Relationship

Best Romantic Movies on Netflix to Fall in Love With Right Now

Noemi J. Mullins

If you’re pining for the best romantic movies on Netflix, you’ve come to the right place. You may be looking for a sweet and predictable tale, some seriously steamy scenes, or a love story that’s slightly unhinged but honestly still relatable. (Or perhaps you want something on-brand to watch for inspiration as you simultaneously scroll through dating apps for someone to play the love interest in your story.)

Listen, we’re not here to judge your taste in streamable rom-coms; we’re just here to help you decide what to watch next so that an hour from now, you can be deeply engrossed in one of the best romantic comedy movies on Netflix instead of still scrolling through titles and watching a dozen trailers.

We scoured Netflix for the top romantic movies and settled on these 29 films–from classics like She’s Gotta Have It to more recent romance movies like Love in the Villa. There are some familiar favorites and a few you may have never heard of. And yes, there’s a feel-good holiday love story or two because how could we not? This isn’t an exhaustive list of every sappy movie on the platform, but we’re confident that our choices for the best romantic movies on Netflix won’t disappoint. You might laugh, you may cry, and you’ll probably swoon over some of the lead characters.

So whether you’re gearing up for a movie night with your friends, your partner, or yourself, grab your favorite snacks and get in your comfiest loungewear because it’s time for a marathon of the best romantic comedies on Netflix (plus some romantic dramas thrown in for good measure). If you’ve already worked your way through this list (impressive!) and you’re still looking for more romance to stream, check out our recommendations for the sexiest movies on Hulu and cute Christmas movies on Hulu.

1. Lady Chatterley’s Lover (2022)

Emma Corrin shines as an aristocratic newlywed woman who enters an affair with a gamekeeper (Jack O’Connell) after her war-traumatized husband urges her to seek a sperm donor. Netflix’s spin on D.H. Lawrence’s steamy novel delivers big time on the “hot sex scenes” front as we watch the two grow closer–and get more and more naked–onscreen, and the gorgeous English countryside setting is romantic in and of itself.

2. Last Letter from Your Lover (2021)

Are you in the mood for a period drama or more of a modern rom-com vibe? You’ll get both in this adaption of a Jojo Moyes novel. Jennifer (Shailene Woodley) is a woman in the 1960s with an awful husband (Joe Alwyn). She ends up falling in Love with a reporter (Callum Turner), and decades later, present-day journalist Ellie (Felicity Jones) tracks the mystery of the lovebirds’ torrid letters with help from her cute coworker (Nabhaan Rizwan).

3. Love in the Villa (2022)

When a freshly-dumped Minneapolis woman (Kat Graham) goes on the Italian vacation she’d planned with her ex, she finds that her lodging was also rented to a gruff British lad (Tom Hopper). Does Love in the Villa follow the typical beats of a Lifetime-esque movie? Sure, but watching these extremely hot, charismatic people develop crushes on each other–in Verona, no less!–goes down smoother than a fine glass of Barolo if you’re in the mood for a comfortable watch.

4. Single All the Way (2021)

Peter (Michael Urie) can’t wait to bring someone home to meet his family for Christmas finally, and then he finds out the guy he’s been dating has a wife. Ugh. So he brings home his best friend Nick (Philemon Chambers) instead. His mom is set on setting him up with a local trainer, but the rest of his family has their eyes on Nick. It’s a lot of festive family meddling with an ensemble cast (um, hello, Jennifer Coolidge and Kathy Najimy), plus a significant musical number. In other words, this is one of the best rom-com on Netflix.

5. Love (2020)

That would be fine if Love were just a 90-minute excuse to stare at Kofi Siriboe. But this story of a DC painter (Siriboe) and Georgetown law student (Yootha Wong-Loi-Sing), who falls in Love as their careers pull them in different directions, is reminiscent of ’90s indie romantic dramas in the best way. The movie is also something of a valentine to Black Washington, DC–from kisses outside of Ben’s Chili Bowl to a DC go-go performance.

6. A Secret Love (2020)

This documentary might not be the first thing you think of when it comes to romantic movies, but trust us: Terry and Pat’s story is a testament to the power of true, lasting Love. The lesbian couple stayed in the closet for more than 60 years until they felt people and–most important–their family would finally support their relationship. Unflinchingly honest interviews with their loved ones and the film’s reminders of how oppressive anti-LGBTQ viewpoints can keep Terry and Pat’s sweet tale genuine.

7. Love Hard (2021)

Dating columnist Natalie (Nina Dobrev) flies to Lake Placid to surprise a guy she met on an app–only to learn she’s been catfished by Josh (Jimmy O. Yang). She eventually agrees to pose as his girlfriend for Christmas with his family if he sets her up with the hot guy from the dating app photos (Darren Barnet), and a love triangle ensues. This story would be more creepy than endearing if it weren’t for Josh’s sweet, normal parents (whom he lives with) or his kind face and insecure demeanor. But if you can suspend your disbelief (we assume you can if you’re reading this list), the holiday rom-com is a cut above many in the genre: Yang’s comic timing and charm sell Josh’s appeal, and the reimagined, less problematic version of “Baby It’s Cold Outside” is an instant-classic scene.

8. Rumor Has It (2005)

If you thought your family had drama, wait. When Sarah (Jennifer Aniston) and her boyfriend Jeff (Mark Ruffalo) go home for her younger sister’s wedding, Sarah picks up on a rumor that her family was the inspiration for The Graduate–specifically, that her late mom had a fling with a man named Beau Burroughs (Kevin Costner), who also had an affair with her grandmother (Shirley MacLaine). Sarah searches for answers and ends up tempted by Beau herself, making her realize just how supremely messed up her family is and how hard it is to know what you want in a relationship.

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