Not every film on Netflix is going to tug at your heartstrings, which is why we’ve compiled a list of the most romantic films currently streaming on the platform. From city streets to the magical world of Stardust, these 17 films showcase how varied the definition of love truly is.
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Solid romance movies are hard to come by. Some are too cheesy and others lack substance. Plus, with Netflix offering thousands of titles to choose from, the search for a tug-at-your-heartstrings kind of movie can be daunting. Lucky for you, we have shed the tears and let out a collective “You went back to him?” groan to find the perfect list of romance movies. From a twisted love triangle to a parallel universe, here are our choices for the best romance flicks on Netflix.
Based on Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 1986 musical, The Phantom of the Opera is a twisted love story that takes place inside an opera house in 1870. The story revolves around three characters: Christine (Emmy Rossum), the beautiful young singer; Raoul (Patrick Wilson), Christine’s childhood friend and soon-to-be lover; and The Phantom (Gerard Butler), a disfigured man hell-bent on making Christine his. The mesmerizing melodies joined with a slow-burning obsession make this movie enthralling until the very end.
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Alex Strangelove is a coming-of-age story about Alex Truelove (Daniel Doheny), a high-school student who is ready to lose his virginity to his girlfriend, Claire (Madeline Weinstein). Things get complicated, however, when he meets Elliot (Antonio Marziale), a charming gay kid. This sends him on an emotional roller coaster, where his sexuality is blurred as his feelings for Elliot deepen. In the end, it’s a story of self-discovery and sexuality during an age where nothing makes sense. The well-cast ensemble and homages to teenage classics like Sixteen Candles are simply a plus.
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In the Netflix original Ibiza, Harper (Gillian Jacobs) is sent to Spain for a business meeting, so she naturally brings her two best friends, Nikki (Vanessa Bayer) and Leah (Phoebe Robinson), to join along in the merriment. Harper meets a famous DJ, Leo (Richard Madden), and her friends convince her to throw caution — and her meeting — to the wind to go to Ibiza and find this man. It’s different from regular romance plots, but conventional nonetheless. With a trio of hysterical ladies, Ibiza will hit your funny bone, but not tear too hard at your heartstrings.
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Ali’s Wedding is proof that a single white lie can change your life forever. Ali (Osamah Sami) is the son of a prominent Muslim clergyman, whose only wish is for his son to become a doctor. When Ali lies about his exam results — spoiler: He failed — his life changes overnight. He is quickly arranged to be married, even though he has fallen for a Lebanese woman named Dianna (Helana Sawires). Ali’s Wedding may border on cliche at times, particularly when it comes to cultural norms and issues of race, but the offbeat comedy still has its heart in the right place.
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Blue Valentine is a love story of the everyday struggle. It follows two people through their journey of falling in love, getting married, having a child, and falling out of love. Dean (Ryan Gosling) and Cindy (Michelle Williams) are a young, working-class married couple. You experience their hardships and their triumphs. In present day, Dean is pleading for their marriage to work, and Cindy is trying to decide if it’s worth it. This may not be a happy ending type romance, but it can’t always be happily ever after, right?
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This coming-of-age story set in London in the 1960s features a teenage girl, Jenny (Carey Mulligan), whose life changes when she falls for David (Peter Sarsgaard), a man twice her age.
