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The “Clench Your Chest” Romantic Movie List We All Need Right Now And Why
This year has been everything from heartbreaking, to scary, to stress/anxiety-including, to a call to reprioritizing, to a long-overdue awakening, etc etc. You name it, 2020 has brought it with a vengeance. I think that when we take necessary breaks from facing the important realities of this time it’s easy to just go temporarily numb. Maybe that’s just me but likely not. And while I never lose sight of my extreme privileges, I tend to forget to remind myself of all the really beautiful parts of life. But honestly, my imagination can feel like a dangerous thing. Like there’s a warning sign that goes off in my head that too much optimism will lead to inevitable heartache. However, a couple of weeks ago I was watching something (and for the life of me I can’t remember what it was) and it hit me in a way that the light, happy comedies I otherwise consume, hadn’t. It was a real, true, and beautiful love story. I was overcome with a very welcomed happy cry that reminded me in a visceral way that those parts of life are crucial to be reminded of. Those “clench-your-chest-you-are-feeling-so-many happy-feelings” kind of stories. So I thought why not rally the team to put together a list of movies that have done that for us. Emily (the true romance movie expert) had SO MANY incredible recs that I hadn’t heard of but after watching the trailers (many of which took my breath away) now NEED to watch.
Ok, my emotional dissertation is over and now we can focus on some movies that are going to get you in touch with that pretty special part of being human…LOVE (or even just some straight-up lust;)). It’s honest to goodness emotional medicine, I promise.
So since there are SO many, I have linked the titles to their trailers for you to get a taste if you haven’t seen it before. Also, some of these movies could work in more than one category but for post length purposes, we decided to stick to only one per movie (I know it’s cruel). All I have to say is get ready for your movie list to get very long!
Emily’s Picks
| Shakespeare in Love | Titanic |
| Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind | The Notebook |
| Brokeback Mountain | Romeo + Juliet |
| How to Lose a Guy In 10 Days |
The Team’s Picks (With Some Endorsements to Emily’s:))
Romeo + Juliet
If you want to cry your eyes out, while also simultaneously feeling super swept up in a cinematic romance may I please recommend Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet. Added motivation? Young Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes. That is all. – Sara
Garden State
I saw this movie when I was 16 (I honestly had to use a “How Old Was I When” calculator for this. My brain is deteriorating.) Anyway, I felt changed by this movie and the sweet chemistry between Zach Braff and Natalie Portman still makes my heart burst. Ugh and the airport scene. Go watch now. – Jess
Sleepless In Seattle
Empire State Building scene. What’s more iconic than that? Oh, the fact that it’s with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan:) – Jess
Love and Basketball
This movie is all about passion and a life long love. It takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions. It’s sweet, heartbreaking, maddening, and joyous (plus pretty sexy). If you’ve never seen it do yourself a favor and watch it this weekend because it’s absolutely a classic. – Jess
When Harry Met Sally
This movie is so iconic and all-around amazing and if you haven’t seen it (or if it’s been a while) I HIGHLY recommend you give it a rewatch. It will make you feel unbelievably good and also will make you want to marry your best friend. Enjoy! – Mallory
You’ve Got Mail
Another Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan home run in the sweet romantic movie game. It’s pretty impossible to not feel happy after watching it. – Jess
How to Lose a Guy In 10 Days
The bathroom scene! – Jess
10 Things I Hate About You
My boy Chase is a big movie person, meaning he’s seen all the “classics” that the world has deemed legendary. Me on the other hand, well, I’ve seen movies like Mean Girls and Clueless more times than the number of years I’ve been alive. So, given that information, I have to say this movie passed the boyfriend test, meaning I made Chase watch it and HE ACTUALLY LIKED IT. That’s how you know it’s good, when people you think are not the target audience actually enjoy it. Try watching it with your S.O. or movie critic best friend bc this flick is a crowd-fricken-pleaser – Mallory
Also, Ten Things I Hate About You – Rebellious girl meets school bad boy, it’s a recipe for success. Heath Ledger and his accent make my heart beat fast, and his tender heart under all that rough persona makes me melt just thinking about it. – Sara
P.S. We all voted and this is our desert island romance. It just has it all!
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
There’s an original premise (paying to have someone erased from your mind in a medical procedure??? I don’t hate that!) and Jim Carrey is like…attractive? It’s refreshing to see him play a character that’s not centered around making faces and sounds, and obviously Kate Winslet is just SO GOOD. A classic!!! – Caitlin
Pretty Woman
Hollywood in the 80s never looked so good. Julia Roberts is an absolute vision, especially in this dress and Richard Geere is a stud. It’s pure eye candy and so sweet. – Ryann
Breakfast at Tiffany’s
The movie that made me fall in love with Audrey Hepburn and fashion for that matter (I even cut my hair into a pixie cut in high school to be more like her). The love story is wildly romantic but staring in awe at Audrey’s poise and style is my fav part. – Ryann
The Princess Bride
AHHH. AN ALL-TIME FAVORITE. Is this a kissing story? NO, tiny Fred Savage, it isn’t, and that’s why it’s so great!!! Like, yes, sure, romance is central to the plot, but there’s also adventure and action and a great supporting cast and it’s just essential viewing because it’s SO QUOTABLE. 10/10!!! – Caitlin
Emily’s Picks
| Definitely, Maybe | The Vow |
| Yesterday | La La Land |
| Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants | Before We Go |
| One Day | Ruby Sparks |
The Team’s Picks
The Big Sick
This movie made me laugh SO hard, and then cry SO hard, and then laugh even HARDER. It was such a great film, based on Kumail Nanjiani and his wife’s own real story! I’ll also throw in The Lovebirds here, since it also has Kumail in it (alongside Issa Rae), which is more comedy than romance. But a really fun movie. – Sara
How Do You Know
Reese Witherspoon dates Owen Wilson, an asshole athlete, while Paul Rudd, a kindhearted CEO (??? A little suspension of disbelief here HAH) pines over her and deals with accusations of fraud and potential prison time. I just watched this last weekend and it’s great for turning your brain off for a second. – Caitlin
Pride & Prejudice
I have to admit, most of the romance movies I like are either teens almost kissing, or people in period costumes almost kissing. The almost kissing bit is super important – we’re talking TENSION people. Pride & Prejudice is THE classic period romance. If you don’t swoon when Matthew Macfadyen says “you have bewitched me, body and soul, and I love–I love–I love you” do YOU even have a soul???? – Sara
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
This is clearly a beautiful love story of friendship and sisterhood but for the purposes of this post… Kostas, Kostas, Kostas. Need I say more? – Jess
Legally Blonde
THIS IS MY DESERT ISLAND MOVIE. (The sequel is my actual favorite, but there’s less “romance” there, so we’re going to go with this one, okay?!) It has everything: an iconic lead, women helping women, perseverance, self-love messaging, Elle Woods ends up with a TRULY NICE PERSON at the end, and it passes the Bechdel test!!! It has everything I need in a film!!! – Caitlin
The Incredible Jessica James
Am I partial to the name? Sure:) But this is a love story in two parts. One with Jessica herself and one with a man. It’s empowering, sweet and it will make your day better. – Jess
The Half Of It
I LOVED THIS MOVIE. It’s not the relationship you’re expecting, but it’s the relationship you NEED. It’s light (but deep), sweet, and just makes you smile. – Sara
Plus One
Em actually recommended this in a Link Up last year and it’s SO GOOD. Maya Erskine and Jack Quaid (yes, like, the son of Dennis, just so you don’t spend half the movie being like “who does this guy remind me of???“) have such good chemistry and it’s not a super cliche storyline. Honestly, I’m not sure why this one isn’t more popular because it’s GREAT. – Caitlin
Nappily Ever After
OH MY GOSH I love a movie with a strong female lead (so much so that one of my categories on Netflix is literally “movies with a strong female lead” HAH) and this one is no exception! Basically, Sanaa Lathan ~has it all~ and is just waiting on her boyfriend to propose, but he doesn’t — so she dumps him and shaves her head. The ending is SO GOOD and definitely will scratch your “I want to see films with a successful lady in them” itch :) – Caitlin
Paper Heart
I’m honestly not sure if it was ever confirmed to be a documentary, semi-documentary, or just a straight-up mockumentary but regardless it will melt your heart. Charlyne Yi (who plays herself), doesn’t really believing in the concept of love. So she goes around interviewing couples and people asking what love is to them, all the while she and real-life Michael Cera are falling for each other. – Jess
The Proposal
I’m pretty sure seeing Ryan Reynolds in this movie ignited my sexual awakening. The movie is also hilarious. That should be enough incentive to watch it – Mallory
Brown Sugar
This is also belongs in the classics category for me because look up this cast! Childhood best friends played by Taye Diggs and Sanaa Lathan, in their adulthood are finally come to terms that they are meant for each other. It’s beautiful, funny, and very sexy. Think My Best Friend’s Wedding but with the ending we all really wanted:)
The Knight Before Christmas
I know it’s August but I DON’T CARE. Vanessa Hudgens lives in an idyllic small town and falls in love with a TIME TRAVELING KNIGHT. It’s cute but also unintentionally hilarious. (My mom and I had to pause the movie because we laughed til we cried at a line that’s basically like, “he’d be perfect if he just didn’t think he was a thirteenth-century knight!!!” Like LOL THAT IS A HUGE DEALBREAKER. Anyway. It’s fun, even when it’s not Christmas.) – Caitlin
One Day
I feel like not enough people have seen this one which is a problem. It’s sad and romantic and one of those films where you just scream at the screen JUST LOVE EACH OTHER ALREADY. I also cannot get enough of the gorgeous cinematography and this shot of the most beautiful london flat. – Ryann (and Emily)
Someone Great
This is such a good modern-day movie about love and friendship and it makes me very happy. I laugh and cry and never grow tired of it. – Ryann
Hairspray
How could I not include this?? We needed at least one movie-musical (or more) on this list for obvious reasons and “without love” is so good that I just had no choice but to put this on. This deserves a rewatch if it’s been a while – Mallory
Emily’s Picks (Her Favorite Category)
| Five Feet Apart | The Last Song |
| The Fault in Our Stars | Like Crazy |
| The Spectacular Now | Love, Rosie |
| If I Stay | Best of Me |
| Perks of Being a Wallflower | The Sun is Also a Star |
| All The Bright Places | Crazy Rich Asians |
The Team’s Picks
To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before
It doesn’t get better than this. Everything about this movie is warm, feel-good, and butterfly inducing. – Sara
A Knight’s Tale
This movie was my introduction to Heath Ledger and I truly didn’t know what to do with myself. My mom was equally in love. His heart-melting wink would be enough but he also fights for honor and love so he’s perfect. – Jess
Moonlight
This movie won the Academy Award for Best Picture for a reason. It’s beautiful, moving, heartbreaking, and romantic all at the same time. – Sara
Save The Last Dance
This movie deals with a lot of the same issues we are dealing with today but with a beautiful love story at the center. Plus there is so much dancing which isn’t a love language category but if it were, it would absolutely be mine. – Jess
Love, Simon
TEENS ALMOST KISSING, but there’s also mystery! Drama! Comedy! This heartwarming movie is filled with totally lovable characters. – Sara
Candy Jar
Nerdy, SUPER smart teens (who have been completing their entire lives) are forced to work together. They of course fall for each other proving there is more to life than academic success. Simple but is SO SWEET. – Jess
A Cinderella Story
COME ON. This list is banger after banger, and this one also does not disappoint. Make sure you watch “a cinderella story” and not “another cinderella story” though, because if you get the wrong one it might disappoint. 10/10 – Mallory
Twilight
A guilty pleasure that I still love! You also know that Arlyn can attest if you have been watching her instastories:) But come on… forbidden love, Robert Pattinson, vampires (something I didn’t know I could be into until this movie) and the willingness to sacrifice everything for true love. It’s got it all and now I’ve convinced myself I need to watch it this weekend – Jess
Monsoon Wedding
This movie was so beautiful. I watched it with my mom and we both loved it. This is romance with a heavy serving of family drama on the side. – Sara
Drive Me Crazy
12-year-old Jess didn’t stand a chance when this movie came out because it had everything! Estranged boy and girl neighbors, a makeover sequence, and of course a happy ending. And honestly, 32-year-old Jess loves it just as much. – Jess
Call Me By Your Name
The coast of Italy, Army Hammer, lots of skin. DO I NEED TO SAY ANYMORE? This coming of age movie goes so much deeper than skimming the surface, all alongside a beautiful score and against a dream-like backdrop. – Sara
Emily’s Picks
| Me Before You | The Light Between Oceans |
| Blue Valentine | Time Travelers Wife |
| P.S. I Love You | Star Is Born |
| Dear John | The Longest Ride |
The Team’s Picks
Star Is Born
Another couple with intense palpable chemistry that makes you feel alive while watching. And then… the end rips your heart out and makes you believe in soulmates. – Jess
Once
This is another tear-jerker, but this time straight out of Ireland. If you’re looking for happy endings, this might not be the film for you. But if you’re looking for a raw story with wonderfully developed characters and a side of music this is it. It’s one of Mac and my favorite films, and we even saw the stage play on Broadway! – Sara
Sing Street
The last scene in this movie left me in uncontrollable happy tears. That’s all I’ll say. – Sara
A Walk To Remember
Obviously a classic and you’ve probably seen it a thousand times. The last time I watched it I cried the entire way through and it was so therapeutic. I think I might love it more than The Notebook???? – Ryann
Ok so are you crying yet? Full of hope? In the mood for love? I hope so because I sure am. We likely missed some great ones so PLEASE leave your favorite romantic movies in the comments and HAPPY FRIDAY!
Love you, mean it.
Opening Image Credit: Photo by Veronica Crawford | From: Our Bedroom Update (Also How I Feel About Having A TV In The Bedroom)
Silver Linings Playbook :)
o totally!
Yes! This one fits into my watch around Christmas category
I’m not really in to romance films, but I did rather like Sliding Doors and Crazy Stupid Love.
Also, I’ve never really seen the appeal of Breakfast at Tiffany’s. The characters are annoying. I felt bad for Cat. And racist Mickey Rooney.
I love Crazy Stupid Love! It’s one of my favorite sick day movies, together with Home Again (Reese Witherspoon as an interior designer?! yes please)
I’d watch Audrey Hepburn doing laundry just to see what she was wearing but, yes, that Mickey Rooney character was painful to watch 40 years ago let alone now.
I totally agree re the Mickey Rooney character. It’s horrible that that would ever be acceptable and I should have called that out! Thank you for bringing this up. x
I justwatvhed Sliding Doors…on TV ?
I mean, a list without Love, Jones? Is that really a list? The acting, the look and feel, the MUSIC. It doesn’t get better than that. :)
THE HOLIDAY
Actually in these trying times I much prefer movies about professional hitmen and hitwomen. :) Who needs romance when you can watch people be really, really good at their work:
Grosse Pointe Blank
La Femme Nikita
Leon The Professional
Kill Bill
The John Wick series
The Jason Bourne series
Sicario
Logan (technically part of the X men series)
They’re all so efficient. It gives me a sense of control in a world full of chaos (yes, that’s a line lifted directly from the best Jane Austen movie, Clueless!).
Yes to Kill Bill and Leon The Professional! I haven’t seen the others and now I feel I must asap..
Goodfellas – romance and the mob
Oof Logan was so extremely well done and so extremely tense that I don’t think I can watch it again!
I kept waiting to see “While You Were Sleeping”…. all-time fave. “These mashed potatoes are so creamy…”
I know! I kept thinking all of these lists are faulty if they don’t include While You Were Sleeping.
Oh my gosh Jen, my friend and I STILL quote that to each, 20+ years after our first viewing! “Mary mashed em…”
A list without About Time is not a list. It is a perfect movie. And the main love story you care about is between father and son.
YAS!!!
YES. how come more
People haven’t seen this movie?! The soundtrack alone is worth it!
I literally came here JUST TO SAY THIS. About Time is the best of the best romance film and completely underrated. I SOBBED on a very full airplane. This is a good reminder to watch it again …
ABOUT TIME!!!! I’m not even a romantic movie fan and this movie has me bawling. In the best way. It is so under rated!
Omg, I was shocked not to see About Time on here. That movie makes both me and my husband SOB. It’s. So. Good.
Love About Time! I want that time traveling ability, so I can read all the books!
Yes! About Time belongs on the “You’ll Cry” list!
Also came here for the sole purpose of adding About Time to the list. Such a good movie that will make your heart soar and ugly cry at the same time.
I FORGOT STUCK IN LOVE. It’s my favorite rewatchable romantic movie.
Crazy Rich Asians as Coming of Age/Teen Love? It certainly is a feel good movie, but everyone in that movie is a full grown adult.
MOONSTRUCK!!!! with 1980’s Cher, Nicholas Cage, Olympia Dukakis…I mean, do I need to say more?
So happy to see Love, Rosie on this list! (And also time travelers wife)
God, One Day. This movie kills me so much more now that I’m older. It portrays all the awkward growing up and mistakes that have to be made while moving through life. It hits me in the heart in a very aching way. Scenes of Scotland are another mouth watering bonus.
This is such a good post and a great list of movies!!! Just what I needed to cheer myself up!
Brooklyn!
I have to vote for Sliding Doors. (Also, it’s worth crediting Emily V. Gordon not just as “Kumail’s wife.” She co-wrote The Big Sick based on their story. )
Humor /Romance:
Never Been Kissed – Drew Barrymore
It’s Complicated – Alec Baldwin and Meryl Streep
Somethings Gotta Give – Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson
The Family Man – Tea Leone and Nicholas Cage
If into Jane Austen,
AE Pride and Prejudice – Colin Firth ( he is Mr. Darcy!)
Sense and Sensibility
Persuasion ( 2008 with Sally Hawkins and Rupert Perry Jone )
Finding love the second time around, A movie that is not formula:
Enough Said- Julia Louis Dreyfus an James Gandolfini
scrolled through the comments just to see if anyone had mentioned sense and sensibility! it’s so good. i need a rewatch soon.
also under humor / romance – the wedding singer, ever after, my best friend’s wedding
In the same vein as The Proposal:
Two Weeks Notice – Sandra Bullock and Hugh Grant
Other Sandra Bullock Romcoms:
Hope Floats
Lake House
Life As We Know it – Katherine Heigl and Josh Duhamel and humor in the form of the great Melissa McCarthy
The above are not heart clenching but will take your mind away from the chaos.
I had a Breakfast at Tiffany’s poster in my teenage bedroom, and my conscious father pointed out the racism at the time, but I don’t think the rec can or should be made, today or ever, without a strong disclaimer that there is an incredibly racist depiction of an “Asian” character played by Mickey Rooney.
Sufiyum Sujathayum
Shakuntala Devi
I was a teen in the 80’s and of course watched all the usuals but my faves were Say Anything and Valley Girl!!
And I love Moulin Rouge and Amelie!!
Now I’ve got lots of movies to rope my husband into watching, thanks!!
Say Anything, Valley Girl, and Moulin Rouge are among my favorites, too! And I do love Amelie, and even saw the musical theater version in LA a few years ago. Super good, but never took off.
I saw it on Broadway during the two months it was open! I loved the movie and was excited to see Phillipa Soo after missing her in Hamilton by 11 days…
Phillipa Soo was an adorable Amelie! So playful and fun.
So many great rec’s! Well put together! Wish I had time to binge, ha!
(Oopsie…. I think maybe “stress/anxiety-including” is meant to be anxiety-inducing??)
Lol! I was wondering what ‘stress/anxiety-including’ meant!
I will forever and always love the Colin Firth & Jennifer Ehle version of Pride & Prejudice the most. It’s just so perfect in every way. It’s my comfort movie.
The new adaptation of Emma directed by Autumn de Wilde is also excellent– it’s my favorite of the adaptations I’ve seen. The casting is awesome, the leads have great chemistry, and I like that it doesn’t care about making Emma likeable, but rather cares about helping understand her.
The new Andy Samberg movie, Palm Springs, is also a really fun comedy & love story. I’ll definitely be watching that one again & again.
Yes, yes, yes to The Half of It… best & most delicate movie I’ve seen this year. Omg Emily, Like Crazy WRECKED me, I would put it in sad picks… such good acting. My desert island pick is 10 Things I Hate About You too! :)
Dirty Dancing !
Love that you included “The Knight Before Christmas”!
I love Once, particularly the live Broadway version, which I saw first. The Incredible Jessica Jones, The Half of It, and To All the Boys I’ve loved before are definitely my newest favorites. When Harry Met Sally is my longtime favorite, as well as the Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks pair ups. So many great picks, and a few new to me that I’ll need to check out.
I have to add Shopgirl with Steve Martin and Claire Danes. Both the book and film are my favorite. And then Mystic Pizza which my best friend turned me on to and it is her dream to adapt into a play. Just watched An Office and A Gentleman (per rec of Cup of Jo) for the first time too and it was romantic and unexpectedly sexy.
So glad Em mentioned The Time Traveler’s Wife, it’s one of my all time fave unsung hero romance movies. Also, how is “LOVE, ACTUALLY” not on this list? And one oldie that again I don’t think has gotten the love it deserves is, “The Holiday” which reminds us why we miss Cameron, why we love Jude Law and why Kate Winslet is timeless. 80’s Best: Pretty in Pink, Some Kind of Wonderful, 16 Candles, Can’t Buy Me Love…Plus all the Bridget Jones movies, Jerry McGuire, Titanic…I watch way too many movies OBVI ??♀️
Dang, forgot “Say Anything” and “Serendipity” bc John Cusack…also some of the best soundtracks!
Have you read the book The Time Traveler’s Wife? LOVED the book, HATED the movie. The book is very complex and twisty so I think they had to simplify it for the movie, which was a huge downer for me. I wonder if I would have seen the movie first if I would have disliked the book…
I second One Day. It’s heartbreaking.
Some maybe lesser know recommendation.
Only You (2018)
Away From Her (2006)
Love Story (1970)
Belle (2013)
Cinema Paradiso (1988)
Atlantics (2019)
Lawerence Anyways (2012)
Can’t wait to track these down! What about a favorite foreign movie?? Mine is Undersolen (Swedish). Really sweet and romantic love story about a shy farmer who is determined to find love.
What an epic list! I know this sounds cheesy but sometimes the endings make me cry. Like, why can’t they all end like Pride and Prejudice? Why do they have to end like La La Land? Sometimes, you just want to gush and go to bed feeling imaginative that life will be beautiful for two fake characters, right?! lol
La La Land was actually profound, and I don’t know how you left Sweet Home Alabama off the list.
Ever After is a movie I could watch every week. The scenery is stunning and I love a strong female lead!!!
Has to be Only You with Robert Downey Junior and Marissa Tomei. It’s about fate and destiny and is set in Italy. It has everything, laughter, romance, suspense. But warning, it’ll make you want to travel to Italy!
I love LOVE that movie- I was and still am obsessed with her clothes/style in it, and Bonnie Hunt is the best best friend character ever.
I love a good romantic period drama. Pride and Prejudice (2005) is probably my favorite movie of all time. I also love Jane Eyre (2011), though it’s also a bit melancholy. Ever After is definitely a favorite! Atonement belongs on the “You’ll Cry” list. Far from the Madding Crowd (2015) is another great one. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society was sweet. And these are miniseries, not movies, but I highly recommend North and South (based on the Elizabeth Gaskell novel), and the 2009 version of Emma (which is vastly superior to the new movie, imho).
As for modern romantic movies, I see most of my favorites already listed. But, my favorite Nicholas Sparks movie adaptation, The Lucky One (with Zac Efron), is not. I also have to say, regarding The Time Traveler’s Wife…the book is so much better than the movie!!
I am bookmarking this page!! Thanks for a great list!
My absolute, hands-down favorite movie is “A Room With A View” with a super-young Helena Bonham-Carter, Dames Judi Dench and Maggie Smith, Daniel Day-Lewis and Simon Fallow – what a line up!!
Please go watch it – it makes me so happy every time!
Jumping in late but I gotta, as I love these posts and now have a bunch of flicks to go watch- thanks!
But did no one else get suckered in by the prettiness and the soundtrack of City of Angels??
I need to add to the cry your eyes out segment… Steel Magnolias. All female leads, beautiful story of love, friendship and family. One of the best movies ever.
Guys, you forgot the “feel better after a breakup because you’ll find new love even though you feel hopeless” section. Maybe that’s getting it’s own blog post? Recs?