:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/THE-BEST-ROMANTIC-MOVIES-ON-NETFLIX001716-05132024-a145a696bf034a13b37169b5517897d9-fe7213f9905f477cb74459d9d20c2c7c.jpg "The 27 best romantic movies on Netflix")
These films have all the summer loving that your heart desires. The 27 best romantic movies on Netflix These films have all the summer loving that your heart desires. By Ilana Gordon, :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/ILANAGORDONHEADSHOT80577598f8ed442cacff5de184ceb9f5.jpg) Ilana Gordon is an entertainment, culture, and comedy writer originally from Connecticut. She currently lives in Los Angeles. EW's editorial guidelines and James Mercadante on June 2, 2026 7:15 a.m.
These films have all the summer loving that your heart desires.
The 27 best romantic movies on Netflix
These films have all the summer loving that your heart desires.
By Ilana Gordon,
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/ILANA-GORDON-HEADSHOT-80577598f8ed442cacff5de184ceb9f5.jpg)
Ilana Gordon is an entertainment, culture, and comedy writer originally from Connecticut. She currently lives in Los Angeles.
EW's editorial guidelines
and James Mercadante
on June 2, 2026 7:15 a.m. ET
LaKeith Stanfield as Nate Davis and Gina Rodriguez as Jenny Young in 'Someone Great'; Emma Corrin as Lady Constance Chatterley and Jack O'Connell as Oliver Mellors in 'Lady Chatterley's Lover'; Robert Redford as Louis Walters and Jane Fonda as Addie Moore in 'Our Souls at Night'. Credit:
Netflix (2); Kerry Brown/Netflix
Love is in the air, or maybe that's just pollen. Love is definitely on Netflix, though, where the streamer has assembled an eclectic collection of romantic films.
Recent additions to this month's guide include the British comedy *Four Weddings and a Funeral* (1994) and teen weepie *The Fault in Our Stars** *(2014). Rewind to the ‘80s for a viewing of *Splash* (1984), the mermaid rom-com that puts the "sea" in NYC. Or come back to contemporary times with *Your Monster* (2024), a horror love story with a musical theater through-line.
Partners may come and go, but a good movie will stay with you forever. Keep scrolling to find **’s list of the 27 best romantic movies streaming on Netflix.
Always Be My Maybe (2019)
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Ali Wong as Sasha Tran and Keanu Reeves as himself in 'Always Be My Maybe'. Doane Gregory/Netflix
Two old childhood friends reconnect in *Always Be My Maybe*, starring Ali Wong and Randall Park. As teens, the pair considered a romantic relationship, but it didn't work out. As adults, she's become a famous chef while he's still stuck in a small-time band and working for his dad's business.
Now, they'll have to try and see if love is their destiny once again while facing her fame and his insecurities. The movie also features plenty of quirky moments, including Keanu Reeves playing an odd version of himself as a love interest for Wong's character. And, as an added bonus, there's also Wong's amazing wardrobe. —*Lia Beck*
Where to watch *Always Be My Maybe*: Netflix
**EW grade: **B
**Director: **Nahnatchka Khan
**Cast: **Ali Wong, Randall Park, Keanu Reeves, Daniel Dae Kim, James Saito
Atonement (2007)
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James McAvoy as Robbie Turner and Keira Knightley as Cecilia Tallis in 'Atonement'.
Focus Features/Courtesy Everett Collection
Saoirse Ronan had her breakout movie role in *Atonement*, Joe Wright’s adaptation of the bestselling novel by Ian McEwan. A romantic war tragedy told across six decades, *Atonement* starts in the mid-1930s, before jumping forward to World War II and then the late-20th century.
Ronan, Romola Garai, and Vanessa Redgrave share the role of Briony Tallis, a 13-year-old (Ronan) who tells a lie that haunts her for the rest of her life. Keira Knightley portrays Cecilia, Briony’s older sister, and James McAvoy plays Cecilia’s lover, Robbie. The film received seven Academy Award nominations, including nods for Best Picture and Best Supporting Actress (Ronan), and contains one of the most iconic outfits in cinema history: Cecilia’s green dress. *—Ilana Gordon*
Where to watch *Atonement*: Netflix
**EW grade:** B
**Director:** Joe Wright
**Cast:** James McAvoy, Keira Knightley, Saoirse Ronan, Romola Garai, Vanessa Redgrave
Blue Jay (2017)
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Sarah Paulson as Amanda and Mark Duplass as Jim in 'Blue Jay'. Everett Collection
Twenty years after breaking up, former high-school sweethearts Jim (Mark Duplass, who also wrote the script) and Amanda (Sarah Paulson) bump into each other in their California hometown and end up spending the day — and night — together. As they update each other on what's transpired in their lives in the years since they last spoke, Jim and Amanda reminisce together about the people they used to be while attempting to understand the people they have become. A slice of life film that offers a glimpse into the optimism of youthful infatuation, and the bitter realities of aging, living, and loving, *Blue Jay's *simple story is still meaty enough for its two leads to dig their performative talons into. *—I.G.*
Where to watch *Blue Jay*: Netflix
**Director: **Alex Lehmann
**Cast: **Mark Duplass, Sarah Paulson
Bros (2022)
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Billy Eichner as Bobby in 'Bros'.
Universal Pictures
*Bros* didn't perform great at the box office, and while critics and pundits will argue the reason, it’s clear the blame doesn’t fall with the quality of the film. A romantic comedy led by Billy Eichner — the first out gay man to co-write and star in his own major studio film — *Bros* follows the proudly single Bobby Lieber (Eichner) as he accidentally falls for the hetero-presenting Aaron (Luke Macfarlane).
A Judd Apatow production, *Bros* has the requisite one-liners, witty banter, and celebrity cameos necessary to boost the comedic sections of the movie, but it’s the romantic portions that truly distinguish the film. As EW’s critic notes, “*Bros* wears its queerness proudly, without stooping to cater overmuch to whatever elusive demographics might qualify it as a 'crossover' success.” *—I.G.*
Where to watch *Bros*: Netflix
**EW grade: **B+
**Director: **Nicholas Stoller
**Cast: **Billy Eichner, Luke Macfarlane, Guy Branum
The Fault in Our Stars (2014)
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Ansel Elgort as Gus and Shailene Woodley as Hazel in 'The Fault in Our Stars'.
James Bridges/Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
Adapted from John Green’s 2012 young adult novel, *The Fault in Our Stars* is a love story about Hazel (Shailene Woodley), an Indianapolis teenager with thyroid cancer, and Gus (Ansel Elgort), the boy in remission from bone cancer who she meets in her support group. Together, the teens travel to Amsterdam in search of the reclusive author of Hazel’s favorite book, but as Hazel struggles with health difficulties, she finds solace in her deepening bond with the romantic and charismatic Gus.
Sick kids grow up faster, and the teenagers in *TFIOS *cram a lifetime of self-awareness and wit into one movie. EW’s critic writes, “[Gus] woos Hazel Grace as if his life depended on it; you get the impression that in some ways maybe it does.” *—I.G.*
Where to watch *The Fault in Our Stars*: Netflix
**Director: **Josh Boone
**Cast: **Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort, Laura Dern, Sam Trammell, Nat Wolff
The Five-Year Engagement (2012)
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Emily Blunt as Violet Barnes and Jason Segel as Tom Solomon in 'The Five-Year Engagement'.
Glen Wilson/Universal
Proposals are supposed to serve as the preamble to marriage, but in the romantic comedy *The Five-Year Engagement*, one couple’s extended engagement ends up pushing them farther apart. After Tom (Jason Segel) and Violet (Emily Blunt) get engaged, marriage and a happily ever after spent in San Francisco seem inevitable. But when Violet’s career forces the couple to move to Michigan, the engagement — and Tom’s mental health — begin to unravel.
Directed by Nicholas Stoller and co-written by Stoller and Segel (the duo behind 2008's *Forgetting Sarah Marshall*), *Five-Year* *Engagement *is a Judd Apatow-produced film through and through. EW’s review calls it a “lively, original, and scattershot-hilarious ramble,” but more than that, this is a smart, funny interrogation of love, sacrifice, and how people and relationships grow and adapt. *—I.G.*
Where to watch *The Five-Year Engagement*: Netflix
**EW grade:** B+
**Director: **Nicholas Stoller
**Cast:** Jason Segel, Emily Blunt, Rhys Ifans, Chris Pratt, Alison Brie
Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994)
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Hugh Grant as Charles and Andie MacDowell as Carrie in 'Four Weddings and a Funeral'. Gramercy Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection
No situation forces you to examine your life quite in the same way as a wedding or a funeral, and during *Four Weddings and a Funeral*, Charles (Hugh Grant) attends — as advertised — five of these events. The film picks up during the first wedding, where Charles meets an American woman named Carrie (Andie MacDowell); he then proceeds to spend the subsequent three weddings and one funeral trying to deduce how he feels about her.
Surrounded by a group of friends navigating similar shifts in life and love, Charles must learn to overcome his fear of commitment, or risk losing the best thing that’s ever happened to him. If you’re in the mood to enjoy romantic hijinks, statement hats, and self-deprecating British humor, RSVP yes to *Four Weddings and a Funeral*. *—I.G.*
Where to watch *Four Weddings and a Funeral*: Netflix
**EW grade: **A–
**Director:** Mike Newell
**Cast:** Hugh Grant, Andie MacDowell, Kristin Scott Thomas, Simon Callow, James Fleet
Frances Ha (2012)
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Adam Driver as Lev and Greta Gerwig as Frances in 'Frances Ha'. IFC Films/Courtesy Everett Collection
One of the best-known additions to the mumblecore movement that briefly invaded independent cinema during the mid-2010s, *Frances Ha* is also one of the most charming. Directed by Noah Baumbach and co-written by the film's star, Greta Gerwig, *Frances Ha* chronicles a difficult period in 27-year-old aspiring dancer Frances Halladay's life. Struggling with the dissolution of one of her closest friendships, financial challenges, and difficulties with her chosen career, Frances is both unmoored and undeterred.
A late-20s coming-of-age story released in 2012, *Frances Ha* contains some vague similarities to HBO's *Girls* (Adam Driver, for one), which premiered that same year. But the film offers such a high level of style, point of view, and performance that it deftly distinguishes itself from the rest of the genre. *—I.G.*
Where to watch* Frances Ha*: Netflix
**EW grade:** B+
**Director:** Noah Baumbach
**Cast: **Greta Gerwig, Adam Driver, Mickey Sumner, Michael Zegen, Michael Esper
The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Society (2018)
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Glen Powell as Mark Reynolds and Lily James as Juliet Ashton in 'The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society'. Studiocanal/Moviestore/REX/Shutterstock
Fans of period romances will fall head over heels for the Netflix original* The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society*. The 2018 film stars Lily James as a writer who gets to know the residents of Guernsey, an island that had recently been under German occupation during World War II. As for the romantic aspect, the lead character is torn between two men: her American fiancé (Glen Powell) and a new man from Guernsey (Michiel Huisman). EW's review of Mike Newell's film calls it "as snug and sweet and congenitally British as a tea cozy." *—L.B.*
Where to watch *The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society*: Netflix
**EW grade: **B+
**Director: **Mike Newell
**Cast: **Lily James, Michael Huisman, Glen Powell, Jessica Brown Findlay
The Half of It (2020)
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Leah Lewis as Ellie Chu and Daniel Diemer as Paul Munsky in 'The Half of It'. KC Bailey/Netflix/Everett
Securing Tribeca's Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature, Alice Wu's queer revision of *Cyrano de Bergerac *introduces viewers to Ellie Chu (Leah Lewis), a booksmart outcast whose writing skills become a lucrative business with her peers as customers. When she starts drafting love letters for himbo jock Paul Munsky (Daniel Diemer, a.k.a. Will Poulter's doppelgänger) to popular girl Aster Flores (Alexxis Lemire) — whom Ellie secretly harbors feelings for — the unlikely pair forge a connection far more profound than any high school crush.
Through atmospheric camerawork, whip-smart dialogue, and a sea of film references for cinephiles to bathe in, *The Half of It** *spins a coming-of-age love story that bleeds wisdom beyond its years. *—James Mercadante*
Where to watch *The Half of It*: Netflix
**EW grade:** B
**Director:** Alice Wu
**Cast:** Leah Lewis, Daniel Diemer, Alexxis Lemire, Enrique Murciano, Wolfgang Novogratz
The Incredible Jessica James (2017)
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Chris O'Dowd as Boone and Jessica Williams as Jessica James in 'The Incredible Jessica James'. Netflix
Jessica Williams took the world by storm when she became the youngest correspondent on *The Daily Show*. And after leaving the program in 2016, Williams honed in on film — starting by taking on the roles of executive producer and lead actor in the rom-com *The Incredible Jessica James. *The role of Jessica James was created especially for Williams by writer-director Jim Strouse, and the character is perfectly customized to flaunt her many comedic and performative strengths.
In the film, Jessica is an aspiring playwright and employee at a children's theater workshop who just broke up with her boyfriend (LaKeith Stanfield). After her friend Tasha (Noël Wells) sets her up on a date with Boone (Chris O'Dowd), Jessica must decide if their romance is worth pursuing, and what she wants her love life and work life to look like going forward. *—I.G.*
Where to watch *The Incredible Jessica James*: Netflix
**EW grade: **B+
**Director: **Jim Strouse
**Cast: **Jessica Williams, LaKeith Stanfield, Noël Wells, Chris O'Dowd
The 17 best romantic comedy movies on Netflix
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16 romantic comedies on HBO Max to make you believe in love again
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Jane Austen Wrecked My Life (2024)
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Camille Rutherford as Agathe Robinson in 'Jane Austen Wrecked My Life'.
Icon Film Distribution
Those in search of a recent romantic comedy that feels like it could have been made during the early ‘90s should look no further than *Jane Austen Wrecked My Life*. This bilingual film follows Agathe Robinson, a French bookseller and aspiring novelist, as she joins a writing retreat in England sponsored by Jane Austen’s descendants. While attempting to write her book, Agathe wrestles with her feelings for two different men and tries to process her grief surrounding her parents’ accidental death.
A film that feels like a French riff on classics like *Notting Hill* (1999) and *Bridget Jones’ Diary *(2001), *Jane Austen Wrecked My Life* is the perfect comfort watch for bibliophiles, Anglophiles, and anyone else who enjoys a good, old-fashioned romantic comedy. *—I.G.*
Where to watch *Jane Austen Wrecked My Life*: Netflix
**Director:** Laura Piani
**Cast: **Camille Rutherford, Pablo Pauly, Charlie Anson, Annabelle Lengronne, Liz Crowther
Lady Chatterley's Lover (2022)
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Emma Corrin as Lady Constance Chatterley and Jack O'Connell as Oliver Mellors in 'Lady Chatterley's Lover'. Netflix
If* Fifty Shades of Grey *and *Bridgerton* welcomed a child, its name would be *Lady Chatterley's Lover*. Enduring decades of bans for its salacious content, D.H. Lawrence's 1928 avant-garde novel gets a fresh adaptation under the heedful eye of Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre, who deftly explores the depths of female desire. In this soft-core romance about emotional and bodily fulfillment, an unhappily married aristocrat (Emma Corrin) defies gender roles by acting on her own urges — starting a clandestine affair with the gamekeeper (Jack O'Connell) of her husband's (Matthew Duckett) estate.
While EW's critic observes a lack of dramatic conflict in the film, they highlight that "what's left is just an unabashedly heady romance, rich in pretty costumes — when they're wearing them — and lush, lusty atmosphere." *—J.M.*
Where to watch *Lady Chatterley's Lover*: Netflix
**EW grade:** B+
**Director: **Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre
**Cast:** Emma Corrin, Jack O'Connell, Matthew Duckett, Faye Marsay, Ella Hunt
The Lovebirds (2020)
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Issa Rae as Leilani Brooks and Kumail Nanjiani as Jibran in 'The Lovebirds'.
After four years of dating, Jibran (Kumail Nanjiani) and Leilani (Issa Rae) are prepared to call it quits — until the couple finds themselves involved in a murder that requires them to put their break up aside and go on the run. Too concerned about racial profiling to involve the police, Jibran and Leilani must hunt down the identity of the man who was murdered so they can find out who killed him and clear their own names.
Directed by Michael Showalter (2001's *Wet Hot American Summer*), *The Lovebirds* is a romantic evening gone wrong in the style of films like 2010's *Date Night* and 2018's *Game Night*. Boasting a high ratio of jokes per minute and a pair of lead actors who know how to wield their witticisms like machetes, Nanjiani and Rae's on screen bickering and loving needling will have you rooting for their relationship, even as it's falling apart. *—I.G.*
Where to watch *The Lovebirds*: Netflix
**EW grade: **B
**Director: **Michael Showalter
**Cast: **Kumail Nanjiani, Issa Rae, Anna Camp, Paul Sparks
My Girl (1991)
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Anna Chlumsky as Vada Sultenfuss in 'My Girl'.
Columbia/Courtesy Everett Collection
*My Girl* is the movie that traumatized a generation, but it’s also a sweet coming-of-age story. Anna Chlumsky and Macaulay Culkin star as Vada Sultenfuss and Thomas J. Sennett, two 11-year-old friends who experience a memorable summer together in 1972. Though known for its devastating climax, the heart of the film lies in Vada and Thomas’s relationship, a platonic friendship that starts to seem less so as the summer wears on.
Chlumsky is charisma personified in her breakout role, and the relationship between supporting players Dan Aykroyd and Jamie Lee Curtis gives the film another layer of romantic energy. *My Girl *got flak upon its release for its seemingly saccharine tone, but as the world has gotten scarier, *My Girl* is a rom-com reminder of simpler and sweeter times. *—I.G.*
Where to watch *My Girl*: Netflix
**Director: **Howard Zieff
**Cast:** Dan Aykroyd, Jamie Lee Curtis, Macaulay Culkin, Anna Chlumsky, Griffin Dunne
Obvious Child (2014)
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Jenny Slate as Donna in 'Obvious Child'.
Written and directed by Gillian Robespierre, *Obvious Child* stars Jenny Slate as Donna, a stand-up comedian who drunkenly pursues a one-night stand with a man named Max (Jake Lacy) after being dumped by her boyfriend. Several weeks later, Donna realizes she is pregnant, but struggles to tell the people in her life, even as Valentine’s Day — the day of her scheduled abortion — draws closer. Yes, Donna’s decision is a crucial part of the story — but it’s really the engine that propels a romantic comedy. The film, like its protagonist, is bristly and sarcastic on the outside, but warm and vulnerable at its core.” *—I.G.*
Where to watch* Obvious Child*: Netflix
**Director:** Gillian Robespierre
**Cast:** Jenny Slate, Jake Lacy, Gaby Hoffman, Gabe Liedman, Richard Kind,
Our Souls at Night (2017)
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Robert Redford as Louis Walters and Jane Fonda as Addie Moore in 'Our Souls at Night'. Kerry Brown/Netflix
Some partnerships just keep getting better with age, and the onscreen relationship between Robert Redford and Jane Fonda — now in its fourth iteration — is one of those unions. In the Netflix original movie *Our Souls at Night*, Redford and Fonda play longtime neighbors and widowers Louis and Addie, who find comfort in spending their nights together as platonic friends. Aware that their unorthodox relationship and sleeping arrangement are eliciting side eyes from the town and their adult children, the pair must eventually choose between their growing emotional dependence on each other and the needs of their respective families.
With a cast of only seven actors, the strength of *Our Souls at Night* lies mainly in the steady hands of its two leads, who make falling in love look just as appealing as they did half a century ago in *Barefoot in the Park*. *—I.G.*
Where to watch *Our Souls at Night*: Netflix
**Director: **Ritesh Batra
**Cast: **Robert Redford, Jane Fonda, Judy Greer, Matthias Schoenaerts, Bruce Dern
Pretty Woman (1990)
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Julia Roberts as Vivian Ward and Richard Gere as Edward Lewis in 'Pretty Woman'.
Buena Vista/Getty Images
Edward Lewis (Richard Gere) is a corporate raider who comes to Hollywood for work. Vivian Ward (Julia Roberts) is a local sex worker who gives him directions. Their chance encounter leads to a week spent together, during which these two radically different people fall in love. Roberts’ performance made her the most sought-after young actress of the decade — she imbues Vivian with an irrepressible spirit and deep vulnerability, and her chemistry with Gere is undeniable.
The rags-to-riches modern fairy tale premiered to mixed reviews, but time and societal shifts have looked favorably upon *Pretty Woman*. As EW’s critic writes in an review, *Pretty Woman* is "the rare Hollywood movie that doesn’t just channel the culture but changes it.” *—I.G.*
Where to watch *Pretty Woman*: Netflix
**EW grade:** B
**Director: **Garry Marshall
**Cast: **Julia Roberts, Richard Gere, Ralph Bellamy, Jason Alexander, Héctor Elizondo
Set It Up (2018)
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Zoey Deutch as Harper Moore and Glen Powell as Charlie Young in 'Set It Up'. Netflix
If you found Glen Powell to be perfect boyfriend material in *Anyone but You* (2023), wait until you see him paired with the dynamic Zoey Deutch in *Set It Up*. When two stress-ridden assistants from adjoining companies, Harper (Deutch) and Charlie (Powell), conspire to set up their Type-A bosses (Taye Diggs, Lucy Liu) in hopes of freeing themselves from the nonstop office grind, it sparks an enemies-to-lovers fling between the two matchmakers that's as satisfying as a sublime slice of pizza. *Set It Up *ranks among Netflix's finest rom-coms, injecting the genre's familiar elements with an extra dose of heart — all fueled by the palpable chemistry between Powell and Deutch. *—J.M.*
Where to watch *Set It Up*: Netflix
**EW grade:** B
**Director:** Claire Scanlon
**Cast:** Zoey Deutch, Glen Powell, Lucy Liu, Taye Diggs, Joan Smalls
She's Gotta Have It (1986)
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John Canada Terrell as Greer Childs, Spike Lee as Mars Blackmon, and Tommy Redmond Hicks as Jamie Overstreet in 'She's Gotta Have It'.
Island Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection
Spike Lee’s first feature film as a writer and director, *She’s Gotta Have It* presents intertwining romances as lead character Nola Darling (Tracy Camilla Johns) decides which of the three men she’s dating (Lee, Tommy Redmond Hicks, John Canada Terrell) she wants to have a monogamous relationship with. Luxuriating in Lee’s creative sensibility and shot in crisp black and white, Nola’s journey towards picking a partner is funny, thought-provoking, and unique in every respect.
In a review of Netflix’s 2017 *She’s Gotta Have It *adaptation (also directed by Lee), EW’s critic describes the original movie, writing, “*She’s Gotta Have It *was Spike Lee’s first feature film, and few movies feel so joyfully first.” A dramedy that questions sexual, relationship, and gender norms of the time, *She’s Gotta Have It *is notable for its subject matter, aesthetic, and for launching Lee’s storied Hollywood career. *—I.G.*
Where to watch *She’s Gotta Have It*: Netflix
**Director:** Spike Lee
**Cast: **Tracy Camilla Johns, Spike Lee, Tommy Redmond Hicks, John Canada Terrell
Sleeping With Other People (2015)
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Jason Sudeikis as Jake and Alison Brie as Lainey in 'Sleeping With Other People'. Linda Kallerus
Cheaters never prosper, except in *Sleeping With Other People*, a rom-com about two intimacy-challenged adults who find salvation in each other. After losing their virginities to one another in college, Jake and Lainey (Jason Sudeikis and Alison Brie) reconnect after 12 years apart and — despite their admitted sexual attraction and chemistry — decide to just be friends. But when their platonic relationship becomes complicated by their romantic feelings, the two struggle not to let their past mistakes define their future.
A modern, dirtier, more drug-filled version of *When Harry Met Sally *(1989), *Sleeping With Other People* is, as EW’s critic writes, “a smart, flawed movie about smart, flawed people.” *—I.G.*
Where to watch *Sleeping With Other People*: Netflix
**EW grade:** B+
**Director: **Leslye Headland
**Cast: **Jason Sudeikis, Alison Brie, Amanda Peet, Adam Scott, Natasha Lyonne
Sliding Doors (1998)
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Gwyneth Paltrow as Helen Quilley and John Hannah as James Hammerton in 'Sliding Doors'.
Miramax/Everett
If *The Butterfly Effect *(2004)* *were a romantic comedy, it would be *Sliding Doors*. Gwyneth Paltrow stars as Helen Quilley, a London publicist whose life after being fired unfolds in parallel storylines: One details what happens to Helen after she catches a train home, the other tells the story of what happens after she misses the train.
As Helen’s two paths deviate and coincide throughout the film, her love life and career trajectory unfold in separate arcs, an effective narrative illustration of how the small moments in our lives can have the biggest impacts on our future outcomes. Alternatively funny, tragic, and ultimately very, very British, EW’s critic writes, “writer-director Peter Howitt demonstrates a lovely feel for the dreamy poetry of what-ifs — a deeply satisfying formula for romances and melodramas, from *It’s a Wonderful Life *to *Brief Encounter*.” *—I.G. *
Where to watch *Sliding Doors*: Netflix
**Directors: **Peter Howitt
**Cast: **Gwyneth Paltrow, John Hannah, John Lynch, Jeanne Tripplehorn
Someone Great (2019)
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LaKeith Stanfield as Nate Davis and Gina Rodriguez as Jenny Young in 'Someone Great'. Sarah Shatz/Netflix
Heartbreak just hits different in Netflix's *Someone Great*, a film about Jenny (Gina Rodriguez), a music journalist who goes through a breakup after accepting her dream job in San Francisco and learning her boyfriend (LaKeith Stanfield) doesn't want to come along. Emotionally buttressed by her best friends Erin (DeWanda Wise) and Blair (Brittany Snow), Jenny decides to make the most of her last night in New York City, and along the way encounters an eclectic supporting cast including Rosario Dawson, RuPaul, and Alex Moffat.
In addition to being a solid modern rom-com, *Someone Great* also has great significance in Swiftie lore: Taylor's 2014 song "Clean" off the *1989* album was one of the inspirations for the film's story, and Swift wrote *Lover'*s "Death by a Thousand Cuts" after seeing the movie. Deeply relatable for anyone who's been blindsided or suffered a broken heart, *Someone Great *is about endings, beginnings, and finding the joy in both. *—I.G.*
Where to watch *Someone Great*: Netflix
**EW grade: **B+
**Director: **Jennifer Kaytin Robinson
**Cast: **Gina Rodriguez, DeWanda Wise, Brittany Snow, LaKeith Stanfield, Rosario Dawson
Splash (1984)
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Daryl Hannah as Madison in 'Splash'.
Buena Vista Pictures/Everett Collection
If you mixed *The Little Mermaid* with the ‘80s comedy *Mannequin, *you would have Ron Howard’s *Splash*. Tom Hanks stars as Allen Bauer, a yuppie running a business in New York City with his rakish brother (John Candy), whose life takes a turn when he falls in love with a mysterious woman named Madison (Daryl Hannah) who is secretly a mermaid. Eugene Levy plays antagonist Dr. Walter Kornbluth, a scientist who discovers Madison’s existence and seeks to expose her to the scientific community.
A studio once advised Howard to make the film without the mermaid; he didn’t listen, and the result was one of the top films of 1984. A fantasy about finding authentic love and rejecting social standards, *Splash* offers a sense of whimsy that is sorely lacking these days. *—I.G.*
Where to watch *Splash*: Netflix
**Director:** Ron Howard
**Cast: **Tom Hanks, Daryl Hannah, John Candy, Eugene Levy, Shecky Greene
Steel Magnolias (1989)
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Sally Field as Mary Lynn ‘M’Lynn' Eatenton and Julia Roberts as Shelby Eatenton-Latcherie in ‘Steel Magnolias’.
TriStar Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection
Everything about the ‘80s was big, from the hair and clothing to the emotions dominating the decade’s top films. A prime example: *Steel Magnolias*, the melodramatic tearjerker with an all-star female cast that passes the Bechdel Test with ease. The film — adapted from a play and inspired by the writer’s own life — is set in a small town in Louisiana and tells the story of a group of women who come together to support each other through personal triumphs and health tragedies.
Simultaneously funny and traumatic, the film is deeply Southern, and can best be described as comfort food for the emotional soul. Sally Field and Julia Roberts are especially powerful as a mother and daughter duo, and Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine, and Olympia Dukakis provide much-needed comic relief. *—I.G.*
Where to watch *Steel Magnolias*: Netflix
**Director: **Herbert Ross
**Cast: **Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah, Olympia Dukakis
To All the Boys I've Loved Before (2018)
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Lana Condor as Lara Jean Song-Covey and Jordan Fisher as John Ambrose in 'To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You'. Bettina Strauss/Netflix
Navigating high school is painful enough without all of your crushes finding out you like them — at the same time. A modern rom-com that EW's critic calls "breezy and charming," *To All the Boys I've Loved Before* follows Lara Jean Covey (Lana Condor) as her worst fears are realized when the love letters she never meant to send find their way to the boys who inspired them.
Cornered by love, Lara Jean negotiates a sham relationship with her former crush to throw off her current one, but when feelings start catching, Lara Jean must deal with the consequences of both her lies and the truths she's starting to realize. The first in a series of three films, which also include 2020's *To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You* and 2021's *To All the Boys: Always and Forever*, the original still hits the hardest. *—I.G.*
Where to watch *To All the Boys I've Loved Before*: Netflix
**EW grade:** B
**Director:** Susan Johnson
**Cast: **Lana Condor, Noah Centineo, Janel Parrish, Anna Cathcart, Andrew Bachelor
Your Monster (2024)
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Tommy Dewey as Monster and Melissa Barrera as Laura Franco in 'Your Monster'.
A horror romantic comedy that riffs on *Beauty and the Beast*, *Your Monster* is a genre mash-up that is sure to delight. Laura (Melissa Barrera) has just been broken up with by her long-term boyfriend, Jacob (Edmund Donovan). Forced to move back home, Laura discovers a monster (Tommy Dewey) squatting in her childhood bedroom. He agrees to give her two weeks to get her life together, and so begins the relationship between a woman trying to move on and the monster who lives in her closet.
Much of the film centers around a musical theater performance involving Jacob, Laura, and the woman Laura believes Jacob is romantically interested in, so it has some great songs. But the movie primarily exists as a showcase for Barrera, one of the most exciting actors in this new class of Scream Queens.* —I.G.*
Where to watch *Your Monster*: Netflix
**Director: **Caroline Lindy
**Cast: **Melissa Barrera, Tommy Dewey, Edmund Donovan, Kayla Foster, Meghann Fahy
- Romance Movies
Original Article on Source
Source: "EW Romance"
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Source: Romance
Published: June 2, 2026 at 07:38AM on Source: PRIME TIME
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These films have all the summer loving that your heart desires. The 27 best romantic movies on Netflix These films have all the summ...
