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The best romance movies of the 2000s range from bright studio comedies to quiet, aching dramas. This curated list covers films released from 2000 through 2009, with picks chosen for how centrally romance shapes the story, their distinctive styles, critical or editorial recognition, and the variety of moods they offer. It is not an objective ranking: the films are ordered to make it easy to find a romance that suits your mood.
15 romance movies from the 2000s worth watching
1. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
For a romance that takes an imaginative detour, Michel Gondry and screenwriter Charlie Kaufman turn a breakup into a surreal journey through memory. Joel and Clementine try to erase one another from their minds, but the film’s shifting timeline keeps returning to the affection and hurt behind that decision. Rotten Tomatoes describes it as a “twisty yet heartfelt look at relationships and heartache.” Choose this for inventive storytelling and emotional complexity rather than a conventional happy-ever-after.
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2. In the Mood for Love (2001)
Wong Kar-wai’s restrained romance follows neighbors in 1960s Hong Kong who discover their spouses are having affairs. Their growing closeness is expressed through repetition, glances, and carefully composed images more than declarations. The result is wistful and visually rich, with longing at its center. Rotten Tomatoes calls the film “both visually beautiful and emotionally moving.”
3. Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Set against the American West, this drama follows Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist, two ranch hands whose love endures across years, distance, and social constraints. The landscapes are sweeping, but the story’s force comes from the limits placed on their ability to build a life together. It is a tragic, intimate love story rather than a conventional romance. Rotten Tomatoes describes it as an epic Western love story.
#1 Best Overall
4. Love & Basketball (2000)
Gina Prince-Bythewood’s film follows Monica and Quincy from childhood friendship into adulthood, as both pursue basketball and negotiate what they mean to each other. Romance and ambition are inseparable: their relationship changes alongside their careers and expectations. Pick it for a sports-centered love story that gives its characters room to grow beyond the court.
5. Bright Star (2009)
Jane Campion’s period romance portrays the relationship between poet John Keats and Fanny Brawne in early 19th-century England. Rather than turning their story into grand spectacle, it attends to small gestures, social realities, and the fragility of a love shaped by illness and circumstance. It is a good choice for viewers drawn to understated period drama and literary settings.
6. Lost in Translation (2003)
In Tokyo, an aging actor and a young woman adrift in her marriage form a quiet connection while each feels out of place. Sofia Coppola lets humor and loneliness coexist, leaving the relationship deliberately difficult to label. This is a melancholy, subtle choice for viewers who prefer an intimate emotional bond to a tidy romance plot.
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7. 13 Going on 30 (2004)
After wishing to skip ahead from an awkward adolescence, Jenna wakes up as a 30-year-old in a life she does not recognize. The fantasy premise gives this buoyant romantic comedy room to play with adulthood, friendship, and the choices that shape a relationship. Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo lead a story that balances broad comedy with a sincere connection.
8. Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)
After a painful breakup, musician Peter travels to Hawaii for a solo holiday, only to find his former partner staying at the same resort. The setup becomes a frank, often raunchy comedy about getting unstuck and opening up to someone new. Choose it for breakup humor with a warmer romantic thread underneath.
9. The Holiday (2006)
Two women swap homes across the Atlantic to escape romantic disappointment and unexpectedly meet new possibilities. This star-led romantic comedy leans into cozy settings, comic misunderstandings, and the pleasure of starting over. It suits viewers looking for a comforting seasonal watch rather than a spare or tragic love story.
10. Hitch (2005)
Alex “Hitch” Hitchens makes a living coaching men through dating, but his advice becomes harder to follow when he falls for Sara, a skeptical journalist. The comedy gets its energy from the gap between his confident professional persona and the vulnerability he tries to avoid. Pick it for a playful, mainstream dating comedy built around Will Smith and Eva Mendes.
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Jane has spent years serving as a bridesmaid, but her own romantic life is less settled. A skeptical reporter enters the picture, turning her wedding-centered routine into a romantic-comedy complication. Katherine Heigl leads a familiar studio formula with a clear appeal for viewers who enjoy wedding chaos, mismatched expectations, and a heroine reconsidering what she wants.
12. Bride and Prejudice (2004)
Gurinder Chadha reworks Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice as a musical romantic comedy, with Aishwarya Rai as Lalita Bakshi. The adaptation relocates the courtship and misunderstandings to a contemporary, cross-cultural setting and adds musical set pieces. It is a lively pick for viewers who want a familiar romance framework delivered with a different setting and style.
Rank #4
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13. Once (2007)
This intimate Irish musical drama follows a Dublin street musician and a Czech immigrant who connect through songwriting. Their collaboration grows into a tender bond, but the film does not force that bond into a standard romantic-comedy ending. Its modest scale, original songs, and unresolved feeling make it a strong choice for viewers who like romance that remains bittersweet.
14. Atonement (2007)
Joe Wright’s period drama follows Cecilia and Robbie, whose love is derailed by a false accusation and the consequences of one child’s mistake. The romance is sweeping, but the film is also about memory, guilt, and the damage a story can do when it is mistaken for truth. Choose it for a visually elaborate, tragic love story with a strong literary frame.
15. Amélie (2001)
Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s whimsical French film follows a shy Parisian waitress who quietly improves other people’s lives while finding the courage to pursue Nino, an equally eccentric stranger. Romance is central, but it unfolds inside a playful portrait of imagination and everyday kindness. It offers a lighter, visually distinctive alternative to the decade’s more conventional Hollywood rom-coms.
Best Value
How to choose a 2000s romance movie
Start with tone, then consider how the film tells its love story. A light comedy such as 13 Going on 30 or Hitch offers a very different evening from the restraint of In the Mood for Love or the tragedy of Brokeback Mountain. The decade’s romance films also range across period drama, fantasy, musical storytelling, sports, and art-house filmmaking.
- For funny and buoyant: 13 Going on 30, Hitch, or Forgetting Sarah Marshall.
- For a wistful, quiet connection: Lost in Translation or In the Mood for Love.
- For sweeping or tragic drama: Brokeback Mountain, Atonement, or Bright Star.
- For a romance folded into another interest: Love & Basketball brings in sport, while Once centers music.
- For a playful or distinctive style: try the fantasy of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, the musical adaptation Bride and Prejudice, or the whimsy of Amélie.
“The 2000s” here means release years 2000–2009, not the decade in which a film’s story is set. The selection spans romantic comedies and dramas rather than treating one subgenre as the whole category. Rotten Tomatoes’ collections and Marie Claire’s rom-com list use different editorial criteria, so this list is a curated set of 15 worthwhile options, not a data-backed consensus ranking. Scores are omitted because review aggregates can change over time.
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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.
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