The Best Romantic Movies on Netflix for Every Kind of Vibe
by Lori Keong and Kayleigh RobertsYou're not going to watch an existential tearjerker on your second date, but you might screen a sexy road trip flick from the couch. There are so many good movies out there in the world, but there's a time and a place to watch each. Below, we compiled the best romantic movies that you can stream right now—they're all on Netflix, so all you need is a subscription!—that suit every occasion, from classic comedies to a musical filled with iconic actors. And if you're looking for a brand-new romantic film you can go and enjoy in the theater, the old-fashioned way, you can find one of those here.
A Musical Rom-Com Worth Watching Over and Over: 'Grease'
Does it get much more classic than Grease? No moment in movie history better summarizes the fluttery teen romance feels than "Summer Lovin'" and no one song so perfectly captures the angst of being crazy into someone you desperately don't want to be crazy into than "Hopelessly Devoted to You." Play with captions and sing along, because you know you want to.
A LOL-Worthy Classic Comedy: 'Hitch'
Before she was Ryan Gosling's life partner, Eva Mendes was winning our love and respect putting a cheesy, clumsy Will Smith in his place in Hitch. This rom-com, if you need a refresher, is about "Hitch" (played by Smith), a freelance cupid of sorts who helps men create scenarios to shine in front of the women they've always loved from afar. On the one hand, yeah, it is kind of manipulative, but Hitch's policy of only helping genuine guys—and only helping them be their true selves, not something they're not—keeps it on the right side of creepy.
A Sexy, Moody Indie: 'Blue Valentine'
Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams really turn up the heat in the 2010 drama/indie film Blue Valentine. Yes, at times it's a little depressing watching Gosling's and Williams' characters detail the ups and downs of their relationship, but it's guaranteed to get you and your date to cozy up together on the couch.
A Cute Coming-of-Age Comedy: 'To All the Boys I've Loved Before,' parts I and II
Lara Jean's quest to overcome the embarrassment when the love letters she never intended to send to the boys she's "loved" in her young life are anonymously mailed out is adorable and sweet and genuinely funny—and both films are available on Netflix now. Plus, this movie is required viewing if you're over the age of 21 and need to understand why people are so obsessed with Noah Centineo.
A Nostalgic Teen Romance: 'A Cinderella Story'
Chad Michael Murray and Hilary Duff forever. After you and your date watch the modern (well, modern in 2004) remake of the original Disney movie, you two can reenact the romantic kiss in the rain at the football game that you tragically missed out on in high school.
A Drama About the Hard Sides of Love: 'Marriage Story'
Marriage Story was nominated for six Academy Awards (and Laura Dern nabbed Best Supporting Actress for her role in movie), which is a feat for any movie, but especially for one that debuted on Netflix. The film is a raw, sometimes heart-wrenching look at the realities of a marriage falling apart while there's still a family that ultimately has to stay together.
A Fun, Relatable Love Story: 'Always Be My Maybe'
We all have that person—the one who got away before you really "got" them at all. Always Be My Maybe, starring (and written by!) Randall Park and Ali Wong, looks at the complicated relationship between two people whose potential love story was cut short as teens and who have to navigate their lingering chemistry when they reconnect as adults.
Netflix and Chill: 'Y Tu Mamá También'
Add Y Tu Mamá También (starring your Mozart in the Jungle fave Gael Garcia Bernal), a road trip movie best known for its ménage à trois scene, to your queue when the tone you want to set is "steamy." The sexual tension is everything.
A Slow-Burn, Low-Key Sci-Fi Romance That Will Make You Think: 'Her'
The weirdest thing about Her isn't the deep romance that blossoms between its protagonist, Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix), and his Siri-esque OS, Samantha (Scarlett Johansson), it's how plausible (and maybe inevitable) it is. The relationship will touch your heart and make you think.
A Mind-Bending Time Travel Romance: 'About Time'
In this British rom-com, Tim (Domhnall Gleeson) learns that all of the men in his family have the ability to travel through time, changing events and righting their own mistakes. Tim uses this power to fix a missed connection with the girl of his dreams (in a series of time travel moments that are about as un-problematic as possible, given the premise), Mary (Rachel McAdams). Somehow, the whole thing avoids devolving into creepiness and remains heartfelt and sweet.
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