Gilbert Bougainvillaea (voiced by Namikawa), the only person who told her “I Love You.”
About the film: This romantic anime marks the first film by Kyoto Animation after the 2019 arson attack. It started as a “light novel” and was later made into an anime series. This film comes as a sequel to the anime series. One of the brilliant Japanese romance films, Violet Evergarden: The Movie has garnered a 100 per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Image: Courtesy Violet Evergarden: The Movie/ IMDb
IMDb rating: 8
Director: Damien Chazelle
Cast: Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Rosemarie DeWitt, J.K. Simmons
Synopsis: Sebastian (Gosling), a budding musician, and Mia (Stone), an aspiring actor, are deeply in love with each other as well as their careers. However, as success begins to come their way, it begins to affect their relationship.
Awards won: La La Land won six Academy Awards in 2017, including Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role by Stone. Chazelle became the youngest person to win the Best Achievement in Directing. Justin Hurwitz won the Oscar for Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score). The cast and crew won big at the Golden Globes, too.
Image: Courtesy La La Land/ Photo by Dale Robinette/ IMDb
IMDb rating: 7.8
Director: Joe Wright
Cast: Keira Knightley, Matthew Macfadyen, Rosamund Pike, Donald Sutherland, Talulah Riley, Carey Mulligan, Jena Malone, Simon Woods
Synopsis: Elizabeth Bennet (Knightley) lives with her mother and four sisters Jane (Pike), Mary (Riley), Kitty (Mulligan) and Lydia (Malone) in Georgian England. As they navigate through societal expectations to get into a romance and find a suitable partner, the arrival of Mr Darcy (Macfadyen) and Mr Bingley (Woods) changes their lives.
About the film: The film is based on Jane Austen’s 1813 novel of the same name. It was published in three volumes anonymously.
Awards won: Wright won the Carl Foreman Award for the Most Promising Newcomer at the 2006 BAFTA.
Image: Courtesy Pride & Prejudice/ © 2005 – Focus Features/ IMDb
IMDb rating: 7.8
Director: Luca Guadagnino
Cast: Timothée Chalamet, Armie Hammer, Esther Garrel
Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Elio Perlman (Chalamet) spends his summers at his father’s North Italian villa. Here, he meets the 24-year-old Oliver American graduate student (Hammer), who arrives to help Elio’s father as a summer intern. Soon, Elio and Oliver develop a romance as they discover uninhibited desires that will alter their lives forever.
About the film: One of the best romantic movies on Netflix, Call Me By Your Name is adapted from André Aciman’s 2007 novel of the same name.
Awards won: James Ivory won the 2018 Oscar and BAFTA for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Image: Courtesy Call Me By Your Name/ IMDb
IMDb rating: 7.8
Director: Nick Cassavetes
Cast: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, James Garner, Gena Rowlands
Synopsis: While Allie (McAdams) hails from an affluent family in 1946 North Carolina, Noah Calhoun (Gosling) is a mill worker, and the two are completely in love with each other. However, the vast abyss between their worlds forces them to separate, and Allie gets betrothed to another man, suited to her family’s social stature. Years pass by and weeks ahead of her marriage, the two meet again only to realise their passion and love has not diminished. Now, Allie must choose between her passionate romance and the societal order.
About the film: The Notebook is based on the Nicholas Sparks 1996 romance novel of the same name. The film is one of the most successful adaptations of his works, earning over USD 116 million worldwide.
Image: Courtesy The Notebook/ © 2004 New Line Cinema. All rights reserved./IMDb
IMDb rating: 7.7
Director: Ang Lee
Cast: Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant, Alan Rickman, Emilie François, Tom Wilkinson, Greg Wise
Synopsis: The demise of the rich Mr Dashwood (Wilkinson) means his estate and fortune are now with his son from his first marriage. Hence, his second wife and three daughters, Elinor (Thompson), Marianne (Winslet) and Margaret (François) are left in dire crisis. Meanwhile, Marianne must choose between the handsome John Willoughby (Wise) and the older and rich Colonel Brandon (Rickman), while Elinor’s romance with the wealthy Edward Ferrars (Grant) is thwarted by her family because of his previous engagement.
About the film: Sense and Sensibility is one of Jane Austen’s classic love stories written in 1795. It touches upon the societal issues of the times while the girls must land themselves suitable marriageable partners.
Awards won: Thompson won the 1996 Oscar for Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published. While Lee bagged a BAFTA for Best Film in 1996, Winslet won in the Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role category.
Image: Courtesy Sense and Sensibility/ Photo by Columbia/Tristar – © 1995 Columbia Pictures/ IMDb
IMDb rating: 7.7
Director: Ang Lee
Cast: Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Williams, Randy Quaid
Synopsis: Cowboy Jack Twist (Gyllenhaal) and ranch hand Ennis Del Mar (Ledger) are hired by Joe Aguirre (Quaid) to work on his sheep farm in Wyoming. Once, a drunken Jack made an intimate pass at Ennis, which was unexpectedly reciprocated. However, a series of events leads them on their different lives, the two men continue to keep their relationship alive for nearly 20 years.
About the film: This passionate romantic film on Netflix is adapted from a 1977 short story of the same name by Annie Proulx.
Awards won: The film was nominated for eight Oscars in 2006. Lee won Best Achievement in Directing and became the first Asian to win in the category.
Image: Courtesy Brokeback Mountain/ IMDb
IMDb rating: 7.7
Director: David O.Russell
Cast: Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Jacki Weaver, Anupam Kher, Chris Tucker
Synopsis: Pat Solatano Jr (Cooper) is discharged from the mental institution where he served a court-ordered eight-month stint. During the course, his wife left him and his job loss made him live with his parents Pat Sr (De Niro) and Dolores (Weaver). Although he wishes to reunite with his wife, his parents want him to stay in Philadelphia and share their love for the Philadelphia Eagles. However, things take a different turn when Pat meets Tiffany Maxwell (Lawrence) who offers to connect Pat Jr with his wife in exchange for an important favour.
About the film: This romantic film is based on Matthew Quick’s 2008 novel of the same name.
Awards won: The film earned eight Oscar nominations in 2013 and Lawrence won the Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role. O. Russell won the 2013 BAFTA for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Image: Courtesy Silver Linings Playbook/ © 2012 The Weinstein Company/ IMDb
IMDb rating: 7.3
Director: Kuang-Hui Liu
Cast: Edward Chen, Jing-hua Tseng, Leon Dai
Synopsis: In the wake of the end of Taiwan’s martial laws in 1987, two schoolboys Chang Jia-han (Chen) and Birdy (Tseng) enter into an illicit relationship. As they explore the physical realms of their relationship, family pressure, homophobia and social stigma begin to affect them. But love knows no bounds and eventually finds its way.
About the film: One of the best romantic movies on Netflix, Your Name Engraved Herein is one of the few LGBTQ+ movies from Taiwan. According to TIME, it is also among the highest-grossing LGBTQ+ romance films from the island nation and was released a year after Taiwan became the first Asian country to legalise same-sex marriage.
Image: Courtesy Your Name Engraved Herein/ IMDb
IMDb rating: 7.3
Director: Mike Newell
Cast: Lily James, Jessica Brown Findlay, Michiel Huisman, Tom Courtenay
Synopsis: Engaged to an extremely handsome American man, British author Juliet Ashton (James) longs for something creative that is underlined with the pain of the recently concluded World War II. At such a juncture, she receives a fan letter of sorts from the handsome pig farmer Dawsey Adams (Huisman) who is based on the island of Guernsey. She develops a connection with Dawsey and feels the urge to visit the island and speak to the members of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, who were born during the Nazi occupation. She writes a book and forges lifelong love and attachment with the island dwellers.
Image: Courtesy The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society/ IMDb
IMDb rating: 7.2
Director: Anand Tiwari
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Angira Dhar, Alankrita Sahai, Raghubir Yadav, Ratna Pathak Shah, Supriya Pathak
Synopsis: Bank employees Sanjay Chaturvedi (Kaushal) and Karina D’Souza (Dhar) are facing the same problems – finding a house and a perfect romance. This is when they learn about a scheme which allows married couples to obtain low-interest housing loans and enter into a marriage of convenience. A sweet love story begins to blossom, but their personal issues and previous relationships become a hindrance.
About the film: This Netflix original romantic movie marks Tiwari’s debut and has earned a 100 per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It celebrates the cosmopolitan culture of Mumbai and highlights some of the most common problems faced by many young couples as they seek a house and love.
Image: Courtesy Love Per Square Foot/ IMDb
IMDb rating: 7.0
Director: Susan Johnson
Cast: Noah Centineo, Lana Condor, John Corbett, Emilija Baranac, Israel Broussard
Synopsis: Korean-American high schooler Lara Jean Covey (Condor) writes secret letters to all the boys she has fallen for, but they are meant for her eyes only. However, her love life goes for a toss when the love letters are secretly mailed to their recipients, including her current boyfriend, Josh Sanderson (Broussard), and Lara is forced to confront her emotions. As she goes through this pandemonium, she begins a fake relationship with Peter Kavinsky (Centineo) to make Josh jealous. However, destiny has other things in store.
About the film: To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before became a massive hit on Netflix with the rom-com becoming one of the “most-viewed original films ever with strong repeat viewing” on the OTT platform. It is based on 2014’s best-selling novel of the same name by Jenny Han. The romantic film was also turned into a trilogy.
Image: Courtesy To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before/ IMDb
IMDb rating: 6.9
Director: Alice Wu
Cast: Leah Lewis, Daniel Diemer, Alexxis Lemire, Enrique Murciano, Collin Chou
Synopsis: Ellie Chu (Lewis) is a Chinese-American immigrant and the only Asian kid in fictional Squahamish, Washington. When the school football team jock Paul Munsky (Diemer) asks for a favour, it turns Ellie’s life around. She uses her writing skills to impress his crush Astor Flores (Lemire) but as Ellie invests more time in texting her, she begins to develop feelings for Astor herself.
About the film: Wu presents a refreshingly queer take on the “Cyrano de Bergerac” tropes and gives the film a more contemporary storyline.
Image: Courtesy The Half Of It/ IMDb
IMDb rating: 6.8
Director: Nahnatchka Khan
Cast: Ali Wong, Randall Park, Keanu Reeves, Michelle Buteau, Vivian Bang, Daniel Dae Kim
Synopsis: Sasha Tran (Wong) is now a celebrated chef and Marcus Kim (Park) is a hometown musician. Dumped by her restaurateur fiancé Brandon Choi (Kim), Sasha returns to her hometown in San Francisco. Here, she connects with Marcus after 15 years and old sparks fly instantly. However, they struggle to adapt to each other’s lives and worlds.
Image: Courtesy Always Be My Maybe/ IMDb
IMDb rating: 6.6
Director: Brett Haley
Cast: Elle Fanning, Justice Smith, Kelly O’Hara, Luke Wilson, Keegan-Michael Key, Alexandra Shipp
Synopsis: When high school students Violet Markey (Fanning) and Theodore Finch (Smith) meet, their lives begin to affect each other. A series of incidents bring them face-to-face with one another and as the two deal with the emotional and physical scars of their past, they begin to get close and realise even the small moments hold significant value.
About the film: All The Bright Places is based on the internationally bestselling novel by Jennifer Niven of the same name. The main characters explore themes of mental illness, its impact on budding young love, and long-lasting relationships.
Image: Courtesy All The Bright Places/ © 2018/ IMDb
This story first appeared on Lifestyle Asia India
(Hero and feature image: Courtesy La La Land/ Photo by Dale Robinette/ IMDb)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
– What is the best romantic love story on Netflix?
Some of the best romantic love stories on Netflix include Violet Evergarden: The Movie (2021), La La Land (2016), Set It Up (2018), A Jazzman’s Blues (2022) and All The Bright Places (2020).
– What is the #1 romance movie?
Some of the best romantic movies of all time include Casablanca (1942), Titanic (1997), Eternal Sunshine on the Spotless Mind (2004) and Your Name (2016).
– Which Netflix series is the most romantic?
Some of the most romantic series on Netflix are Hometown Cha Cha Cha (2021-), Glamorous (2023-), Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story (2023) and Crash Landing On You (2019).
