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What are the best romance movies of the 2010s? This curated list spans 2010–2019, using each film’s first release anywhere in that period rather than its later U.S. opening. The choices favor emotional impact, memorable performances and distinctive storytelling, while keeping romance central and making room for comedy, period drama, animation, queer love stories and international cinema. “Best” is a matter of taste, not a settled ranking.
How this list is chosen
The decade means January 1, 2010 through December 31, 2019, measured by first release anywhere. That distinction matters: Portrait of a Lady on Fire premiered in 2019 but opened in the United States in 2020. The film belongs here under the first-release rule.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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HALLOWEEN CHASE: A DARK ROMANCE BUNDLE | $9.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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The Trick: A Dark Stalker Romance | $17.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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The Silence of The Lambs Blu-ray | $34.29 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Focus | $4.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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Return to Life: a short & spicy paranormal romance | Buy on Amazon |
Romance must be a central part of each film, but the list is not limited to conventional romantic comedies or Hollywood productions. It balances tone, setting and style: intimate dramas sit alongside musicals, animation and comic stories. Letterboxd’s Official Lists ranking offers one useful comparison: its 2020 list selected 100 qualifying romance films using a ratings snapshot dated January 1, 2020, with eligibility rules including at least 1,000 views, a runtime of at least 60 minutes, and a theatrical or streaming release during 2010–2019. Its editors cross-referenced genre classifications and emphasized films where the romantic relationship is central. That is a dated community ranking, not a definitive verdict. RogerEbert.com’s decade collection likewise frames romance across genre, country and budget.
The 12 films below are presented in an order designed to help you find the right kind of love story, not as a numerical ranking.
#1 Best Overall
The 12 best romance movies of the 2010s
1. Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)
Set in 18th-century France, Céline Sciamma’s drama follows painter Marianne, commissioned to create a portrait of Héloïse, a young woman resisting an arranged marriage. Their growing intimacy shapes both the portrait and the film’s careful, observant style. Choose it for a restrained period romance that trusts glances, conversation and shared attention more than grand declarations. It premiered in 2019, although its U.S. theatrical opening was in 2020.
2. Call Me by Your Name (2017)
Luca Guadagnino’s coming-of-age romance follows Elio and Oliver through a summer in northern Italy. Its leisurely pace, close attention to place and tactile performances make desire feel inseparable from the season in which it blooms. This is a tender, bittersweet choice for viewers who want a love story centered on discovery and the lasting force of a first romance. Guadagnino described it as “a film about the inexorable force of desire and love, as experienced through any path one might find on his way.”
3. Before Midnight (2013)
Richard Linklater’s third film about Jesse and Céline catches the couple years into their relationship, when shared history and everyday tensions complicate their connection. Long conversations are the engine of the drama: the romance is not just about getting together, but about the difficult, ongoing work of staying together. It is the most rewarding choice for viewers who prefer a relationship study to a tidy courtship plot.
4. Carol (2015)
Todd Haynes’s period drama brings together Therese, a young photographer, and Carol, a woman navigating a painful divorce in 1950s New York. Its measured performances and precise visual language convey a relationship constrained by social expectations without reducing it to a lesson. Pick it for a quietly intense, beautifully controlled love story with a distinctly mid-century setting.
Rank #3
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5. The Handmaiden (2016)
Park Chan-wook’s Korean film is an elaborate, sensual thriller about a pickpocket hired to serve a Japanese heiress as part of a con. Its shifting perspectives and turns of deception make the romance part of a larger game of power, trust and escape. It is the most heightened and suspenseful film here; its adult themes and explicit sexual content make it a better fit for viewers seeking a mature story than a gentle romance.
6. La La Land (2016)
Damien Chazelle’s musical pairs aspiring actor Mia with jazz pianist Sebastian in Los Angeles. Song-and-dance spectacle gives way to an unusually clear-eyed question: can two people support each other’s ambitions and still build a life together? Its exuberant style and wistful ending make it a strong pick for viewers who want romance filtered through classic musical conventions rather than everyday realism.
Rank #4
7. The Big Sick (2017)
Directed by Michael Showalter and based on the real-life courtship of writers Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon, this comedy follows a new relationship strained by illness, family expectations and cultural differences. Its humor keeps the story lively, while its family and hospital drama give the romance consequences beyond the couple’s first spark. Choose it for a contemporary, warm-hearted film that balances laughs with emotional stakes.
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Makoto Shinkai’s animated Japanese film begins with two teenagers, Mitsuha and Taki, mysteriously waking in each other’s bodies. The premise opens into a sweeping story about connection, memory and time, with animation that makes its emotional scale visible. It is a good choice if you want romance shaped by fantasy rather than realism, and a reminder that animated films can tell expansive love stories.
Best Value
9. Brooklyn (2015)
John Crowley’s period drama follows Eilis, an Irish immigrant building a life in 1950s New York, where a new romance takes shape as homesickness and family ties pull her in another direction. The love story is inseparable from the question of where she belongs. Pick it for a gentle, grounded romance about migration, choice and the cost of making a home.
10. Her (2013)
Spike Jonze’s near-future drama follows Theodore, a lonely writer who forms an intimate bond with Samantha, an artificial intelligence operating system. Its speculative premise makes room for a surprisingly human examination of loneliness, intimacy and how relationships change. It is the most technology-inflected romance on the list, and a thoughtful choice if you prefer an unconventional love story over a conventional couple’s arc.
11. If Beale Street Could Talk (2018)
Barry Jenkins adapts James Baldwin’s novel about Tish and Fonny, a young couple whose future is threatened when Fonny is imprisoned for a crime he did not commit. The film’s lyrical form holds tenderness and injustice together rather than treating romance as an escape from the world around it. Choose it for a moving, socially conscious drama in which love is an act of care and resolve.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches12. Little Women (2019)
Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s novel gives the March sisters distinct ambitions and ideas about love. Jo’s resistance to marriage is as important to the film’s romantic questions as any courtship, while the story’s shifting timeline makes memory part of its emotional design. It is an inviting choice for viewers who want romance within a broader story about family, independence and the lives women are allowed to imagine.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Which one should you watch first?
| For this mood or style | Start with |
|---|---|
| A quiet, intimate period romance | Portrait of a Lady on Fire or Carol |
| A bittersweet story of young love | Call Me by Your Name |
| A relationship tested by time | Before Midnight |
| A musical with a wistful edge | La La Land |
| A funny contemporary courtship | The Big Sick |
| Fantasy, animation or speculative fiction | Your Name or Her |
| A romance inside a suspenseful, mature story | The Handmaiden |
| Love shaped by family, community or circumstance | Brooklyn, If Beale Street Could Talk or Little Women |
These recommendations are not a promise of current streaming availability: services and digital rental catalogs differ by country and change over time. Check the services available in your region before choosing a film.
Quick Recap
Sources and context
- Letterboxd’s Official Lists: romance films provides a dated community-ranking comparison and its eligibility criteria.
- RogerEbert.com’s decade collection offers a critic-curated perspective across genres and countries.
- Rotten Tomatoes’ decade-list methodology describes an all-genre critic-review selection, a different approach from this romance-focused list.
- Sony Pictures Classics’ Call Me by Your Name page includes film and edition information.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
