The magic of romance movies is that they energetically transport you to another place. They make it easier to imagine what romantic love feels like, even if it’s something you’ve never actually experienced. There’s nothing wrong with labeling yourself a “hopeless romantic” who enjoys binge-watching romance movies every time you get the chance.
These films are full of grand gestures, sweet affection, and blissful examples of how two people can show their love and devotion to each other in the real world. The Hollywood industry has always done a fabulous job encompassing the true essence of romance on the silver screen. Here are 50 of the greatest love story movies of all time.
To determine the best romance movies of all time, 24/7 Tempo developed an index using average ratings on IMDb, an online movie database owned by Amazon, and a combination of audience scores and Tomatometer scores on Rotten Tomatoes, an online movie and TV review aggregator, as of October 2023, weighting all ratings equally. We considered only movies with at least 5,000 audience votes on either IMDb or Rotten Tomatoes. Directorial credits are from IMDb.
Charade (1963)
- IMDb user rating: 7.9/10
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (42,943 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (50 reviews)
- Directed by: Stanley Donen
“Charade” is a 1963 romantic comedy about a woman named Regina who goes on vacation in the French alps to clear her mind. While enjoying her holiday, she reveals a secret she’s been keeping to one of her close friends. She’s in the process of divorcing her husband. After one too many discouraging experiences, she’s ready to spread her wings to give herself a new chance at finding happiness.
She then crosses paths with a handsome man named Peter whose stays by her side as she goes through the highs and lows of a major criminal investigation. Dealing with a murdered ex-husband who sold off all of her personal belongings before his death is just the beginning of this convoluted love story.
Ninotchka (1939)
- IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (20,101 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: (6,837 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (36 reviews)
- Directed by: Ernst Lubitsch
“Ninotchka” premiered in 1939 as a romantic comedy about three agents traveling to Paris from the Russian Board of trade. As they work together handling a pile of illegal jewels that was stolen and seized, an unlikely romantic connection begins to form. A man named Leon finds himself so attracted to Ninotchka that he follows her to the Eiffel tower.
It’s his way of expressing interest, despite how bored and unimpressed by him she is. Unfortunately for him, she isn’t an easy woman to crack! It takes some additional effort from his end to convince her to start looking at him through a more romantic lens.
Manhattan (1979)
- IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (136,504 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (51,871 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (69 reviews)
- Directed by: Woody Allen
The messy and complicated love story of “Manhattan” is what makes it such an iconic romance movie to reflect on. It might not be a new romance movie since it premiered in 1979, but it’s still a great tale. It’s about a twice-divorced writer named Isaac who’s pushing boundaries in an inappropriate relationship with a 17-year-old girl.
He then finds himself involved in another inappropriate relationship when he falls in love with his best friend’s mistress. Isaac does everything he can to escape a life of stagnancy and boredom, which is why his romantic connections are always so edgy and over-the-top.
Holiday (1938)
- IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (15,539 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (6,665 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (26 reviews)
- Directed by: George Cukor
“Holiday” premiered in 1938. The classic romantic comedy is a remake of a 1930 film of the same exact name. It’s about a man who must come to terms with the way his lifestyle is about to change when he marries into a wealthy family. His free-spirited way of life is far from controlled or a stuffy.
Marrying the woman he’s engaged to means he’ll have to sacrifice much of his freedom in exchange for structure and order. Things get even more complicated when he starts developing feelings for his fiancé’s older sister. She happens to be a woman he can relate to since they’re both slightly rebellious.
My Man Godfrey (1936)
- IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (22,597 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (7,668 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (37 reviews)
- Directed by: Gregory La Cava
“My Man Godfrey” is a 1936 romantic comedy about unexpected love and societal differences. The story takes place during the Great Depression focused on a man named Godfrey “Smith Park.” He’s a fellow who has definitely fallen on hard times. He’s homeless and doesn’t have much to offer society.
When he meets two sisters named Cornelia and Irene, he gets wrapped up in one of their spiteful sisterly games. His connection with Irene starts off as something silly and playful, but later develops into something far more serious as they spend more time together.
Notorious (1946)
- IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (97,303 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (35,835 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (48 reviews)
- Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
“Notorious” is a 1946 movie that fits into both the mystery and romance categories. A woman named Alicia falls in love with a United States government agent named T.R. during World War II. The reason their love story is so wildly complicated is because she’s the daughter of a war criminal from Germany.
Instead of simply focusing on their blossoming love for one another at the start of the new relationship, they also have to worry about everything falling apart in the world around them. This includes the ongoing war, chats about politics, and judgment from other people.
Before Sunset (2004)
- IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (248,039 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (71,186 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (177 reviews)
- Directed by: Richard Linklater
“Before Sunset” is a 2004 romance about a couple who reconnects after spending a magical night together nine years prior. It’s a sequel to the movie “Before Sunrise,” which premiered in 1995. Jesse penned an entire novel about the evening he was able to spend with Celine in Vienna.
His novel became a bestseller and provided him the opportunity to go on a book tour. During his book tour in Europe, he crosses paths with Celine again. This time, they have an hour to spare before they must part ways. They spend their time rehashing all of their deepest thoughts and emotions.
His Girl Friday (1940)
- IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (56,106 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (24,333 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 99% (67 reviews)
- Directed by: Howard Hawks
“His Girl Friday” is a 1940 romantic comedy about a newspaper editor named Walter. The most talented reporter he has on staff also happens to be his ex-wife, Hildy. Walter knows he’s about to lose Hildy for good in a professional sense and a romantic sense since she’s now engaged to marry someone else.
Instead of going down without a fight, he asks her to cover one more story with him in an attempt to spend quality time in her presence. He believes that if they’re cooped up together working on a story, he’ll have a better chance at convincing her to possibly reconcile.
Annie Hall (1977)
- IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (258,110 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (153,824 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (84 reviews)
- Directed by: Woody Allen
Is love supposed to be thought of as something neurotic and painful? That’s one of the heavy-hitting questions asked in “Annie Hall” from 1977. The movie is about a man named Alvy as he tries to overcome the heartache of a failed relationship. Annie treated him differently than any other woman he ever interacted with.
Although he genuinely enjoyed his relationship with her, their breakup was inevitable. The destruction of their love sets him down the path of trying to discover the meaning of his existence before ultimately trying to reconcile. Along the way, he does his best to rebound with other women who simply don’t satisfy him as much as Annie once did.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
- IMDb user rating: 8.3/10 (948,653 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (571,910 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (250 reviews)
- Directed by: Michel Gondry
How would you react if you found out the person you used to love was having every memory of you wiped from their brain? That’s what a character named Joel is faced with in the movie “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.” The movie premiered in 2004 starring Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet in the leading roles.
In an attempt to forget each other and move on beyond their heartbreak, they pay for surgical procedures to have their memories wiped. Soon enough, they realize it makes more sense to remember the relationship they once shared instead of pretending it never happened at all. Although both of their memories end up successfully wiped, they allow themselves the opportunity to fall back in love with each other by using their situation as a fresh slate.
Roman Holiday (1953)
- IMDb user rating: 8.0/10
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (63,537 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (60 reviews)
- > Directed by: William Wyler
“Roman Holiday” is a romance from 1953 starring none other than Audrey Hepburn. She plays the role of a princess vacationing in Rome to take in the sights and admire the scenery. Her schedule is supposed to be super controlled to the very last detail, but everything goes awry after she gets an injection from a doctor.
The shot leaves her feeling loopy and strange. When a reporter named Joe finds her laying out on a stone bench, he immediately assumes she’s under the influence! This is just the beginning of their romantic love story, full of precious moments and wild adventures.
The Apartment (1960)
- IMDb user rating: 8.3/10 (172,183 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (38,259 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (72 reviews)
- Directed by: Billy Wilder
“The Apartment” is a dramatic romance from 1960 that tells a story of an insurance clerk named Budd who’s living a dreadfully lonely existence. He works for an upscale corporation in New York City surrounded by people who leave him feeling lonelier than ever. Whenever his boss needs alone time with one of his mistresses, Budd offers up his apartment as a safe place to go.
Things take a turn when Budd finds out that one of the women his boss is hooking up with is someone he’s actually attracted to. The situation makes him rethink his morals. After realizing that he’s falling in love with a woman who has been invited up to his apartment with his boss before, he decides he needs to make some changes regarding his involvement in such illicit affairs.
Some Like It Hot (1959)
- IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (254,537 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (82,393 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (65 reviews)
- Directed by: Billy Wilder
Marilyn Monroe starred in her fair share of romantic movie during her incredible career, but “Some Like it Hot” is definitely one of the most talked about. It premiered in 1959 telling the story of two men named Joe and Jerry on the run from trouble. As a way of staying under the radar, they disguise themselves as women by taking on female personas.
While pretending to be Josephine and Daphne, they befriend Marilyn’s character, Sugar. Even though they’re dressed up as women, they go out of their way to compete for attention and affection from Sugar. She remains blissfully unaware of their true genders until later on.
The Philadelphia Story (1940)
- IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (66,253 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (47,240 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (101 reviews)
- Directed by: George Cukor
“The Philadelphia Story” is a 1940 romance based on a Broadway play from 1939 of the same name. A woman named Tracy is excited about moving on with her life now that she is engaged to marry someone who makes her happy. Unfortunately for her, wedding planning isn’t rainbows and butterflies thanks to the arrival of her ex-husband.
Having her ex-husband around while she’s trying to plan a wedding with her new partner makes everything confusing and complicated for her. Ultimately, her ex-husband reveals slick plans to weasel his way back into her life – and into her heart.
The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
- IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (30,166 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (11,972 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (37 reviews)
- Directed by: Ernst Lubitsch
“The Shop Around the Corner” is another romance from 1940 filled with loads of comedic moments. It’s about two people who work together at a shop selling leather products during World War II. In their day to day life, they absolutely despise being around each other. They don’t get along at all!
Little do they know that they’re also in communication with each other through anonymous love letters. With each handwritten letter, their feelings for each other continue blossoming. They don’t realize they’ve been writing letters back-and-forth to each other until a big reveal towards the end of the film.
It Happened One Night (1934)
- IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (98,815 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (33,748 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 99% (97 reviews)
- Directed by: Frank Capra
“It Happened One Night” is a 1934 romance about a woman doing everything she can to rebel against her father. Her dad has been telling her what to do for her entire life and she’s finally ready to break free of his control and go her own way. She falls in love with a reporter who definitely doesn’t get the seal of approval from her dad.
She starts off in a complicated marriage to a man who’s potentially only using her for her wealth. She ends up exploring a new romantic connection with the hard-working reporter who genuinely has her best interest at heart. As her father sets his sights on ending her marriage to her fortune hunter husband, he’s unaware that she’s already drifting into the arms of someone else.
Rebecca (1940)
- IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (131,069 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (39,605 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (94 reviews)
- Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
“Rebecca” is a movie from 1940 that falls into the romance genre. It also happens to be a psychological thriller. It’s about a widower named Maxim and the young woman who agrees to become his second wife. His first wife, Rebecca, died after drowning in the ocean.
When Maxim and his new wife go to his estate, she’s constantly reminded about his past marriage with Rebecca since a lot of her little details are left everywhere in sight. Although Maxim’s new wife does her best to compete with the ghost of Rebecca, their love story is still filled with an abundance of challenges.
Before Sunrise (1995)
- IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (286,974 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (73,661 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (46 reviews)
- Directed by: Richard Linklater
“Before Sunrise” is a 1995 love story that premiered years before “Before Sunset” in 2004. “Before Sunrise” showcases the very start of Jesse and Celine’s romance. They bump into each other on a train from Budapest and instantly hit it off because their conversation is intense and thought-provoking. They quickly realize how much they have in common and how much time they want to spend together.
After learning that Jesse has a flight to catch the next morning, Celine makes it her mission to grow as close to him as she possibly can within the limited timeframe. This movie serves as proof that you don’t need to spend multiple years in a row with someone to realize how you feel. It’s possible to fall in love in an evening. This movie paints the picture that it’s possible to fall in love in an hour.
The Heiress (1949)
- IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (14,956 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (3,056 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (14 reviews)
- Directed by: William Wyler
“The Heiress” is a 1949 romance about a naïve young woman who finds herself falling for someone her father doesn’t approve of. Catherine’s father is convinced that Morris is nothing more than a fortune hunter pursuing her for her wealth. It’s difficult for Catherine to take advice from her parents since they’re always judging her for minor things.
They even judge her over her level of etiquette. Her parents opinions seemingly push her deeper into Morris’s arms since she’s so eager and excited to become an independent woman who isn’t controlled by her father. You won’t find this movie on Netflix since it’s on the older side, but it’s still worth tracking down for a watch.
Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
- IMDb user rating: 8.3/10 (228,668 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (138,714 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (67 reviews)
- Directed by: Stanley Donen & Gene Kelly
“Singin’ in the Rain” is a 1952 romance with enough funny moments to classify it as a comedy as well. Although it was released in 1952, the film is set in 1927. he tells the story of two actors learning to branch out from the silent movie genre into a world that requires them to memorize dialogue and speak out loud.
Their producers want them to pretend they’re dating whenever they attend red carpet events together, but they aren’t actually attracted to each other at all. Along the way, they start developing lovey-dovey feelings for each other in the most unexpected manner. “Singin’ in the Rain” is the type of movie viewers hope to see a modern sequel from. Find out more about these 25 sequels that were more beloved than their originals.