My Favorite Romance Movies Of All Time
Hi hello everyone! I'm back but with a different kind of post this time. A few months ago I wrote a post about my favorite movies, and people seemed to like it, so I thought, why not do another one? Now I wouldn't refer to the movies on this list as my ABSOLUTE favorites of all time (I've written that list already), however, I really love the movies on this list.
As I mentioned previously, if I were to list all of the movies that I love, the list would be, at minimum, 80 movies long. So, for your sanity, and for mine, I decided to split the list up into several different posts that will be interspersed throughout the year, with each one focusing on a specific genre. My taste in film is as varied as my taste in books.
This first post is about some of my favorite "Rom-com/Romance" movies. As a genre, romantic comedy is one of my absolute favorites to watch. If you read the list of my absolute favorite movies (link here), you might notice that many of them fall into the Rom-com category.
So what makes a good romance film? To me it's all about the chemistry between the main two leads. The tension needs to be felt. I need to genuinely believe that these two people feel something for each other, and that something is beyond friendship. Even if the plot fails to entice me, I will still watch the movie if the characters have good chemistry. Whether their chemistry manifests through their body language or their banter, I am here for it all.
Honestly, I have so many favorite romance/rom-com movies that this list could go on forever. But after much struggle, I've curated 8 specific ones here for you, with a short "honorable mentions" list at the very end. Enjoy!
The Shop Around The Corner (1940)
Language: English
This movie kills me. What a way to start off this list, I know. A story about two people falling in love through letters without realizing they not only know but also actively hate each other in real life? Pooja = 🍿😍
The movie follows Alfred and Klara who both work at a department store in Budapest. When Klara begins working at the store, both of them get off on the wrong foot and never seem to recover. They test each other's patience and say the most horrible things to each other when little do they both know, that they've actually fallen in love through anonymous letters they've been writing to each other for the past year and a half.
Alfred and Klara seem like such believable characters and the tension between them is FELT. As someone who is not a huge fan of the enemies to lovers trope, I am surprised by how much I enjoy watching this push and pull relationship. I think it's because the movie does a good job of showing how their relationship naturally thaws over time. Once Alfred realizes Klara is the girl he's fallen in love with through the letters, he very obviously changes his in-person attitudes towards her, showing more concern, generally acting nicer towards her, etc. And she naturally responds to this. Also, their love clearly doesn't show up out of nowhere. It's a slow-burn that has built up over a year of sending letters to each other and being so openly vulnerable with another person, so obviously there is some solid foundation for why they'd start liking each other. Honestly, once Alfred finds out that Klara is the girl he's fallen in love with through his letters, my enjoyment of this movie goes from just liking it to full-on high-pitched squealing. I mean the last 20 minutes of this movie has me losing my mind over these two. Me, squealing and losing my mind? Just imagine.
In addition to all that, from beginning to end this movie is just so beautifully shot. The close-ups on the actor's facial expressions, the beautiful Budapest backdrop, and the Christmastime feels all make for such an engaging movie about two people who love/hate each other. I mean...what is there not to love?
Cinderella (1950)
Language: English
Okay, I know what you're thinking. Jeez Pooja, Cinderella, really? But hear me out. I know this movie is outdated and problematic in various ways. We all know the story of Cinderella and like in all princess movies, this woman is just waiting for some man to rescue her from her toxic family. However, there is something just so utterly charming about this movie. It is visually stunning. Each scene could be a painting. And not only that, the combination of the dream-like sequences and the fantastic music hits me in the feels, every. single. time.
The scene where Cinderella is scrubbing the floor and those little bubbles from the soap pop up with her reflection in it? Amazing. The scene where she dances with the Prince at the ball with the song, 'So This Is Love' in the background makes me tear up every time I see it in the movie. I'm not even joking. Link here if you feel like crying.
Do Cinderella and the Prince have chemistry? No. They barely talk. However, they do have the vibes. You're rooting for the Prince to ignore everyone else at his own ball and you want them to dance the night away. Call me a hopeless romantic, but the watching these two waltz into the garden is just so lovely.
While Cinderella is not my favorite Disney movie or character for that matter (Mulan takes the top spot for both, this isn't even a question), the movie evokes so many feelings of wonder and nostalgia. I don't care that the Prince has not an ounce of personality. I don't care that Cinderella is too kind for her own good and is basically a doormat. When you watch this movie you are not expecting to see something close to real life at all. The watercolors and pastels of each scene evoke a sort of dreaminess for which it is worth putting aside your thoughts and worries for a second and just reveling in the vibes. Just sit back and watch it like a dream sequence playing out on your screen. I guarantee you'll see what I see. For this reason, Cinderella earns a spot on this list.
While You Were Sleeping (1995)
Language: English
This movie is just so heartwarming and wonderful and one of the romcoms that I watch at least once a year. The basic premise is that there is this woman Lucy and she works at the Chicago Transit Authority and she's developed a crush on this man named Peter who's a daily commuter on the train. Peter, who has no idea who Lucy is, one day accidentally falls onto the train tracks and becomes unconscious. Lucy valiantly jumps onto the track and saves Peter's life. She brings him to the hospital and through some series of circumstances, a nurse tells Peter's family that Lucy is his fiancé. Again, Peter actually has no idea who this woman is and he is in a coma so he can't say anything to clarify this. So Peter's family accept Lucy into their family, and Lucy who has no family is wrapped more deeply into this lie. To complicate matters further, Jack, Peter's younger brother starts liking Lucy and Lucy starts liking him back and it's all a mess.
The MVPS of this movie are Peter's family. His parents and grandmother and godather, all hilarious characters. They take in Lucy and treat her like their own and its just wonderful to watch. Lucy is just such a loveable character too. You feel for when she feels awful about continuing to lie to Peter's family, as she gets wrapped up in the love they shower her in. Sandra Bullock, who plays Lucy, is naturally charismatic so you can't help but root for her the whole time.
Lucy and Jack just have such immediately great chemistry. From the moment they meet in Peter's house, *snap*, fireworks. They do a lot of walking and talking in this movie, which may be dull, but because they play off each other so well, it works. Their little inside jokes are so cute. Also, I learned about 'leaning' from them.
See. Who said movies don't teach you anything? Overall, While You Were Sleeping features a great cast with great chemistry, not to mention some good education about leaning and other such things, and for that it earns a spot on this list.
Pride and Prejudice (2005)
Language: English
I know what you're thinking. Pooja you literally proclaimed on the UDBC podcast that you don't like Pride and Prejudice and you are done with Jane Austen forever, so what is the meaning of this? First of all I'd like to say, relax. Second, the movie is better than the book and that's why its on this list. There, I said it! SLANDER I KNOW.
Before getting into my thoughts let me just give a brief summary of the plot for those who may not know. Pride and Prejudice follows Elizabeth Bennett, the second of the 5 Bennett sisters. Elizabeth, is "not like other girls". Jane Austen was doing this plotline way before anyone else, so we have to give her some credit. Anyways, Elizabeth's older sister Jane starts liking this rich guy named Bingley, and Bingley's friend Darcy seemingly hates Elizabeth and her family because he's an elitist prideful dude. Elizabeth judges him and they get off on the wrong foot and honestly the whole book is them just hating each other while secretly liking each other.
The reason why I like the movie better than the book is that the book is filled with a lot of explanation of what Elizabeth is thinking, without really showing us anything. However, the movie showcases a lot of emotions that aren't spoken of in the book. The tension between Elizabeth and Darcy is just so palpable in the movie and I absolutely love it. In the movie you see how Darcy squirms when talking to Elizabeth and you SEE how they interact. The eye glances. The wringing of hands. The awkward silences while they longingly stare at each other. The visual cues are so important to the development of the story and their relationship and therefore I think this story makes a much better movie than book.
Slander I know. Someone come sue me. Will I read another Jane Austen novel? No. But I will watch the films? Yes.
One of the my favorite scenes in this movie is when Darcy catches Elizabeth visiting his home with her aunt and uncle. It's so awkward, yet so wonderful. Elizabeth awkwardly laughs so much and Darcy just looks so sad that she's apologizing for intruding into his home and I'm just sitting here like GUYS YOU LIKE EACH OTHER CMON NOW. Darcy's enthusiastic "Yes! Yes I know!" in response to Elizabeth saying that she likes walking. Pooja = 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹
Additionally, this movie is just so beautifully shot. Like look at this. Where is this? I mean someone please take me to the English countryside yesterday cause WOW.
Must Be... Love (2013)
Language: Filipino
Where do I start with this movie? This is probably one of the most heartwarming teen romances I've seen like...ever. And yes I've seen To All The Boys I've Loved Before, and yes I agree that it was cute, fun, and good. But this? This was REALLY good.
We're following this young woman named Patchot who is in love with her best friend, Ivan. In fact in the first five minutes of this movie we see Patchot saying 'I love you' to Ivan after getting hit in the face with a basketball. However, Ivan laughs it off and Patchot, feeling embarrassed, laughs it off too. They forget the incident and Patchot hides her feelings until her cousin comes to town on vacation and Ivan immediately falls for her.
Patchot is a tomboy wanting to explore her femininity. She finds herself interested in wearing dresses and partaking in all things traditionally 'girly', however she hesitates due to her father's disapproval of overtly feminine clothing and trends. After Ivan starts dating her cousin, Patchot decides to enter a beauty contest with the help of her aunt to finally explore a new side of her.
I absolutely love Patchot, and I think it's in part due to the natural charisma of the actress who plays her, Kathryn Bernardo. She did a fantastic job in the role despite being like 15 or 16 years old at the time. Patchot is a young teenage girl who's been conditioned to think that being feminine is the only version of 'beautiful' and since she doesn't fit the standard, she believes she's ugly. She's "one of the boys" and while she does enjoy playing basketball and hanging out with them, she strives to create her own sense of self and personality, rather than adopt from those around her. Patchot also doesn't focus on getting Ivan to like her. For her, this exploration of femininity is not for other people, its just for her. She's doing it because she wants to, not because she thinks Ivan will like her more. Additionally, Patchot doesn't immediately become super traditionally "feminine" after entering the beauty contest. She maintains her sense of self and determines to develop her own version of femininity that she wants.
Additionally I love her changing relationship with Ivan. Her and Ivan have been friends since childhood and clearly are comfortable around each other. They are so in tune with each other that they can tell when the other feels sad or when the other has something to say. When Ivan confronts Patchot about her feelings and why she laughed off saying "I love you" to him before, she is brutally honest and straightforward with him, only in the way a friend can be, especially one who has realized what sort of love she deserves.
Teen romance/romcoms are such a hit and miss for me, mostly because I feel that oftentimes the characters feel very one dimensional or rarely undergo any character development. Teenagers are complex people and therefore it would make sense for films about their life to reflect that. While Must Be...Love is not devoid of clichés and weird filler scenes, the movie itself features two young actors who deliver solid performances that are relatable and awesome, despite them being so young. 10/10 from me.
A Aa (2016)
Language: Telugu
The end of this movie had me literally sobbing. So that should speak for itself. While this story is technically a romantic comedy of questionable nature, at its heart it's a story about a dysfunctional relationship between a mother and daughter. The movie is based on a book titled "Meena", written by Telugu novelist, Yaddanapuddi Sulochana Rani. Yaddanapuddi Sulochana Rani is one of the few prolific female Telugu novelists of her time. Several of her books turned into Telugu movies during the 1970s and 80s.
At the beginning of the movie, we're introduced to a young woman named Anasuya, who has an extremely tense relationship with her mother. Her mother is strict, no-nonsense, and demanding. She has high expectations for Anasuya, and Anasuya just cannot meet them no matter what she tries. Needing a break, Anasuya schemes with her father, without her mother knowing, to go visit estranged relatives. Her cousin, Aanand, whom she has never met before, helps her out. Anasuya has a grand old time while visiting her relatives and even falls in love with Aanand. I know what you're thinking... didn't I just say Aanand and Anasuya are cousins? Yes. Yes I did. It's a Telugu movie, stuff like this happens, we're just going to move on without fully addressing it cause tbh I don't even know why it happens. Okay so yeah, Aanand and Anasuya fall in love. HOWEVER, Anasuya's mom has major issues with Aanand's family due to some family drama. Very Romeo and Juliet except no one dies and things are resolved pretty well because of decent communication.
Fidaa (2017)
Language: Telugu
The first time I saw this movie, I absolutely loved the first half but despised the second half. But upon rewatch I get it more now.
The story revolves around two individuals, Bhanu and Varun. Varun is a guy living in Dallas with his two brothers and trying to become a doctor. At the beginning of the movie, he's aiming for this prestigious residency when his older brother decides to get married to this girl named Renuka. In place of his brother, Varun goes to India to meet Renuka's family, and through several charming and hilarious scenes becomes close with Renuka's younger sister, Bhanu.
From the start, it is evident that Bhanu and Varun have some connection, but they are extremely different. Bhanu loves life in her village in India. Varun enjoys being with Bhanu in the village, but also would like to continue pursuing his dreams in the U.S. While doing all the classic wedding arrangements and events for their older siblings, Bhanu and Varun fall in love, yet some misunderstandings push them away from each other. And so begins the chicken dance of 'will they or won't they?' And this chicken dance goes on for a while and is at times incredibly frustrating to watch, but not necessarily for the same reasons that I listed for the movie A Aa above.
The only conflict between Bhanu and Varun, is Bhanu and Varun. And on my first watch I found this to be incredibly frustrating and annoying, but upon rewatch, I think it's extremely realistic. Bhanu tries hard to resist Varun, and you realize it's because she's afraid that she'll be expected to leave behind her entire life and all that she's known and move to the U.S, the way her older sister had to. Thus this constant tension leads to several angsty scenes between her and Varun. They're both confused, complicated, and certainly not perfect in matters of love and just like...general communication. In other words, they are Struggling. With a capital S.
But, they're real. When watching Bhanu and Varun do the chicken dance about their feelings, you can't help but see someone you know in them. The friend who's the overthinker. The friend who has trouble putting feelings into words. The friend who struggles to be honest with themselves. And so, this movie has a special place in my heart and on this list.
Bareilly Ki Barfi (2017)
Language: Hindi
I don't know what it is about movies featuring two people writing letters to each other without realizing they know each other in real life, but it seems to be a trope I like.
I really like Bitti and Chirag. Their relationship grows so organically. They initially meet as strangers, not necessarily liking each other that much to begin with, but then become really good friends. It's also really entertaining watching Chirag squirm as he watches Bitti fall for the roleplaying author dude because you know he brought the situation on himself so he needs to get himself out of it. I really love this one scene between him and Bitti where she tells him she's going to get married to the roleplaying author. The scene starts off with Chirag telling her that based on her personality, there will be a ton of guys who will fall in love with her, to which Bitti basically replies with "where? where are these guys?". Then she says:
I mean look at this man's face. It's the face of a man who's just kicking himself for making the situation so unnecessarily complicated. Chirag's hesitation to just openly tell Bitti that he's the guy who's been writing the letters is so annoying but makes for great entertainment. Eventually when he does realize that he must tell her, things between Bitti and the roleplaying guy have progressed too far. I have a few qualms with the ending, but nothing major. I really love how it all plays out and it makes a lot of sense. Overall, this movie is so charming and cute. It features fantastic performances by the entire cast, and the storyline is quite adorable. 10/10 would definitely recommend.
So there is my list. But there are so many more romance/romantic comedies that I absolutely love that I want to give honorable mentions to even though they aren't on this list or my absolute favorites list:
Roman Holiday (1950) (Language: English)
☕️: Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn in the same movie? Cue the fireworks.
Léon Morin, Priest (1961) (Language: French)
☕️: MAJOR forbidden romance vibes
Annie Hall (1977) (Language: English)
☕️: This one scene with Diane Keaton is the reason why this movie is getting an honorable mention. This is just so hilarious.
Dil To Pagal Hai (1997) (Language: Hindi)
☕️: A classic love square featuring some VERY 90s fashion. ALSO the main protagonist's name is Pooja!
Bridget Jones's Diary (2001) (Language: English)
☕️: The phrase "Just as you are" takes on a whole new meaning after watching this movie. Cue ALL the FEELS.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002) (Language: English)
☕️: Toula is so loveable and her family is so sweet!
Penelope (2006) (Language: English)
☕️: Penelope's romance with herself is the best kind of romance.
The Princess and the Frog (2009) (Language: English)
☕️: Naveen and Tiana are 🥰
Everyday I Love You (2015) (Language: Filipino)
☕️: This movie is so melodramatic but like in the best way.
To All The Boys I've Loved Before (2018) (Language: English)
☕️: When Peter says, "Are you going to break my heart, Covey?" 🥹
Your Name Engraved Herein (2020) (Language: Mandarin (Taiwan))
☕️: The main two protagonists just have so much chemistry that it feels like the screen is literally on fire.
Squared Love (2021) (Language: Polish)
☕️: Double identity situation going on with a backdrop of the beautiful Warsaw.
Just Say Yes (2021) (Language: Dutch)
☕️: Yay for work romance!
See, I told you this list could be 80 movies long if I let it be. And there are so many more fabulous rom-com/romance movies that I haven't mentioned here. Also, there are so many movies that I have yet to see that may make it on a future iteration of this list!
If you like the post and would like to see more, let me know what curated list you may want to see next. Mysteries? Movies about friendship? If you didn't like this post, that is okay too. See you next time!
