It's always a good time to watch a rom-com. Though options change periodically, Netflix always has some romantic movies. In addition to the films that made it big in popular culture, Netflix has some nice choices among its own original movies, too. Whether it went to the movie theater first or released straight to streaming, a romantic movie can be the best medicine.
Here are ten of the best romantic movies to take in right now on Netflix. Together, they are witty, suspenseful, bubbly, somber, thought-provoking, and relaxing...all at the same time. Ranked by IMDb, these are the makings of a superb movie marathon.
Sleepover: 5.3
Spy Kids' Alexa Vega was great in Sleepover as Julie. The movie is yet another testament to the glory of 2004's tweens and teens. Julie is finishing eighth grade, but her best friend, Hannah, is moving away. The girls have one last sleepover with their pals before Hannah leaves. It's at Julie's house, and she wants it to be a party they will remember, in the comfort of the home. Popular girls Liz (Brie Larson) and Staci (Sara Paxton) have another idea.
They challenge Julie, Hannah, Yancy, and Scout to a scavenger hunt. Hannah raises the stakes: if her group wins, Julie and friends will get to sit at "the lunch spot" at their new high school in the fall. If they lose, Staci and Liz get the popular spot, and Julie's crew sits by the dumpsters. Where is the romance? Well, Yancy falls in love with Peter, the very cute "speaker-mover-guy" at the club. And of course, the protagonist is in love: she gets her guy, longtime crush Steve. The two share a kiss at the end of the movie in Julie's childhood treehouse. It doesn't get much better than that.
Falling Inn Love: 5.6
This newer Netflix original (2019) is reminiscent of a couple of Hallmark movies, but Christina Milian and Adam Demos are great together as Gabriela and Jake. Jake is the contractor for the inn in New Zealand that Gabriela wins.
As the two get to know each other, sparks start to fly--and not because of power tools!
Failure to Launch: 5.6
This 2006 movie is the first on the list with Matthew McConaughey. He plays Tripp, a guy in his thirties who lives with his mom and dad (Kathy Bates and Terry Bradshaw). His parents are ready for him to leave the nest, so they call in a professional, Paula, played by Sarah Jessica Parker. Paula is usually all business, but there's just something about Tripp that she can't resist.
Though the pattern of their romance is somewhat predictable, it's still a good romantic comedy. Zooey Deschanel is also perfect for the role of Paula's roommate.
Valentine's Day: 5.7
Like its sister movie New Years' Eve, Valentine's Day is one of those movies that everyone is in. Ashton Kutcher, George Lopez, Jessica Biel, Jennifer Garner, Jamie Foxx, Taylor Swift, Taylor Lautner, Anne Hathaway, Topher Grace, Jessica Alba, Shirley MacLaine, Hector Elizondo, the list of big names goes on and on.
Even Julia Roberts and her niece, Emma Roberts, get in on the fun! All the characters' stories somehow intertwine on Valentines' Day. Married, engaged, dating, and broken-up couples fill the screen with times of reckoning, moments of laughter, and valuable lessons for the old and the young. The movie is now ten years old; it premiered in theaters in 2010.
Ghosts of Girlfriends Past: 5.8
Another great Matthew McConaughey flick available now is Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (2009). McConaughey's character is one of his most unlovable, at least at first. Connor Mead is a wayward womanizer. Inspired by his late uncle, Connor views women as little more than conquests.
His entire lifestyle is called into question when he reunites with his first love, Jenny Perotti (Jennifer Garner) at his brother's wedding. One of Connor's old girlfriends (played by Emma Stone) appears to him as a ghost. Modeled somewhat after Dickens' A Christmas Carol, the ghost guides Connor through his complicated past so that he can reevaluate his priorities when it comes to life, love, and romance.
A Cinderella Story: 5.9
Hilary Duff charmed her devoted fans once again as Sam Montgomery in A Cinderella Story. While many tales reviving the classic fairy tale exist, this is one of the best. Sam is a 2004 teen whose father passed away when she was a little girl. Left with nothing but her evil stepmother Fiona (Jennifer Coolidge) and two bratty stepsisters (Madeline Zima and Andrea Avery Ray), Sam must fend for herself. With help from her friends Carter from school and Rhonda (Regina King) from her family's diner, Sam starts standing up for herself and changing her reality.
Her Cinderella moment begins as a digital relationship with Austin the star quarterback, played by Chad Michael Murray. It ends with them kissing in the rain at a football game. Don't miss the chance to relive all those feels.
It Takes Two: 5.9
It Takes Two (1995) is a romance and a kids' movie wrapped up in one. The Olsen twins play unrelated little girls, Alyssa Callaway and Amanda Lemmon, who have never met. Amanda lives in an orphanage, and Alyssa lives as royalty. The two happen to meet when Amanda attends Camp Callaway, which Alyssa's family owns.
Alyssa's dad is about to marry the wretched Clarice Kensington. It's up to the lookalikes to show Roger Callaway that he belongs with Amanda's caseworker, Diane Barrows (Kirstie Alley). This one is a winner, and the crazy thing is, it came out three years before the remake of The Parent Trap. Hmm!
Set it Up: 6.5
Set it Up is a Netflix original from 2018 set in New York City. Its plot also reads like a Hallmark movie, but there are some edgier twists. Two assistants try to get their high-powered bosses to fall in love.
However, they find that matchmaking can be messy, and the tables might just get turned on these two assistants, Charlie and Harper, in the end.
Life as We Know It: 6.5
Life as We Know It came out in 2010, and it's an unusual story for a romance. Holly Berenson and Eric Messer (called Messer throughout the movie) can't stand each other, but they are best friends with the same couple. They put up with each other at big events and birthday parties, but they aren't friendly.
Things have to change when their best friends die and appoint Holly and Messer as guardians of their baby. The premise for the movie is devastating, but watching Katherine Heigl and Josh Duhamel learn how to take care of their late friends' child is a touching story.
Hitch: 6.6
Hitch is one of the best romances of the 2000s. Back in '05, Will Smith was "the date doctor," and Eva Mendes was a gossip columnist. Their characters, Alex "Hitch" Hitchens and Sara Melas, have a lot of chemistry, but they also are headstrong.
They make some mistakes and break each other's hearts along the way, but their journey to love is one you'll want to watch again and again.