Star-crossed lovers you just know won’t live happily ever after, meet-cutes that blossom into something more despite lots of slapstick mishaps, and relationships that persevere despite dangerous circumstances – no matter what kind of romantic movie suits your mood, there’s something streaming to fit the bill.
There are a ton of streaming services to choose from, and I’m not affiliated with any (nor is Rose Training Australia, which is sponsoring this blog), but I thought I’d start with the OG and most popular service (Netflix). I’m also just sticking to the recent films (the last four or five years). So, no “When Harry Met Sally” and “Sleepless in Seattle.” Sorry, Meg. We do love you, though.
Not all of these have rave critical reviews, but they all seem to be popular with the general audience. I’ll add the critics vs. audience favourability percentages as found on Rotten Tomatoes.
Lady Chatterley’s Lover (2022)
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Review vs Audience: 86% – 75%
Based on the steamy novel by D.H. Lawrence, this film stars The Crown’s Emma Corrin as a woman who, after her husband returns from the war wounded, is shuttled off from the city to a country estate. She’s miserable until she starts an affair with the estate’s gamekeeper. Fair warning – you will see a lot of flesh, it’s saucier than a Heinz factory.
A Perfect Pairing (2022)
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Review vs Audience: 50% – 69%
She’s a hard-working executive for a wine company, he runs a sheep farm in Australia. To land a big client, she has to prove her mettle on the farm. It’s basically the premise for every Hallmark holiday movie, and full of cliches like “city girl gets mad at hunky country dude before love takes over” but if you’re into that…
Persuasion (2022)
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Review vs Audience: 31% – 73%
Dakota Johnson jumps from the BDM of her “50 Shades” world to star in this Jane Austen adaptation about a woman who reconnects with a man she once meant to marry. And while the movie takes place in a period setting, the filmmaking feels very modern, with Johnson breaking the fourth wall to talk to the audience.
Along for the Ride (2022)
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Review vs Audience: 56% – 83%
If you also find yourself burning the midnight oil, this might be for you. You might sympathise with the protagonist. Based on a book by Sarah Dessen, the film follows Auden, a teenage insomniac who wanders her town at night. It’s then that she meets Eli, a fellow night owl who is determined to give her all the experiences she’s missed out on.
Look Both Ways (2022)
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Review vs Audience: 62% – 71%
This Sliding Doors-style movie follows two different possible paths taken by Natalie, played by Riverdale’s Lili Reinhart. In one, she gets pregnant and stays in her hometown to raise the baby. In another, she goes off to Los Angeles to pursue her career. Watch to find out whether either path leads to true love.
A Jazzman’s Blues (2022)
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Review vs Audience: 65% – 85%
Romance of the star-crossed variety, courtesy of Tyler Perry. In this film, a blues musician named Bayou and a young girl named Leanne fall in love. The movie traces their relationship through decades as it intersects with their town’s history and scandals.
The Last Letter From Your Lover (2021)
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Review vs Audience: 56% – 80%
This film’s love stories take place across two timelines, as it balances the tale of Ellie (Felicity Jones), a contemporary journalist who finds a misfiled love letter from a clandestine couple in the 1960s (played by Shailene Woodley and Callum Turner) and that love story itself. As Ellie begins to research that affair, her own love life takes a turn.
Malcolm and Marie (2021)
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Review vs Audience: 56% – 67%
A pandemic project, this film follows a couple in real time, in a limited location, as they explore truths about their relationship — making it feel almost like a play. It stars Zendaya and John David Washington, who have couple chemistry not seen since Marie and Perrie Curie. Note to self: That reference would probably work better if it was a physics joke.
All the Bright Places (2020)
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Review vs Audience: 65% – 61%
That rare film where critics and audience are almost in complete agreeance. If you want your romances to tug at the heartstrings, this one, based on a YA book by Jennifer Niven, will do the trick. It’s about two teenagers, each dealing with death in their own way, and how they make a connection despite their scars.
The Half of It (2020)
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Review vs Audience: 97% – 80%
An almost perfect romance according to critics. In a modern-day twist on Cyrano de Bergerac, (or Steve Martin’s Roxanne for you 80s kids) this film follows Ellie Chu, a high-school outcast who does other kids’ homework for cash, and her growing feelings for Aster Flores, the object of a classmate’s affection. It’s a sweet, poignant exploration of love and friendship.
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