Look, with the successes of Anyone But You or even Ticket to Paradise, we’re not saying rom-coms and romance movies are back to full life in theaters, but that their demise has been greatly exaggerated. (Just like our last few dates off the apps.) And besides, in the privacy of our homes? Things are really heating up, with plenty of choices on streaming services, both from abroad and of every outlook.
So when we put together our guide of the 2024’s best rom-coms and romance movies, we’re looking at PDAs for everyone to see in fawning awe (we won’t acknowledge of any other reaction) and what’s happening behind shuttered living room curtains. This includes It Ends With Us (starring Blake Lively, adapting Colleen Hoover‘s multi-million best-seller), Hit Man (starring and co-written Glen Powell…so he’s got brains to go with the rest of the package?), Challengers (featuring Zendaya in a love triangle and sports shorts), The Fall Guy (with Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt in the Barbenheimer reunification we didn’t know we needed), We Live In Time (the decades-spanning romance with Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh), Fly Me to the Moon (Scarlett Johannsson and Channing Tatum take a gambit on romance), The Idea of You (if Anne Hathaway’s happy, we’re happy), and Upgraded (a good old-fashioned rom-com with Camila Mendes).
We’ve ranked the list by Tomatometer, with Certified Fresh movies first. Whether it’s date night or friends outing, or something to cozy up with a partner (even if it is a pint of ice cream), with all the choices, tonight’s the night you’ll find a match.
Critics Consensus:The Ballad of Wallis Island hums along a sweet melody without lapsing into outright sentimentality, mining a great deal of warmth from its humble premise.
Synopsis: THE BALLAD OF WALLIS ISLAND follows Charles (Tim Key), an eccentric lottery winner who lives alone on a remote island [More]
Critics Consensus: Buoyed by Karan Soni and Jonathan Groff’s appealingly sweet performances, A Nice Indian Boy navigates cultural mores and romance with an infectiously kind heart.
Synopsis: Naveen Gavaskar is a self-effacing, soft-spoken doctor with a boisterous mother, seemingly perfect sister and quiet father. The Gavaskars are [More]
Critics Consensus: Lust and violence collide to powerfully pulpy effect in Love Lies Bleeding, a well-acted addition to writer-director Rose Glass’ growing body of exceptional work.
Synopsis: From Director Rose Glass comes an electric new love story; reclusive gym manager Lou falls hard for Jackie, an ambitious [More]
Critics Consensus: Another marvelous chronicle of America’s strivers by writer-director Sean Baker given some extra pizzazz by Mikey Madison’s brassy performance, Anora is a romantic drama on the bleeding edge.
Synopsis: Sean Baker’s Palme d’Or winner ANORA is an audacious, thrilling, and comedic variation on a modern day Cinderella story. Mikey [More]
Critics Consensus: Tracing through the passage of time with a light touch, director Baltasar Kormákur’s moving drama is a wistful reverie on life itself.
Synopsis: A romantic and thrilling story that spans several decades and continents; TOUCH follows one widower’s emotional journey to find his [More]
Critics Consensus: A bittersweet romp about new beginnings with another sparkling turn by Renée Zellweger, Mad About the Boy gracefully closes the book on Bridget Jones’ diary.
Synopsis: After jumping back into the dating pool, single mother Bridget Jones finds herself caught between a younger man and her [More]
Critics Consensus: With its trio of outstanding performers volleying their star power back and forth without ever dropping the ball, Challengers is a kinetic and sexy romp at court.
Synopsis: From visionary filmmaker Luca Guadagnino, Challengers stars Zendaya as Tashi Duncan, a former tennis prodigy turned coach and a force [More]
Critics Consensus: Leveraging fantasy to explore how bad life choices are evergreen, Timestalker is a clever and imaginative sophomore feature from director and star Alice Lowe.
Synopsis: Timestalker follows hapless heroine Agnes through time as she repeatedly falls for the wrong guy, dies a grim death, gets [More]
Critics Consensus: A modern, literate and sweet riff on finding the kind of happiness that can’t be found in a book, Jane Austen Wrecked My Life will make your day.
Synopsis: Agathe, hopelessly clumsy yet charming and full of contradictions, finds herself in desperate singlehood. Her dream is to experience love [More]
Critics Consensus:The Idea of You offers a welcome reminder that Anne Hathaway remains a thoroughly delightful romcom lead — and reaffirms that few filmmakers understand the genre better than Michael Showalter.
Synopsis: Based on the acclaimed, contemporary love story of the same name, The Idea of You centers on Solène (Anne Hathaway), [More]
Critics Consensus: A mature deconstruction of the conventional rom-com, Materialists provides its trio of swoon-worthy stars some of their meatiest material yet while reaffirming Celine Song as a modern master of relationship dramas.
Synopsis: A young, ambitious New York City matchmaker finds herself torn between the perfect match and her imperfect ex. [More]
Critics Consensus: Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh’s palpable chemistry will snatch audiences’ hearts before breaking them in We Live in Time, a powerful melodrama that uses its nonlinear structure to thoughtfully explore grief.
Synopsis: Almut (Florence Pugh) and Tobias (Andrew Garfield) are brought together in a surprise encounter that changes their lives. Through snapshots [More]
Critics Consensus: A mixture of gory slasher and sweet rom-com that ingeniously nails both formulas, Heart Eyes serves up a bloody valentine that’ll make the heart skip a beat.
Synopsis: For the past several years, the “Heart Eyes Killer” has wreaked havoc on Valentine’s Day by stalking and murdering romantic [More]
Critics Consensus: A phantasmagorical distillation of William S. Burroughs’ preoccupations that’s by turns meandering and vital, Queer marks one of Daniel Craig’s most sterling performances yet.
Synopsis: 1950. William Lee, an American expat in Mexico City, spends his days almost entirely alone, except for a few contacts [More]
Critics Consensus: Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson memorably smolder together in Babygirl, with writer-director Halina Reijn’s clinical gaze keeping this sexually frank thriller more provocative than prurient.
Synopsis: A high-powered CEO puts her career and family on the line when she begins a torrid affair with her much [More]
Critics Consensus: A bittersweet rom-com that occasionally waffles as much as its characters in how mature it wants to be, The Threesome balances out into a sweetly shaggy film with standout performances from Zoey Deutch and Ruby Cruz.
Synopsis: One fateful night, the stars appear to align for Connor (Jonah Hauer-King), a kind and unassuming young man, as his [More]
Synopsis: Heartbroken and adrift, undocumented Brazilian immigrant Lourenço searches for purpose in the queer mecca of Provincetown. As the summer season [More]
Critics Consensus: John Green once again nails the intricacies of adolescence and the importance of mental health in Turtles All the Way Down, a dynamic drama held together by a stellar cast.
Synopsis: Turtles All the Way Down tackles anxiety through its 17-year-old protagonist, Aza Holmes. It’s not easy being Aza, but she’s [More]
Synopsis: Successful businessman Eric travels to Italy to stop his daydreaming daughter Olivia from restoring a crumbling villa. Italy, however, has [More]
Synopsis: MARMALADE is an edge-of-the-seat crime-tinged romance tale. Recently incarcerated Baron (Joe Keery) strikes up a friendship with cellmate Otis (Aldis [More]
Critics Consensus: Sustained by Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum’s screwball chemistry even when its plotting strains credulity, this throwback romance is a pleasant enough trip to the moon and back.
Synopsis: Starring Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum, Fly Me To The Moon is a sharp, stylish romantic comedy set against the [More]
Critics Consensus: Mixing multiple genres, The Gorge makes for a surprisingly endearing romance until its action-thriller obligations steer proceedings back onto a more predictable path.
Synopsis: Two highly-trained operatives (Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy) are appointed to posts in guard towers on opposite sides of a [More]
Critics Consensus:Oh, Hi!‘s tonal balance can be as dysfunctional as its characters’ relationship, but this darkly comedic battle of the sexes mostly amuses thanks in part to Molly Gordon and Logan Lerman’s compatibility as co-stars.
Synopsis: Iris has met her perfect guy, Isaac, and is enjoying their first romantic getaway together — what could go wrong? [More]
Critics Consensus: Earnestly performed if marred by clunky dialogue, It Ends With Us is surprisingly at its most graceful when handling the more provocative elements of its melodramatic source material.
Synopsis: IT ENDS WITH US, the first Colleen Hoover novel adapted for the big screen, tells the story of Lily Bloom, [More]
Critics Consensus:On Swift Horses capitalizes on a steadfast cast while grappling with contemplatively rich themes of society, sexuality, and morality to a mostly astute end.
Synopsis: Muriel and her husband Lee are beginning a bright new life in California when he returns from the Korean War. [More]
Critics Consensus:The Greatest Hits is built around a genuinely interesting idea, but it’s lost in a shallow treatment that’s too often content to rely on sentimentality.
Synopsis: Harriet (Lucy Boynton) finds art imitating life when she discovers certain songs can transport her back in time — literally. [More]
Critics Consensus: While Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon work well together as catty combatants, tired set pieces and a misjudged romantic subplot make this an invitation you can file under “maybe.”
Synopsis: When two weddings are accidentally booked on the same day at the same venue, each bridal party is challenged with [More]
Critics Consensus:The Life List checks all the romantic comedy boxes with efficiency, but it could’ve benefitted from squiggling outside the lines here and there.
Synopsis: When Alex Rose’s mother sends her on a quest to complete her childhood bucket list, it takes her on a [More]
Synopsis: In this heartfelt rom-com, struggling photographer Pia (Simone Ashley) receives a prediction: true love and career success await her in [More]
Critics Consensus: Fitfully amusing and earnest without ever finding a comedic groove, Kinda Pregnant‘s best efforts can’t overcome the issue that its story is kinda icky.
Synopsis: When Lainy’s plan to settle down and start a family falls apart, she puts on a fake baby bump, tells [More]
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